Debunking the Notion of Nativization in the Pronunciation Variation at Segmental level among Non-Native ESL Teachers in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Pronunciation errors made by non–native speakers of the English language according to Swan and Smith (1987) should not be considered as random attempts to produce unfamiliar sounds and words but instead as a reflection of the segmental and supra segmental features of their native languages. For this reason, it is necessary for the English language teachers to be more aware of how the mother tongue of the non – native English speakers can have influence on the English pronunciation. The purpose of this research is to look into the issue of pronunciation variation among English language teachers of Kadazan ethnic background in the area of Tuaran and Tamparuli in Sabah, Malaysia. This research is qualitative in nature using ethnographic case study method. LeCompte and Schensel (1999) have detailed appropriate times to use ethnographic methods. They suggest the use of ethnography “when the problem is clear, but its causes are not well understood” (p30-31). Following this advice, we used components of ethnography to investigate the possible factors that lead to phonological variations in the consonant that develops as a result of student/teacher interactions. Therefore, in this study, researchers will focus on the ESL teachers of Kadazan ethnic who formed the dominant ethnic group in the state in Sabah. Furthermore, the availability of coded sound system of the Kadazandusun language lends itself well for ease of comparison. The data obtained in the research was analyzed using the contrastive analysis method. Here, the actual utterances were compared to the intended utterances to determine the specific consonant sounds that differ in both the utterances. The findings of this research proved that the L1 does have certain influence in the pronunciation of the English language. The consonantal features that are absent in the respondents’ L1 seem to be substituted with other sounds that are almost similar to the target sound.