The Impact of Explicit vs. Implicit Instruction on Pronunciation Intelligibility among Iranian EFL Learners

In an attempt to examine the controversy over the explicit vs. implicit teaching of pronunciation, this quasi-experimental studywas carried out on two homogeneous groups of Iranian high school female students. The experimental group (N=30) underwent the treatment; i.e., explicit pronunciation instruction using a variety of auditory, visual and physical techniques. The control group members (N=31) received oral activities as conventionally instructed in common Iranian high schools.After fifteen sessions of the treatment, there sults of the post-test were rated by an English native speaker based on the criteria set for accuracy and fluency. Data analysis revealed the explicit group’s outperforming the implicit group concerning accurate and fluent pronunciation; thus, supporting explicit instruction as an essential technique for boosting pronunciation intelligibility in Iranian EFL context. English instructors and materials developers might find the suggested pedagogical implications beneficial for determining an efficient mode to overcome the problem of teaching pronunciation.