An analysis of phenomena of consonant substitution and strategies for development for Cantonese EFL elementary learners: A case study

Abstract

The present study focuses on the phenomena of consonant substitution and strategies for remediation or development for Cantonese primary school students in China. 8 students from the graduating classes of Dongguan Haide Bilingual School were randomly selected as participants, of whom the pronunciation samples were collected after finishing the optional course (fun reading) which lasted for 15 weeks. Focusing on segmental features (consonant substitutions), each audio was recorded by computer, followed by analyzing transcriptions, marking pronunciation errors, and categorizing error types. The result presented that the pronunciation of letters th, pronunciation of the initial consonant cluster and the final consonant cluster, pronunciation of the letter l, substitution of voiceless consonant for the corresponding voiced consonant, substitution of phonemes /w/ for /v/ and /r/ and confusion between phonemes /n/ and /m/ were the common types of errors in consonant substitution of learners in primary school on English learning. By analyzing the phenomena of consonant substitution in the English pronunciation of specific primary school students in Guangdong and exploring its developmental strategies, this paper attempts to provide predictable focus and teaching guidance for primary school English teachers, aiming at exploring and innovating English pronunciation teaching methods, stimulating students’ learning interest and promoting the development of primary school English language teaching (ELT).