ICTs Implementation in the English Pronunciation Classroom: The Case of Voki

Abstract

English has emerged as a truly global language in our society. Historical, political, economic, practical, intellectual and entertainment reasons (Crystal, 2006) explain such a status and the reason why an increasing number of students want to master the language. This has resulted in a number of methods and approaches being taught in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning, being the most salient one the integration of ICTs. Bearing this in mind, the objective of the present paper is twofold. On the one hand, to investigate to what extent university students enrolled in the Pronunciation and Understanding of Spoken English module are able to improve their pronunciation through an online tool called Voki (http://www.voki.com), used in combination with lyricstraining.com. On the other hand, to suggest if the implementation of this teaching proposal would be advisable in successive years. Thus, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the research was conducted with the participants enrolled in the Pronunciation and Understanding of Spoken English module, held at Universitat Jaume I. Results showed that ICTs, particularly Voki, have the potential to have a great impact on the learning of English pronunciation. Finally, some limitations and pedagogical implications are mentioned, together with conclusions and ideas for further research.