From informal fluency to phonetic shock: Pronunciation learning gaps among Albanian EFL students

Abstract

Despite years of English instruction, many EFL students enter university with limited phonological awareness and little formal knowledge of pronunciation systems. This multi-cohort qualitative study explores pronunciation learning gaps among first-year Albanian EFL students in Kosovo, focusing on the transition from informal communicative fluency to academic phonological competence. Drawing on focus group interviews with 33 students across three consecutive cohorts (2022–2025), the study examines learners’ experiences with pronunciation, phonetic transcription, and accent models upon first exposure to phonetics at the university level. The findings reveal a recurring pattern of ‘phonetic shock,’ characterized by anxiety, transcription difficulties, and reduced learner confidence following late introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Four interrelated factors underpin this phenomenon: (1) the absence of pre-university phonetic instruction, (2) systematic orthographic interference from Albanian’s transparent writing system, (3) reliance on informal digital media for pronunciation learning, and (4) confusion between General American and Received Pronunciation models in assessment contexts. While students often develop intelligible pronunciation through informal exposure, they lack the metalinguistic tools required for analytical phonology and transcription. The study argues that these challenges are systemic rather than individual and reflect broader curriculum and teacher-training gaps. It contributes to second language pronunciation research by reconceptualizing pronunciation as a vertically integrated, accent-inclusive, and digitally scaffolded literacy rather than a remedial university subject. Pedagogical implications are discussed for pronunciation instruction, assessment practices, and teacher education in EFL contexts characterized by transparent L1 orthographies.