INTENS (International Journal of English Education and Linguistics)

The Effectiveness of Audio-Based Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Overcoming Pronunciation Barriers Among Young Learners: Third Grade of Elementary School at Bojonegoro

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study addressed pronunciation barriers and low speaking confidence among third-grade EFL learners caused by limited exposure to authentic spoken English. It examined the effectiveness of Audio-Based Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in improving pronunciation and speaking confidence through a quantitative pre-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design. Eleven third-grade students participated in a one-day intensive intervention involving authentic audio input, shadowing activities, and communicative role-plays. Data were collected through pronunciation assessments and interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The findings revealed a significant improvement in students’ pronunciation performance, with the mean score increasing from 70.00 in the pre-test to 83.64 in the post-test. The Wilcoxon test produced a significance value of 0.009 (p < 0.05), indicating a statistically significant effect of the intervention. Interview results further showed that students felt more confident and less anxious when speaking English after the treatment. The combination of authentic audio exposure and communicative practice helped reduce both linguistic and psychological barriers to pronunciation. The novelty of this study lies in the implementation of a short-term audio-based CLT intervention specifically designed for young learners. The findings suggest that Audio-Based CLT is an effective and practical approach for enhancing pronunciation accuracy and speaking confidence in EFL classrooms.

Keywords: Audio Based Learning, Communicative Language Teaching, Young Learner

Exploring Pronunciation Barriers in English Learning for Young Learners

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Accurate English pronunciation is an essential foundation for communication, but elementary school students still commonly face various barriers in their learning process. This study aims to explore the pronunciation barriers and identify the linguistic and non-linguistic factors experienced by young learners in an EFL context. The research employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving five fifth-grade students as participants. Open-ended observation checklists and interviews were utilized as research instruments to gain an in-depth understanding of students' experiences in learning English pronunciation. The results showed a significant linguistic barrier in the form of segmental articulation difficulties with non-native phonemes like /θ/, /ð/, /ʃ/ that do not exist in Bahasa Indonesia. Non-linguistically, despite exhibiting high interest, the students’ oral production was severely hindered by psychological anxiety and a fear of making mistakes. This condition was reinforced by teacher-centered lessons providing zero meaningful speaking opportunities in class and a lack of English media exposure outside of school. Therefore, this study suggests a pedagogical shift toward student-centered and visual-interactive learning spaces to foster young learners’ speaking confidence.

IMPROVING STUDENTS’ PRONUNCIATION THROUGH SHADOWING TECHNIQUE USING ELSA

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

English speaking ability is an essential skill for students; however, pronunciation errors are still commonly found in English learning. To address this issue, the use of technology-based learning applications such as ELSA Speak, combined with the Shadowing Technique, can be an effective solution. This study was conducted at SMA Negeri 1 Balen involving 29 eleventh-grade students. The research employed a quantitative approach using pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires as research instruments. The pre-test was administered to measure students’ initial pronunciation ability. Afterwards, students received pronunciation practice using the ELSA Speak application through the Shadowing Technique. At the end of the treatment, a post-test was conducted to measure students’ improvement. The results showed a significant increase in students’ pronunciation scores, with the mean score improving from 66.62 in the pre-test to 83.72 in the post-test. These findings indicate that the Shadowing Technique using the ELSA Speak application is effective in improving students’ pronunciation mastery. In addition, the questionnaire results revealed that students had positive perceptions of the learning process. Most students stated that they enjoyed using the application and felt more confident in practising pronunciation. Therefore, this study suggests that the combination of ELSA Speak and the Shadowing Technique can be a useful tool for teaching pronunciation in English learning.

The Effectiveness of Gamified Word Cards on Vocabulary Mastery among Vocational School Students Majoring in Automotive Technology

Lintang Sabil fatwa, Muhaimin Abdullah — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the effect of gamified word cards on the vocabulary mastery of vocational school students majoring in automotive technology, two research questions were proposed; does the use of gamified word cards significantly improves vocational students' vocabulary mastery, and what is the distribution of students' daily test scores across the gamified word cards activity treatment. This study employed a quantitative research approach using a one-group pre-experimental design. The sample consisted of 26 vocational students majoring in automotive technology. The data were collected through a pre-test, post-test, and daily tests. Furthermore, the data were analyzed used Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and descriptive statistics. The results indicated a substantial increase from pre-test (M = 27.31) to post-test (M = 72.88), supported by the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test which confirmed a statistically significant improvement (Z = −4.200, p < .001), demonstrating that the use of gamified word cards significantly improved students' vocabulary mastery. The highest daily test mean score was recorded in the third treatment session with the game called ShowDown! (M = 86.15). These findings suggest that gamified word cards are an effective vocabulary learning medium for automotive technology vocational students, particularly in settings where mobile phone use is prohibited

An Error Analysis of Using Simple Past Tense in Writing Recount Text during Online Learning

Nur Layliya zainuddin, Samihah Au-ma — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Writing is the process of expressing thoughts, feelings and ideas into language symbols. This research aims to to find out common mistakes made by students in writing recount text during online learning and to find out the factors of errors in writing recount text during online learning for class VIII students at MTs Sunan Bonang Parengan Tuban. This research uses a qualitative method. Instrument In this case the researcher collects data by using test instruments and interviews. For collecting data, researchers used 10 students as participants. Test carried out with an online test using Google Form, while for the researcher used one-on-one interviews. After collecting and analyzing the data, researchers can draw conclusions that the most common mistakes What students often do when writing recount text is incorrect formation by 73%. Misformation is one type of error that refers to on grammatical structures, apart from analyzing in general, researchers also general analysis. For general errors it is 49% the error was punctuation.