Exploring the effects of integrating a research-led activity in the English pronunciation class: An evaluative study with Argentinian pre-service teachers

The present study aimed to examine the effect of implementing a Research-Led Activity (RLA) on the development of phonological awareness in students of a university-level English course in an English teaching program in Mar del Plata, Argentina. Seventeen students, aged between 19 and 26 years, with English language proficiency levels ranging from B2+ to C1, participated in the study. At the time of the research, these students were enrolled in the pronunciation course, Oral Discourse II, which is part of the second year of the Teaching English as a Foreign Language program at a state-owned university in Mar del Plata, Argentina. At the end of the instructional period, the students were asked to share their perceptions through an evaluative questionnaire designed to assess the impact of incorporating the RLA into their ODII class. The questionnaire included Likert scale questions and an open-ended question. The present study only concentrated on analyzing the responses to the open-ended question. The results revealed that the RLA not only promoted phonological awareness but also expanded the understanding of the intelligibility/comprehensibility constructs, facilitated the integration of theory with practice, and served as an effective link to research. Based on these findings, some pedagogical recommendations were given with the aim of enriching the teaching of English pronunciation and improving its integration into the educational context.