Posters

Preservice teachers’ beliefs about pronunciation instruction and teacher English proficiency in Japanese elementary school English education

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Abstract

This study examines preservice teachers’ beliefs about pronunciation instruction and their perceptions of teacher English proficiency in Japanese elementary school English education. Using a mixed-methods design, questionnaire data from 91 university students were analyzed alongside qualitative responses. The results show that participants hold generally positive beliefs about pronunciation instruction and associate it with high teacher English proficiency. A significant positive relationship between these constructs suggests that pronunciation pedagogy is closely linked to perceived teacher competence. Qualitative responses were examined through co-occurrence network analysis of participants’ descriptions of pronunciation instruction. The analysis revealed a persistent reliance on accuracy-oriented perspectives, with limited attention to intelligibility as a pedagogical goal. This gap highlights a critical issue in teacher cognition. At the same time, participants emphasized the value of rhythm- and interaction-based learning experiences. The study underscores the need for teacher education to promote intelligibility-oriented approaches and to develop practical pronunciation pedagogy.

Keywords: teacher cognition, pronunciation, instruction, pre-service teachers, beliefs, second language

How to Cite:

Hakozaki, Y. (2026). Preservice teachers’ beliefs about pronunciation instruction and teacher English proficiency in Japanese elementary school English education. In P. Trofimovich, A. Bodea, T.-N. N. Le, R. Suzuki, & C. Teló (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching Conference (pp. 1–16). Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, October 2025. https://doi.org/10.31274/psllt.22114