SERBIAN EFL LEARNERS’ PRONUNCIATION PROFICIENCY AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
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Abstract
Relevant studies have often focused on the relationship between students’ willingness to communicate and pronunciation anxiety, yet there seems to be a lack of studies exploring the connection with actual pronunciation proficiency. The current paper explores the interconnectedness between Serbian English-major students’ willingness to communicate outside the classroom and their pronunciation proficiency in the target language. In order to answer the proposed research questions, a total of 70 first-year students of the English Department at the Faculty of Philology and Arts, University of Kragujevac, participated in the study. The necessary data for analysis were obtained via a combination of relevant instruments: a questionnaire and pronunciation proficiency testing. The results showed a statistically significant positive correlation between students’ willingness to communicate outside the classroom and their pronunciation proficiency. The findings of the present study underline important pedagogical implications for Serbian pronunciation instruction, emphasizing the need for consistency and integration of both perception and production practice.
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