A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements, for the Award of the degree "licence en langue et littérature Anglaises"

Résumé,

This present study aims at investigating the pronunciation difficulties made by fifth form pupils in learning English as a Foreign language and try to find out what brings them about in order to suggest strategies and recommendations to improve proficiency in pronunciation in general and in the beginning level in particular. This work tries to answer the following questions : do phonological differences between Kirundi and English or French and English affect English pronunciation? - why do fifthe form pupils often have pronunciation problems?- what strategies and materials should teachers of English fifth forms use to help their learners achieve a good and correct pronunciation?

This work comprises a methodology chapter which describes the way the data was collected. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques have been used. Hence, the researcher has used a random sampling in order to avoid subjectivity. In findings, from the analysis of the data collected from classroom observations, the teachers' questionnaire and the pupils' read aloud test, the researcher was able to get factual information about the causes of pupils' pronunciation errors when learning English. It was concluded that phonological differences between Kirundi and English as well as those between French and English affect the way fifth form pupils produce English sounds. As for recommendations, the Ministry of Education should revise fifthe form programs in order to include pronunciation components wherein some basic notions of English phonetics and phonology should be introduced to fifth form pupils before ended their junior cycle and also set up language laboratories. Teachers should be aware of pronunciation problems and care for the teaching of sound mechanisms. Pupils should know that "practice makes perfect" and speaking inside or outside the classroom with other classmates should be their way of life. They should also be good imitators of their teachers' pronunciation.