The Inseparability of Reading and Pronunciation

Webinar date: April 2025
Presenter: Mike Budden

Reading and speaking are viewed by many as separate skills; however, this contradicts researchers' and neurological findings that the two directly linked—effective reading depends on having a reliable phonological repertoire. (Dehaene, 2009., Walter, 2008) 

The perceived detachment of pronunciation from reading means that students’ phonological awareness is not fostered alongside their reading skills. When students encounter new words, they are forced to either guess the pronunciation and/or draw upon their L1 as a guide. With each repeat encounter, their pronunciation is reinforced, perhaps with L1 influence. 

This talk looked at these links and considered how we can better support our students to develop greater pronunciation awareness. 

This webinar explored:

• Common beliefs about reading and pronunciation
• How reading works on a neurological level in line with Stanislas Dehaene’s Reading in the brain: The new science of how we read
• Why reading aloud got a lot of bad press during the development of CLT
• Practical tips for integrating reading and pronunciation in the language learning classroom

About the presenter

Mike Budden grew up in Australia and lives in Berlin, Germany, where he teaches English and German to adults. He holds a DELTA, Bachelor of Music and Master of Teaching and is a qualified high school music teacher. His musical background led him to develop a keen ear for the sound of language and strong interests in the areas pronunciation and listening skills, and to begin asking himself the question "How can we move students away from text and get them to open their ears?"