Teaching English Pronunciation Using Imitation Technique: A Collaboration Praktisi Mengajar Indonesia-Germany

Abstract

The discrepancy between university graduates’ competencies and workplace demands remains a major issue in Indonesian higher education. To address this problem, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology introduced the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) policy, including the Teaching Practitioner (Praktisi Mengajar) program, which promotes collaboration between higher education institutions and professionals from industry. One area that significantly benefits from practitioner involvement is English pronunciation instruction, a fundamental component of speaking skills and effective communication. This study aims to describe the implementation of teaching English pronunciation using the imitation technique through the www.mmmenglish.com

 website in collaboration with a teaching practitioner from Germany and to identify students’ awareness of self-reflection on their pronunciation skills. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach involving 25 undergraduate students from the English Education Department at Universitas PGRI Semarang. Data were collected through students’ audio recordings from pre-tests and post-tests, classroom observations, and reflective evaluation of pronunciation performance. The findings indicate that the imitation technique supported by digital media and practitioner collaboration improves students’ pronunciation accuracy, intelligibility, and self-awareness. Furthermore, the Teaching Practitioner program positively supports student-centered learning and aligns with MBKM objectives and Higher Education Key Performance Indicators (IKU). The study suggests that integrating digital pronunciation platforms with practitioner collaboration can enhance the quality and relevance of English pronunciation teaching in higher education.