Abstract/Summary

English is an international language, spoken by far more non-native speakers than native speakers and in a wide variety of accents. Pronunciation skills are vital to successful communication in English. The aim of pronunciation teaching for learners of English today is international intelligibility—an achievable and relevant goal. International intelligibility can be taught by focusing on the pronunciation features contained in the Lingua Franca Core (LFC), a list of priorities for teaching pronunciation in English. This can be followed up with work targeting learners’ more specific pronunciation goals, including any specific accent they may aspire to. This approach to pronunciation teaching prepares learners for international interactions by exposing them to multiple accents and helping them be intelligible to people from other language backgrounds. It makes use of the learners’ first language as a means of interpreting and categorizing new language. Pronunciation teaching is best integrated with other language skills and can have a positive impact on speaking, listening, vocabulary learning, and reading. Digital technologies can provide useful tools for learners and teachers, and learners will benefit from teachers’ guidance on how to select and use apps and other online resources for pronunciation work. Learners’ pronunciation can be assessed in the classroom, using various methods for diagnostic and progress testing. Teachers can also provide the immediate corrective feedback that is so beneficial for the development of pronunciation skills. Teachers commonly express a lack of confidence in teaching pronunciation. This can be counteracted through continuing professional development, which will familiarize teachers with the concept of international intelligibility, deepen their knowledge of pronunciation, and help them make links between theory and practice.