Scaffolding Pronunciation in Saudi EFL Classroom at Majma'ah University

Abstract

The College of Education at Majma'ah University shifted from King Saud University EFL syllabus to Gassim University EFL syllabus at the second term of the academic year 1432/1433. The new syllabus introduces the students to the English pronunciation before introducing them to linguistics. Contrary to the general paradigm, this situation is argued to deprive the students from a proper socialization into the academic discourse of linguists that could have otherwise helped them   to understand the English phonology.  Also, the students' pre-college education trained them to base their English pronunciation on the letters of alphabet despite all the irregularities inherent in the English spelling system. For these reasons, among others, it became necessary to adopt the scaffolding theory as an interventionist teaching strategy to achieve four objectives: to facilitate and enhance the students' understanding of the English pronunciation, to provide them with more opportunities to practise pronunciation, to train them to use authentic pronunciation sources and to help them to become autonomous learners who could actively take responsibility for  their own learning.