Introduction

The Practice of Pronunciation

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Abstract

We were so grateful to welcome the PSLLT community to our little corner of the world at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Our theme was “The Practice of Pronunciation,” highlighted by an engaging keynote presented by Ron Thomson of Brock University, host of the 2022 PSLLT. “Practice” is a multifaceted word, and as Purdue is known primarily for STEM and for being the cradle of astronauts, we are called upon to reflect time and again on the practices we use, as well as the practicality of what we teach for students who quite literally want to reach the stars. As pronunciation teachers and researchers (and learners ourselves), we understand the need for practice, in class and out in the world where our target languages are used. PSLLT is devoted to finding and refining best practices in pronunciation learning and teaching, and our Teaching Tips roundtables at each year’s conference is a practical demonstration of that devotion. Of course, our teaching practices in second language learning must be informed by sound research and are inspired by the experiences we have in our classrooms. Language teaching is, in this way, a continuous cycle of question and discovery. Each of these pieces of the practice of pronunciation teaching and learning was on full display at the 14th PSLLT and documented in these proceedings.

Keywords: pronunciation, pronunciation teaching, pedagogy, methodology

How to Cite:

Sturm, J. L. (2024) The Practice of Pronunciation. In D. J. Olson, J. L. Sturm, O. Dmitrieva, & J. M. Levis (eds). Proceedings of the 14th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 1-3), held September 2023 at Purdue University, West Lafayette IN.