Abstract:
Sri Lanka is a highly literate country where over 92% of its population knows
at least one of the following languages: Sinhala, Tamil and English languages.
However, a minority of the population possesses sound knowledge and
fluency with standard pronunciation in English within the country. English is
a lingua franca and is a link language according to the Sri Lankan constitution.
Therefore, employers among other reasons look for local employees who
speak fluent English. The interviewers evaluate the interviewees on their
fluency and knowledge of English as the majority of current organisations use
English extensively. Communication plays a crucial role in interacting with
native speakers of English. Therefore, employers prioritise fluency in
pronunciation of the English language in their employees. This study intends
to explore the methods of evaluation used by interviewers to assess the English
language competence of interviewees through their pronunciation. The study
uses a qualitative approach. The researcher obtains primary data from semi
structured interviews conducted with interviewers. The sample includes five
participants. The sample consists of organisations selected through convenient
sampling. The selected organisations are multinational companies in Sri
Lanka. The study provides insight into the contemporary evaluation methods
used by interviewers to evaluate English language proficiency through
pronunciation. The results of the study highlight the importance of standard
pronunciation for effective communication in English in the fields where
individuals have to deal with native speakers of English. The evaluation
methods focused on pronunciation, stress and intonation, phonetic accuracy
and intelligibility. Therefore, this research sheds light on the evaluation
methods used by interviewers about oral skills in English in Sri Lanka. It
provides a foundation for further research into the field. The research helps
interviewers and interviewees with their concerns about English Speaking
Skills in the Country.
