KURS ISHI

INTRODUCTION . According to the Ministry of Public Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the average English language proficiency in public schools, as measured by standardized tests, stood at 48% in 2023, with pronunciation components often being the weakest link, frequently scoring below 35% in communicative tasks [1]. This impacts the country's broader economic aspirations, particularly given the government's strategic focus on tourism and international trade, which necessitate a globally competent workforce. The Uzbek government's "Digital Uzbekistan – 2030" strategy emphasizes enhancing human capital through advanced education, with foreign language proficiency, including accurate pronunciation, being a key performance indicator. While overall English language enrollment in higher education institutions in Uzbekistan increased by 15% between 2020 and 2023 [2], the specific challenges related to pronunciation acquisition persist, often hindering effective communication and professional development. The economic cost of miscommunication due to poor pronunciation in international business dealings for Uzbek companies is estimated to be approximately $5 million annually, based on reported project delays and misunderstandings in 2022 [3]. Despite advances in language teaching methodologies, persistent issues in pronunciation acquisition continue to hamper communicative effectiveness, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts. Many current approaches often prioritize grammar and vocabulary over pronunciation, leading to learners with extensive lexical and grammatical knowledge but limited intelligibility [4]. The advent of AI-powered pronunciation tools and speech recognition technologies has introduced new avenues for instruction, yet their optimal integration into pedagogical practice, especially within resource-constrained educational systems, remains an underexplored area. Therefore, a critical examination of current pronunciation material presentation strategies, identifying their limitations, and proposing evidence-based interventions is essential to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and practical application, thereby fostering truly communicative competence. Celce-Murcia et al. (1996) famously emphasized the importance of integrating pronunciation into communicative language teaching, arguing that it is not merely ...