Effects of segmental phonemes in learning English language: A case study at faculty of arts-Kordofan university

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of segmental phonemes in learning English language. The study aimed to analyze and describe segmental phonemes for English learners in University of Kordofan - Faculty of Arts in the study period (2013-2015) to determine the difficulties, and facilitate them through description associated with diagrams and the influence of the Arabic language (L1) on English language (L2) phonemes. The study followed the analytical and descriptive approaches. The primary data was collected through different sources including personal observation, interview and recording test, while secondary data was gathered from references, books, and the internet. The sample size compromise (100) students selected from different levels of study second to forth level using simple random sampling technique these represent (25%) of the total population (400) students. The data was analyzed through Statistics Package for Social Science (Version -15), the segmental phonemes analysis showed that, there were (44) English sounds and (26) Arabic phonemes. The results also reveal that, (64.17%) of the English language learners faced difficulties in pronouncing the segmental consonant phonemes, and (65.8%) for segmental vowel phonemes, which was recorded observed and analyzed as a result of mother tongue interference on English language phonemes. Thus, consonants phonemes scored percent were (/p/77%, /d/ 67%, /v/ 55%, /tʃ/54%, /ʒ/ 70% and /ŋ/ 62%) while vowel phonemes were (/a:/ 68%, /3:/91%, /ʊə/93%, /eə/77%, /ɪə/77%). The study recommended that, unfamiliar sounds which do not exist in the learners' language should be identified and given special consideration via teaching phonetics, phonology and International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols besides using modern methods of learning language as Acoustic Laboratory, Audio Library, T.V, Radio, and CD.