We know from Higgs Graph of Learner Needs that pronunciation is something that is very important to beginner learners as it allows them to feel more comfortable when speaking; teachers must be aware, however, that the more sounds differ between the mother tongue and the second language, the higher the affective filter. A student feeling too self-conscious will not be as willing to take the risks that are necessary when learning a new language.
Pronunciation is an interesting area because when learning in a classroom context, pronunciation isn’t usually a major factor that influences comprehension however, it may be when the learner uses the SL in the community. The value of teaching pronunciation cannot be underestimated. Besides the difficulty of changing a `bad habit´, early pronunciation instruction helps students understand how to form sounds that are not found in their mother tongue, contributes to decoding ability and lowers the affective filter. Some researchers suggest that pronunciation does not need to be taught and will `take care of itself´ over time. Others suggest that teaching pronunciation is necessary. What do you think?