Combining the body and mobile technology to teach English pronunciation

In Australia, postgraduate international student enrolments have risen 81 per cent since 2002. In 2008, 74 per cent of international enrolments were in Business/Management, Computer Science and Engineering-related courses (Davies, 2010). Most international students are from Asia, and the vast majority of those from mainland China. A survey of employers in 2006 found that employers rated interpersonal and communications skills (written, oral, listening) far above “qualifications” and “previous employment” as the most important selection criteria when hiring graduates (Davies, 2010). In fact, research on the IELTS levels of exiting Master’s degree students suggests that international students at Australian universities tended to graduate with worse spoken English skills than when they first entered.The above research has identified a deficiency in the communication skills of international students, crucial in seeking employment. This chapter proposes various ways of helping committed international students on campus to improve their spoken English language by combining the use of the students’ bodies with mobile technology.