Investigating the Effectiveness of the Color Vowel Approach in Enhancing ESL Learners’ Pronunciation Skills

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Color Vowel Approach in improving pronunciation among ESL learners. Specifically, it aimed to determine whether significant differences existed between the pretest and posttest results of the control and experimental groups and to evaluate the progression of pronunciation skills through formative assessments. This quasi-experimental study, which employed a pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design, was conducted at the University of Eastern Philippines during the first semester of the academic year 2018–2019. A total of 59 students enrolled in Speech 111 were selected through purposive sampling and assigned to either the control group (n = 29) or the experimental group (n = 30). The experimental group received pronunciation instruction using the Color Vowel Approach, while the control group followed conventional teaching methods. Data collection included researcher-designed oral and written pretests and posttests, weekly formative assessments, classroom observations, learning logs, and student journals. Seven sessions of formative testing were conducted before and during the intervention. Pretest results showed that both groups performed below average, indicating limited initial pronunciation skills. Posttest scores revealed statistically significant improvement in both groups (p = .04 for the control group; p = .001 for the experimental group), with the experimental group achieving significantly greater gains (p = .001). Formative assessments showed a steady upward trend in the experimental group’s performance across multiple dimensions of speech, including vowel accuracy and stress at word and sentence levels. In contrast, the control group showed moderate improvement over time. The findings indicate that the Color Vowel Approach is an effective strategy for enhancing ESL learners’ pronunciation skills, particularly in vowel articulation and word stress at the word, phrase, and sentence levels. These results support the integration of the Color Vowel Approach into communicative instructional programs to better address the needs of language learners.