Author(s)

Cong Li

Corresponding Author

Cong Li

Abstract

This paper explains and demonstrates the importance to teach young Chinese English learners phonetics in order to improve their lexical competence. Based on literature reviews, phonetics served as an important indicator of future reading ability can influence learners’ lexical ability directly so that poor phonetic knowledge hinders the learners from effectively improving their English competence. By discussing current problems in primary school English teaching and analyzing usual spelling mistakes of young English learners, some suggestions are presented to primary English teachers and textbook writers in order to improve the phonetics teaching.

Keywords

lexical competence;phonetic knowledge; Primary school students; Formal classroom teaching.