Identification of English consonants by Korean students

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that Korean students have difficulty identifying some English consonants that are not in the Korean sound inventory. The aim of this study was to examine the accuracy score of English consonants correctly identified by 130 college students in order to find out English consonants with listening problems for the Korean students. The subject’s task was to identify one of the minimal pairs played in a quiet laboratory classroom. One hundred minimal pairs consisted of syllables with various onsets or codas: stops, fricatives, affricates, liquids, and nasals. Results were as follows: First, types of the correctly identified English consonants varied according to the level of each student’s total score. Second, the lower the group level, the lower the accuracy score for each consonant group divided by its manner. Third, those consonants in coda position of the test words were more difficult for the students to identify than those in onset position. Fourth, the subjects showed lower accuracy in the perception of any contrast with a fricative onset or coda. Finally, the students still had problems telling voiced from voiceless consonants, especially in coda position. Future studies will focus on examining students’ production data to trace their listening problems.