Segmental Features of English modeled by selected professors in a state university in the Philippines: Implications in teaching English

Abstract

This paper is a case study that identified the segmental features observable among and modeled by three professors in a state university in the Philippines (where Tagalog is the native language), in their reading of a poem. In reference to General American English (GAE) which Filipino speakers of English attempt to approximate, generalizations out of the data and pedagogical implications were offered. The sociolectal approach in describing phonological features of a particular speech community was employed in this paper. Results revealed that substitution, addition and deletion of sound segments are governed by the interference of L1 and caused by the fossilization of pronunciation “lapses” of the participants. These lapses can therefore be regarded as defining features of the variety of English spoken by speakers in the area and perhaps its neighboring provinces since the participants serve as models in the community. In view of this, teachers of English should strengthen the Communicative Competence Model in the teaching of the language in order to make students be sensitive and appreciative of varieties of English such as the one noted in this paper.