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Improving past tense pronunciation of regular verbs through the use of audacity: A case study of efl undergraduate students in Ecuador

Abstract:

This study examined the use of Audacity software to improve the pronunciation of regular verbs in the past tense. The participants were 30 advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students of the English major of Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Ecuador. A mixed-method approach was used to gather qualitative and quantitative data from the participants by means of surveys, tests and audio recordings through Audacity. The intervention process took eight weeks. During this time, students were first instructed on the use of Audacity. Then they were taught the three pronunciation rules of regular verbs in the past tense and were asked to record a total of 10 audios per student in isolation and in context. Three-hundred audios were analyzed in total. After analyzing the data, the results indicate that Audacity is an effective tool that not only improves learners' pronunciation, but also favors the practice of English language in a free and relaxed environment.