A Survey of Japanese English Teachers' Attitudes Towards Pronunciation Teaching and Knowledge on Phonetics: Confidence and Teaching

In light of the significant role of teachers in pronunciation, we conducted a questionnaire survey in the summer of 2015 in an attempt to reveal the problem areas in English pronunciation faced by Japanese teachers of English. A total of 100 public junior high school teachers in Tokyo responded to the survey. The preliminary analysis revealed positive correlations between “emphasis on pronunciation instruction” and “confidence,” while a negative correlation was established between “do not know how to teach” and “confidence.” As expected, there was a negative correlation between “do not know how to teach” and “emphasis on instruction,” and those who “do not know how to teach” tended to claim “no time to teach” and “students show no interest.” The results point to the possible existence of two types of teachers: those who are comfortable teaching pronunciation in class and those who are not. Further analysis will be necessary to provide clarity about the two groups by finding out their profiles in detail. Data concerning the major phonetic features taught in class and/or the extent of knowledge that teachers have should be incorporated into the analysis as well. Personal interviews will also be necessary to investigate any assistance teachers may require.