Utilizing Various Online Dictionaries to Improve the English Diphthong Pronunciation Ability of the PGRI Payangan Vocational Students

Abstract

      English as an international language plays an important role in the lives of Balinese people since Bali is a world tourism destination. In general Balinese people use English when they communicate with tourists because most of the Balinese work at tourism. Therefore, it is inevitable that English is one of the most popular languages ??for the younger Balinese generation to learn. However, the difference in the pronunciation system between English and Balinese, which is the mother tongue of the Balinese people, is often a problem. One of the most common types of pronunciation difficulties is the pronunciation of diphthongs in English. Pronunciation errors will certainly have an impact on misunderstandings in English communication.      Based on this phenomenon, this community service is carried out with the aim of providing one solution to improve the ability to pronounce diphthongs in English, namely by utilizing various online dictionaries that are equipped with audio features. This solution is believed to be one of the options that can be done considering that currently, Balinese people are very close to technology, but some still are not able to fully utilize the dictionary in the network. The target of this community service activity was the students of SMK PGRI Payangan Gianyar. The selection of Payangan Gianyar area is due to it has the potency to become a new tourist destination in Gianyar District. Keywords: diphthong, online dictionary, community service