Thai Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of English Pronunciation Models: English Learners’ Views in Surasakmontree School

Teachers’ English pronunciation can impact on EFL students’ perception to learn English. This study aims at investigating the intelligibility and comprehensibility of four speakers among 30 Thai secondary school students in a Thai secondary school. An intelligibility test and comprehensibility rating scale questionnaire were used as instrument in this study. Four pronunciation models, namely American, English, Indian and Thai were utilized in both research instruments. The findings indicate that Thai pronunciation model was the most intelligible while Indian pronunciation model was the least intelligible. The findings from the comprehensibility reveal similar results. The Thai model was rated to be the least difficult while the Indian model was the most difficult. The relationship between the students’ intelligibility and comprehensibility in American and Indian pronunciation models are positively related with r value of 0.46 and 0.40, respectively. In contrast, there is a weak relationship of intelligibility and comprehensibility of Thai English pronunciation model. Implications of this study are raising-awareness on student familiarity towards various pronunciation models, introducing and promoting varieties of pronunciation model teachers in class, and hiring practices of foreign language teachers by school administrators