Using high variability phonetic training as a contextualized tool in the development of English consonant clusters pronunciation among Saudi EFL learners

Pronouncing English clusters may be challenging for Arab English learners. Technology-based strategies can be used to improve their pronunciation of English consonant clusters. This study examined how high variability phonetic training (HVPT) can be used to improve the pronunciation of consonant clusters among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. The current study examined 58 Saudi undergraduate students. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group was provided with a list of words in the consonant clusters. Participants in this group viewed a video in which all these words were pronounced in isolation (decontextualized group). The use of HVPT as a platform for contextualized pronunciation led to considerable improvement in the participants’ ability to pronounce words with consonant clusters. Moreover, using HVPT helped the students remember the correct pronunciation of the relevant words with consonant clusters.