Pronunciation Learning Strategies, Aptitude, and Their Relationship with Pronunciation Performance in Pre-service English Language Teachers in Chile

Abstract

The study aimed to establish whether there is a relationship between L2 aptitude, pronunciation learning strategies (PLSs), and pronunciation performance in pre-service English language teachers in Chile. In so doing, the study also uncovers PLS use by the participants. Through a correlational and statistically descriptive methodology, all participants took three tests, namely the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT), the Strategic Pronunciation Learning Survey (SPLS), and a pronunciation test, each of which was intended to gather data for the three major variables. The study was conducted at a teacher education university in Chile, with a sample of 43 Year 1 and Year 2 students. Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients showed that no major correlations were found between PLS frequency/duration and pronunciation accuracy; nor was a major correlation found between language aptitude and pronunciation accuracy. Nonetheless, the application of a statistical model comprising the most frequently used PLSs and those with the longest duration yielded a positive correlation between these PLSs and pronunciation intelligibility levels. Future studies incorporating motivational elements are required to establish how they correlate with pronunciation accuracy, in particular.