2.1.2 Difficulties of Pronunciation 

      Pronunciation (speech articulation) must be considered one of the most complex human motor skills (Levelt, 1989). Presumably, the process of acquiring such a complex speech-motor skill may be obscured for first language (L1) acquisition due to its early onset in infancy and may generate the impression of an easily acquired ability. However, adult second language (L2) learners face considerable and often lasting problems with pronunciation, contrasting, eventually, with excellent knowledge of vocabulary and grammar– a dissociation of capabilities known as the ‘‘Joseph Conrad Phenomenon’’(Reitereretal., 2011). And it has been reported that only between5% and 15% of adult L2 learners still manage to reach native-like or ‘‘accent-free’’ speech (Birdsong, 1999, 2005; Novoa, Fein, & Obler, 1988; Seliger, Krashen, & Ladefoged, 1975; Selinker, 1972).However, foreign accents have been found to be present even in the speech of inpiduals who have started learning their second language in childhood (Flege, Munro, & MacKay, 1995).Beside the age , there are a number of other inpidual factors have been claimed to influence the learning of second language pronunciation, such as personality (i.e., anxiety and extroversion), learning strategies, memory, prior experience (Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1992;Dörnyei, 2005), and the similarity of the phonemic systems between the mother tongue and the target language (Wiik, 1965; Flege, 1988; Lintunen, 2004).

 Actually, the culture within the Chinese classroom does not promote interaction and reduces the opportunities to practice spoken English (Zhao 2010). Some of the traditional pronunciation approaches and issues in China (Zhao 2010; Wang 2007) include as follows:

1. Learning from textbooks using traditional pronunciation methods IPA.

2. Constantly repeating a word till the pronunciation of the word is memorized.

3. Chinese students are normally taught by a Chinese lecturer who has a Chinese accented English pronunciation.

4. Chinese students’ English accent is a regional Chinese English accent.

2.1.3. Strategies of Learning Pronunciation 

 There are five strategies of learning pronunciation:

 First, As Peterson (2000) suggested that memory strategies were most frequently preferred by beginning level language learners without any pronunciation training experience. For example some students may make up songs or rhymes to remember how to pronounce word or I associate English pronunciations with Chinese pronunciations.

 The second one is cognitive strategy.It had a wide range of items came upon significant as it was in the original strategy inventory based on Oxford (1990). For example, students like recording their own voice to hear my pronunciation. In addition, listen to tapes, television, movies or music appeared to be the most popular one. Although some students without having a special training experience ,they can apply to the closest external help to improve their pronunciation.

 The third one is the meta-cognitive strategy. On the one hand , students may eager to read reference materials about target language pronunciation.For instance they write words that are difficult for them to pronounce very large in their notes.

This was the most frequently utilized strategy by the first-year students. 

 Forth, as revealed in Berkil (2008), affective strategies were highly favored by students. It would be appropriate to expound that affective strategy is a great support providing students with a high level of self-confidence and a nonthreatening environment (Hismanoglu, 2006).

Finally, as for cooperative strategy, the findings confirm the balance between the overall and the specific outcomes. While the students were especially in favor of studying with someone else.