Tarbiat Modares University Language Related Research 2322-3081 Articles in Press 2025 07 13 High-Proficiency EFL Learners’ Pronunciation Learning Toolkit: A Multi-Case Study of Teacher-Directed and Self-Directed Strategies High-Proficiency EFL Learners’ Pronunciation Learning Toolkit: A Multi-Case Study of Teacher-Directed and Self-Directed Strategies 7233 10.48311/lrr.2025.7233 FA Masoume Ahmadi Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran Nasser Sabourianzadeh Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran Bita Mashayekhi Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran Journal Article 2025 07 13 For decades, both researchers and EFL learners have been interested in native-like pronunciation. While extensive research has delved into a variety of pedagogical approaches and the complexity of English phonology, an unanswered question is how high-proficiency EFL learners achieve the elusive goal of native-like pronunciation in spoken English. To this end, this multiple-case study aimed to explore the multifaceted strategies employed by 15 high-proficiency EFL learners who had mastery in pronunciation and were selected using the maximum variation sampling method. Data was gathered through the use of diaries and in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed with NVivo software version 10, and two main themes were extracted: teacher-directed (TD) and self-directed (SD) pronunciation learning strategies. Regarding the TD strategies, some participants (46%) acknowledged actively engaging with structured tasks and assignments facilitated by teachers. They highlighted the role of in-class (36%) and out-of-class (64%) activities in their journey to master pronunciation. The SD strategies were reported by about half of the participants (54%) in their quest for pronunciation mastery, which included self-talk (48%), podcast listening (29%), shadowing (12%), and reading aloud (11%). This study contributes valuable insights into relevant literature and offers evidence of the interconnectedness of TD and SD strategies in pronunciation improvement. The findings have several implications for further research or practice about pronunciation mastery. For decades, both researchers and EFL learners have been interested in native-like pronunciation. While extensive research has delved into a variety of pedagogical approaches and the complexity of English phonology, an unanswered question is how high-proficiency EFL learners achieve the elusive goal of native-like pronunciation in spoken English. To this end, this multiple-case study aimed to explore the multifaceted strategies employed by 15 high-proficiency EFL learners who had mastery in pronunciation and were selected using the maximum variation sampling method. Data was gathered through the use of diaries and in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed with NVivo software version 10, and two main themes were extracted: teacher-directed (TD) and self-directed (SD) pronunciation learning strategies. Regarding the TD strategies, some participants (46%) acknowledged actively engaging with structured tasks and assignments facilitated by teachers. They highlighted the role of in-class (36%) and out-of-class (64%) activities in their journey to master pronunciation. The SD strategies were reported by about half of the participants (54%) in their quest for pronunciation mastery, which included self-talk (48%), podcast listening (29%), shadowing (12%), and reading aloud (11%). This study contributes valuable insights into relevant literature and offers evidence of the interconnectedness of TD and SD strategies in pronunciation improvement. The findings have several implications for further research or practice about pronunciation mastery.