Peer Assessment to improve the Pronunciation of Sibilant Sequences in English at the University Level

Phonetics plays a crucial role in the instruction of future English language teachers. Even more so when it comes to identifying and correcting pronunciation errors through Peer Assessment. The objective of this research was to identify segmental mispronunciation sequences among Ecuadorian university students. Using Demirezen's Auditory Articulation Model, the research focused on discovering pronunciation errors. The study was designed as action research with a quasi-experimental approach, incorporating a pre/post-test, a pronunciation validation sheet and a structured interview. The results reveal a significant improvement in phonetic performance. In addition, word intelligibility was affected by the incorrect concretization of the sibilant phonemes in English, for which a correction phase was intervened. Finally, the effectiveness of peer assessment in improving the pronunciation and speaking skills of English teachers was reaffirmed.