Short- and Medium-Term Effects of Mouth Movement-Focused Instruction on English Linking Pronunciation

Visual cues such as mouth movements have gained attention in English pronunciation instruction, yet they have mainly targeted individual sounds (e.g., /l/ and /r/), with limited application to connected speech features such as rhythm and linking. In this study I investigated the short- and mid-term effects of mouth movement-focused instruction on English linking. I developed a single 24-minute on-demand lesson using video footage that clearly demonstrated native English speakers’ lip and tongue movements. Linking performance was measured at three points—before instruction, immediately after the instruction, and at the end of the semester. Results showed that even this brief intervention led to noticeable improvement in learners’ production of linking, especially at the phrase level. Learners also reported enhanced awareness of overall pronunciation through the visual instruction. However, performance in sentence-level linking was less stable, with some targets showing decline over time. These findings suggest that while short, visually guided instruction can be effective in raising awareness and improving production, repeated practice and sustained exposure are necessary for long-term retention and fluency development.