CHALLENGES OF TEACHING ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION ENCOUNTERED BY KURDISH EFL TEACHERS AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This study investigates the challenges faced by Kurdish teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) when teaching English pronunciation in public schools across the Duhok governorate of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Despite more than twelve years of dedicated English study, many Kurdish EFL learners continue to experience difficulty in achieving native-like pronunciation, indicating persistent shortcomings in current instructional practices. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the research collected data from 50 teachers working in eleven public schools through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations. The results reveal that, although teachers acknowledged the central role of accurate pronunciation in effective communication, both internal and external factors impede instruction. Key external constraints include limited classroom time, insufficient instructional resources, inadequate coverage of pronunciation in textbooks, and a lack of institutional training opportunities. Internally, teachers tended to focus predominantly on segmental features of pronunciation, employed limited pedagogical techniques, and often prioritized grammar instruction over pronunciation. Nevertheless, many teachers reported strong motivation and confidence in their own phonological knowledge. The study concludes that strengthening pronunciation instruction in Kurdish EFL contexts requires the provision of richer instructional resources, enhanced teacher professional development, and the integration of more comprehensive pronunciation content into the curriculum.