A common mistake made by many international students studying English as a second language is not paying adequate attention to English pronunciation. This underestimation of the importance of pronunciation is mainly because students tend to think mistakenly that pronunciation is less important compared to other aspects of the English language such as grammar, lexicology and vocabulary.
Pronunciation is vital to proper communication because the incorrect use of pronunciation inevitably leads to the message being misunderstood by the recipient. Pronunciation of the letter sounds in words as well as syllable emphasis on parts of words will more often than not change the words meaning and context drastically thereby irreversibly altering the meaning of the sentence being communicated.
Accent Modification Ideas - (2021 Presentation by Kathy Nicholson) Many of our Learners have non-American accents which can sometimes cause Learners to be misunderstood or even dismissed by their listeners. While it is important that we teach our Learners that they should never be embarrassed or ashamed of their accents, it is also helpful to give them support if they wish to speak more like native-American speakers.