Improving Vocabulary and Pronunciation

“Intelligible pronunciation is an essential component of communicative competence” (Morley, 1991, p. 513). “Learners with good pronunciation in English are more likely to be understood even if they make errors in other areas, whereas learners whose pronunciation is difficult to understand will not be understood, even if their grammar is perfect“ (Yates, 2002, p.1). ,,A robust vocabulary improves all areas of communication- listening, speaking, reading and writing”(Bărbuleț ,1918, p.1).
Pronunciation as well as having a broad vocabulary is important, so that students can be better understood in their communication with each other. With poor pronunciation misunderstandings can occur. Many students do not feel confident to speak with others in English as they are afraid to make mistakes and face criticism. However, there are many different ways in which students can improve their pronunciation and vocabulary.
Learning new words and improving pronunciation should be a fun experience, so that students stay motivated and focused.
One way is to play games with one example being The Great Verb Game (http://www.fbcusa.com/the-great-verb-game-game.html ). The Great Verb Game is an essential tool when teaching verb forms to students as it presents the grammar issues behind the conjugation of verbs in English […] Its flexible design makes it ideal for use with all levels of learners and with learners of different ages” (M.M. Oleinek , The Great Verb Game/ Instructions/ p.4). “The Great Verb Game is the perfect substitute to the traditional spoken drills often used in class and, thanks to its novel board game structure, it motivates students to speak in groups helping them to overcome both shyness and difficulties“ (M.M. Oleinek , The Great Verb Game/ Instructions/ p.4). To learn these helpful verbs might improve students' vocabulary and help them communicate better in everyday situations. 
Another game that could be played for improving vocabulary is Bingo and Hangman, in which the teacher could use words that are relevant to public holidays. For example if the topic of the lesson is Halloween, words that could be used would include “pumpkin, witch and ghost“. 
Public holidays is a topic in school, in which students learn more about other cultures and traditions. Thus they gain a better idea of appropriate behaviour in certain cultures.
Another way to help students improve their vocabulary would be to show them pictures of Thanksgiving, Halloween or Christmas and asking them to describe them. An example could be to show them pictures of a pumpkin, witch or ghost and ask them what they can see and which holiday it might relate to and what they know about the holiday.
Teachers could speak with their students or give them time to talk in groups or pairs about questions relating to a public holiday. For example, why and how do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving?
Tongue Twisters are a fun way to learn new words and help improve certain pronunciation features. An example for a Tongue Twister is “She sells sea shells by the seashore“ (https://www.smart-words.org/tongue-twisters.html ). Tongue Twisters could be presented in British and in American English so that the students become familiar with the different pronunciations.
Another task could be to give the students a chart in which they have to decide if the word is a British-English or an American-English word. This might help them understand that there is a difference between American and British English in a number of aspects, for example:
Chips, French Fries,
Biscuits, Cookies
Sweets, Candy
…
There are numerous examples of oral language mediation, one being to help an English-speaking tourist to order something in a restaurant, another being to use public transport. (Frank Haß, 2006, p. 175) These examples of everyday situations are very relevant as students will be able to relate to them, thus are more motivated and they will feel more confident in real life situations.
Teachers could also read stories to their students on topics such as the origins of Thanksgiving. This not only improves their knowledge of American culture but also improves their vocabulary and pronunciation. Furthermore, teachers could show an interview in which Americans speak about Thanksgiving. While listening to the interview students would learn new words and their correct pronunciation from native speakers thus having a positive impact on their own pronunciation. After they have heard new words they should practise them.
Lastly a wonderful way would be to use the project Europa macht Schule, which can be found in many German cities. (https://www.europamachtschule.de/ ). In this project students have the opportunity to converse with native speakers. This is a great way to use school as a place for intercultural communication. 
Another authentic way would be to communicate with native students via the internet. In this way students can improve their vocabulary and pronunciation by listening to native speakers. One helpful internet side could be skype tandem. ( de.openlanguageexchange.com/sprachaustausch-online-Skype.html)

Sources: 

Frank Haß, 2006, “Fachdidaktik Englisch”, p. 175.
Gabriel Bărbuleț, 2013, Editura Aeternitas, p.1.
MORLEY, J., 1991, “The pronunciation component in teaching English to speakers of other languages”, in TESOL Quarterly, n. 25(1), 51-74.
YATES, L., 2002, What is pronunciation? - Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Research Centre Fact Sheets, Sydney, National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research, Macquarie University, Retrieved from www.ameprc.mq.edu.au/docs/fact_sheets/01Pronunciation.pdf.