The Effects of Phonics on EFL Students’ English Spelling and Pronunciation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine students’ ability in English spelling and pronunciation before and after using phonics. The participants in this study were 37 grade seven in Chonburi “Sukhabot” School. The researcher focused on 5 English vowel sounds; ‘a’ /æ/ ‘e’ /e/ ‘i’/I/ ‘o’/ɒ/ ‘u’/ʌ/. The instruments used in this study are pre-test and post-test which comprise spelling and pronunciation. The data obtained from English word recognition pre-tests and post-tests were statistically analyzed by using means, standard deviation, and a t-test analysis in order to compare the significant differences in the mean score from the word recognition test before and after the instruction. The results of the study revealed that students’ spelling and pronunciation skills improved substantially when being taught using the phonics method. Learning achievement of the students through phonics was significantly higher at P < 0.000. The students also showed a high level of motivation toward learning through phonics. These results confirmed that phonics could be a promising tool for teachers when it comes to students’ spelling and pronunciation abilities.