Pronunciation Study Habits of EFL Students in the Context of Costa Rican Public Higher Education

This study explores students’ attitudes toward English pronunciation study habits at a Costa Rican public university. In spite of their relevance, these study skills have not received enough attention in the last few years. The sample consisted of 24 females and 9 males, all with a B2 level. The study employed a quantitative, direct needs assessment design. The researcher used a survey to obtain students’ perspectives about their independent study habits. Students’ attitudes were assessed on a 5-point Likert scale. The researcher interpreted data by using descriptive statistics. Data analyses suggest that: 1) there is some correlation between exposure to pronunciation study habits and students’ preferences; 2) an important number of pronunciation study habits receive little attention; 3) students perceive study habits as an essential component for improving their pronunciation, but they do not dedicate enough time to study pronunciation independently; and 4) exposure to these study habits is not systematic during language learning. In agreement with the reviewed literature, these results demonstrate that pronunciation study habits are not consistently present in the curriculum, which can have implications for bilingualism development. In addition, the analysis shows that a more straightforward and organized type of instruction may broaden and improve students’ independence. Lastly, these results indicate that a more organized curriculum that clearly emphasizes pronunciation study habits would favor ESL learners’ speech education.