Problems in the Pronunciation of English Consonant Clusters – A Case Study of English-Majored Students at a Vietnamese University

Pronunciation plays a decisive role in successful communication, particularly for learners of English as a foreign language. For Vietnamese students, the structural differences between Vietnamese and English phonological systems create significant challenges in mastering English pronunciation. This qualitative study investigates the difficulties faced by English language majors at a Vietnamese university in pronouncing English consonant clusters. Through participatory observation, analysis of recurrent errors and focus group interview, three main tendencies to ease cluster pronunciation were identified: consonant deletion, sound substitution, and vowel insertion. From this, some pedagogical solutions are proposed to address these issues, with the aim of improving students’ fluency, accuracy, and confidence in English communication.