Perceptions of the pronunciation of the English sounds /θ/ and /ð/: A case study of freshmen at Hanoi University of Industry

Abstract

Pronunciation is a means of transmitting sounds in communication. Vietnamese people learning English have certain difficulties in pronouncing English, primarily because English contains sounds which are different from Vietnamese. Freshmen at Hanoi University of Industry are no exception. This study investigates the phonetic and phonological characteristics of the two English sounds /θ/ and /ð/ that are absent in Vietnamese, in order to propose effective methods for teaching and learning these two sounds. A quantitative research approach, primarily based on document analysis, is used. The research results describe the two sounds as dental, fricative, voiceless (/θ/) and voiced (/ð/), with some rules of their recognition in words. Pedagogical measures are proposed, including the application of information technology.