Pronunciation Difficulties Research Articles

COMMON PRONUNCIATION PROBLEMS IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS

This study focuses on pronunciation difficulties of certain segmental features related to Oman’s local English language teaching environment that includes language learners of different ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. The paper draws its conclusions from research findings, looks into some commonly mispronounced words, in and outside English language classrooms, explains the reasons behind such challenges and suggests some practical ideas to avoid common pronunciation problems in the context of the inclusive English language classroom.

UNVEILING STUDENTS' CHALLENGES AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING TERTIARY CLASSROOM

University students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) often struggle with speaking anxiety, limited practice opportunities, and performance pressure. This paper explores the challenges and attitudes of EFL university students towards Project-Based Learning (PBL) implemented in a speaking class at the tertiary level in the Indonesian context. The study included 35 university students from a public university in Indonesia. The researchers employed a mixed-methods approach to examine students' attitudes and challenges. Data were gathered through a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the questionnaire revealed predominantly positive attitudes towards PBL. The interviews uncovered challenges, such as lack of confidence, pronunciation difficulties, time constraints, heavy workload, and performance anxiety. Despite these challenges, the students had positive attitudes, emphasising PBL's potential for enhancing speaking skills. The study recommends targeted interventions to address lingering challenges and refine PBL implementation.

Конфликтни зони между писмена норма и устна реч във френския език и свързаните с тях проблеми при преподаването на френско произношение на българи

Outlining the context of increased attention to linguistic issues in French society, the article introduces a number of concepts related to the definition of norm types in the French language, specifies nuances in the terminology adopted in the main grammars of the French language and in some new publications in the field of French phonetics, phonology and sociolinguistics. Two phonetic phenomena (liaison and French schwa) have been outlined as conflict zones between the written norm and oral speech in the phonetic implementation of the graphic elements of the spelling system. Due to the substantial divergence between oral and written code in these phenomena, as well as in relation to the multitude of factors that intervene in deciding on their (non)realization, they are at the root of serious difficulties in learning French pronunciation. The article offers some tips for emphasizing their teaching.

Phonetic interference between L2 and L3 in qualifying cycle: interlingual approach

The Moroccan education system favors French at all levels, while English is taught only for three years during the qualifying cycle, creating a detrimental disparity in learning this foreign language. Learners often pronounce English with a French accent due to phonetic interference. Pronunciation difficulties are exacerbated by socio-psychological factors such as lack of motivation and an education system focused on quantity rather than quality. Teachers also play a crucial role in improving learning by addressing these challenges and managing classes appropriately. Students who make pronunciation errors may be ridiculed by their peers, leading to decreased self-esteem and disinterest in school activities. Special attention should be given to teacher training and creating a positive learning environment to promote better English proficiency and enhance students' performance.

Assessment of Perceived Teaching Strategies Used by Teachers of English in Teaching Reading Comprehension

The study assessed the perceived teaching strategies English teachers use in teaching reading comprehension at Cascade Technical Academy (pseudonym) in Ghana. The study was underpinned by the constructivist theory. A mixed-method approach, questionnaires and observation checklists were used for data collection. The study relied on simple random sampling to select 80 Form Three students, while 5 teachers of English were purposively selected. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used for the quantitative analysis, while the qualitative data were grouped into themes. The study found from teachers' experiences that students had an average reading level. Teaching strategies, duration, and the number of times teachers have reading activities to teach reading comprehension were average. Again, the study established that inadequate textbooks, time allocation, and absenteeism were some challenges teachers encountered in English comprehension. Finally, it was observed that difficulty in pronunciation and the use of idiomatic expressions were sources of worry for students. Most students believe that reading comprehension directly impacts a student's academic performance, which influences other subjects of study. The study recommends that teachers help develop students' reading skills and comprehension of text on a daily basis to help improve students' performance.

Cross-culture communication apprehension in communicating in English among Jordanian students in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)

Cross-cultural communication apprehension (CCA) can be a significant challenge for international students, impacting their learning experiences. This study examined the Jordanian students’ perspectives of and experiences in cross cultural communication Apprehension in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) where English is the medium of instruction. This study employed qualitative study while the participants were 16 Jordanian PhD students at UUM. The sampling of this study was purposive sampling while the researcher selected homogeneous sampling strategy, collected the data through face to face interview with the participants. The findings of the research question were divided into two main themes and sub-themes. The first main theme is language barriers, which consists of four sub-themes: limited English proficiency, pronunciation difficulties, and grammar challenges and Cultural context and communication styles. The second main theme is language anxiety, which includes two sub-themes: shyness and limited vocabularies. This has various implications on their overall learning experiences in University Utara Malaysia.

Understanding Speaking Difficulties of Accountancy Business and Management Students at Leyte National High School

This paper explored understanding the speaking difficulties of Grade 11 and 12 Accountancy, Business and Management students at Leyte National High School, Tacloban City. Respondents were 239 grade 11 and 170 grade 12 ABM students. During class recitation, students have difficulties in expressing their thoughts and ideas using the English language. Though, results presented that majority of the ABM students are having moderate anxiety in speaking the English language, which means that in general they do not feel anxious about speaking the English language, although they are still anxious in certain situations. On the other hand, grade 11 and 12 ABM students are having specific difficulties in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. They also fear of making mistakes and that they lack confidence. Moreover, poor grammar skills, poor pronunciation skills and lack of vocabulary are considered major factors affecting speaking difficulties for grade 11 ABM students. While grade 12 ABM students considered lack of vocabulary and poor grammar skills as major factors affecting speech difficulties

Problems and prospects of educational lexicography: a new school dictionary of Russian pronunciation

The article critically examines various educational pronouncing (orthoepic) dictionaries and states the main objections to the quality of such resources. Criticism centres on the irregularities in the transcription rules adopted in school textbooks; phonetic and orthoepic errors; mixing orthoepic information with other linguistic phenomena; the issue of age-related adaptation of school dictionaries; insufficient relevance of pronunciation instructions; criteria for glossary compilation. The analysis demonstrated the need for creating a new educational dictionary, a Dictionary of Russian Pronunciation Difficulties, for years 5 to 11. It was compiled at the V. V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences under the editorship of M. L. Kalenchuk and D. M. Savinov. The cornerstone of this lexicographic source is the idea that normative recommendations in dictionaries should be based on the actual speech practices of educated people. The article justifies the choice of the pronouncing dictionary type and argues for a dictionary of difficulties rather than an orthoepic dictionary proper. We provide comprehensive criteria for compiling a dictionary glossary and structuring a dictionary entry. The paper also formulates the principles of normative evaluation of stress and pronunciation of sounds used in codification, as well as the system of permissive and prohibitive standard notes. If necessary, the Dictionary entries provide additional orthoepic data about obsolete pronunciation variants, folk poetic and professional accentual features, stress variants and pronunciation of sounds specific to phraseological units. Information about obsolete variants found in fiction is illustrated and verified with examples from poetic texts.

SEMANTRIS GOOGLE AI-BASED LEARNING TO ENHANCE STUDENTS’ VOCABULARY MASTERY

Semantris Google AI-Based Learning research has examined the students' disinterest and low level of vocabulary acquisition in English subject at MTs DDI Takkalasi. The students cited difficulty in pronunciation and other reasons for their lack of enthusiasm towards English as a difficult subject. This lack of interest and motivation is due to the absence of an interesting and enjoyable learning environment, which hinders students' ability to concentrate on their studies. In addition, the limited application of modern technology in the learning process makes this a problem that must be addressed given the increasingly advanced era. The research employed a quasi-experimental design to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention in improving students' English language proficiency. The study utilized a quantitative approach, conducting pre-test and post-test analyses to measure the impact of the intervention. The pre-test served as a baseline measurement, while the post-test assessed the outcomes after implementing the intervention. The researcher employed a quota sampling technique to select participants. The results of the Semantris Google AI-Based Learning study showed a significant difference in vocabulary improvement between the two groups, as evidenced by the T-count value of 6.858, exceeding the critical T-table value of 2.060. The rejection of the null hypothesis (H0) is supported by the mean N gain value of 0.4249 obtained from the experimental class, which falls within the moderate range according to the N gain table. This finding confirms that the use of Semantris Google AI-Based Learning is very effective in improving the vocabulary mastery of MTs DDI Takkalasi students.

ELSA SPEAK APPLICATION TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS’ PRONUNCIATION AT MEMBER OF LIBAM

The lack of familiarity among students with learning English word pronunciation is a pressing issue that needs immediate attention. Mastering both the meaning and pronunciation of vocabulary is crucial. Many students aspire to speak English with a good accent, and they would greatly benefit from additional resources to practice pronunciation. One such solution is the Elsa Speak Application, which has proven effective in addressing students’ pronunciation difficulties. In this research conducted at LIBAM IAIN Parepare, an experiment design using pre and posttests was implemented with a sample of 15 students selected through cluster random sampling. The results indicated that students’ pronunciation at LIBAM was initially categorized as poor in the pretest (score: 52.00), but significantly improved to a very good category in the posttest (score: 82.00). The indicators focused on vowel and consonant sounds, as well as word and sentence stress. The analysis of the improvement demonstrated that the null hypothesis was rejected (t-value: 2.497 > 1.345), confirming the acceptance of the alternative hypothesis. Therefore, the research concluded that there was a noticeable improvement in students’ pronunciation using the Elsa Speak Application at LIBAM IAIN Parepare.

The Efficacy of Recast vs. Explicit Corrective Feedback on Students’ English Pronunciation of Common Words: The Case of English Department Students at Ibn Tofail University

This study investigates the effectiveness of recast and explicit corrective feedback on students’ pronunciation improvement among first-year English university undergraduates at Ibn Tofail University, and compares these feedback types to determine the most effective one. A pilot study was conducted to give insights into the pronunciation difficulties faced by students. Based on this latter, the main study was done to address the aims of the investigation. A quasi-experiment was designed with 45 participants divided into three groups: Explicit, Recast and a Control group. The impact of recast and explicit corrective feedback was assessed through the Kruskal-Wallis Test, and the comparative assessment was done using Welch’s T-test. The results indicate that both recast and explicit corrective feedback positively influenced students’ pronunciation development. Yet, the explicit feedback appears superior and more effective than recast, demonstrating a high influence on students’ pronunciation errors. Hence, the investigation suggests that educators should be explicit enough to help students better develop their pronunciation.

Oral health knowledge is associated with oral health-related quality of life: a survey of first-year undergraduate students enrolled in an American university

BackgroundOral health knowledge forms part of oral health literacy that enables individuals to inform appropriate oral health decisions and actions. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) characterizes self-perception of well-being influenced by oral health. This study aimed to examine the relationship between oral health knowledge and OHRQoL.MethodsA random sample of 19-to-24-year-old first-year undergraduate students (n = 372) in Minnesota, United States of America was used. Each student was assessed with an online survey using the Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK) and the OHRQoL items of the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Questionnaire for Adults. Relationships between OHRQoL parameters and CMOHK together with other covariates were assessed using ordinal regression models. Associations between OHRQoL parameters were examined with the Kendall’s tau-b method.ResultsDry mouth (45%) was the most reported OHRQoL issue. The respondents showing good oral health knowledge were less likely to experience speech or pronunciation difficulty (β=-1.12, p = 0.0006), interrupted sleep (β=-1.43, p = 0.0040), taking days off (β=-1.71, p = 0.0054), difficulty doing usual activities (β=-2.37, p = 0.0002), or reduced participation in social activities due to dental or oral issues (β=-1.65, p = 0.0078).ConclusionsThis study suggested a protective effect of better oral health knowledge on specific OHRQoL issues. In addition to provision of affordable dental services, university-wide oral health education can be implemented to improve OHRQoL in undergraduate students.

Oral Communication Skills Among English-Majored Graduates: A Survey of Those at Companies in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam

Background: This study examines the oral communication skills of English-majored graduates and addresses the challenges they encounter in effectively communicating in English. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 150 graduates from a university in Binh Duong province, yielding valuable insights into their language proficiency and practical experience since graduation. The majority of participants had less than four years of real-world experience, with varied levels of English oral communication development. Results: Linguistic problems identified included pronunciation errors, ambiguous sentences, and inappropriate sentence structures. Non-linguistic challenges included a lack of interest, shyness, difficulty finding ideas during conversations, nervousness, feeling uncomfortable, and concern about maintaining face. Interviews with ten graduates further confirmed these issues, highlighting limited specialized vocabulary, pronunciation difficulties, and self-confidence as common challenges. Strategies proposed for addressing these challenges include dedicating more time, using subtitles while watching movies or listening to music, and engaging with foreigners for practice. Conclusion: This research contributes to the understanding of oral communication challenges faced by English-majored graduates and provides recommendations for improving their skills.

THE DIFFICULTIES FACED AND THE STRATEGIES USED BY ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The study aims to identify the difficulties faced and the strategies used by English Department students at Universitas Trunojoyo Madura in learning English. The study used a mixed-method approach, which is a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The source of data was one class in the second semester that consisted of thirty-seven students. The data were the difficulties faced by the students in learning English and the strategies they used to deal with them. The research instrument used was questionnaires containing both close-ended and open-ended questions. The data that was obtained from closed-ended questions were analysed quantitatively while those that were derived from open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively. The results showed that the difficulties faced by English Department students in learning English include pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary and they exercised different strategies to solve them. Specifically, the strategies to solve the difficulty in learning pronunciation were listening to English songs, singing English songs, watching English movies or films, imitating using Google Translate, and practising the pronunciation by themselves. The strategies to tackle the difficulty in learning grammar were watching YouTube, reading English books, learning from the internet, learning through Instagram, and learning by themselves. Furthermore, there were several ways that they used to deal with the difficulty in learning vocabulary, for example, they used English dictionaries, watched English movies, read English books, used English songs, and memorized new vocabulary.

The Key English Pronunciation Difficulties for Egyptian EFL Learners

Despite all the attempts by ESL and EFL learners to attain (near-)native proficiency, many phonological, lexical and spelling mistakes still occur in any L2 learning environment (Huwari 2019, 31). This paper aims to investigate the key English pronunciation difficulties, both segmental (on the level of speech sounds) and suprasegmental (rhythm, stress, and juncture), of Egyptian learners of English, in a corpus of audio and/or video recordings of English conversation and presentation skills classes by Egyptian university students who are also native speakers of Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA). The project involves both contrastive analysis (of the phonological systems of English, Egyptian Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic) as well as error analysis. While the significance of contrastive analysis lies in helping EFL teachers predict the problematic aspects (Al-Saqqaf and Vaddapalli 2012, 56), error analysis would provide them with the actual problems encountered by the learners and the extent of their seriousness.

The Utilization of U-Dictionary to Improve Students’ Pronunciation

The main aim of this research is to assess the effectiveness of U-Dictionary in enhancing the pronunciation skills of students. The ability to pronounce words correctly is a crucial aspect of foreign language acquisition, particularly for Indonesian learners, and it plays a vital role in effective communication. Many English language learners face difficulties in pronouncing words when they speak, read, or listen to English. In today's digital age, mobile applications offer a variety of learning opportunities, including online learning through smartphones.This qualitative study delves into the use of U-Dictionary to augment students' pronunciation skills, and the author provides a detailed account of the research findings. The researchers observed a group of second-grade students at MTs Maarif Andong who were selected for this study. Thirty students participated as respondents and were interviewed and given questionnaires to provide accurate information. The findings indicate that the majority of students found media to be helpful in improving their pronunciation and believed that learning pronunciation is crucial. They also perceived the "perfect English pronunciation feature" in U-Dictionary as a practical and enjoyable way to overcome difficulties in learning pronunciation.

Evaluation of Higher Vocational English Curriculum Toward Enhanced Program Implementation

This descriptive-comparative research aims to examine the difficulties encountered by educators and students during the implementation of the English curriculum. This research examines the survey data collected from both instructors and students in order to get a thorough comprehension of the factors that impact curriculum delivery and learning experiences. The results of the study provide significant insights on the distribution of gender, age groups, teaching experience, student categories, and college affiliations. Prominent observations reveal significant disparities in perspectives between educators and students with regards to several aspects of the curriculum, such as its design, characteristics, objectives, material applicability, teaching methods, and assessment approaches. The findings of this study indicate that gender and categorization did not have a significant effect on the observed disparities. However, it was observed that college affiliation had a major role in influencing these discrepancies. Educators and students encounter a range of hurdles that include deficiencies in linguistic foundation, restrictions in vocabulary, complexity in grammar, difficulty in pronunciation, concerns with confidence and motivation, impediments in independent learning, and the significance of cross-cultural understanding. The implications derived from the results underscore the need for enhanced cooperation and communication between educators and learners. This research highlights the need of developing flexible courses that accommodate the varied interests and requirements of students. This research offers a comprehensive examination of the intricacies involved in the implementation of English curriculum in Chinese educational contexts. Moreover, it puts forward practical suggestions for improving the quality of teaching and learning in these settings.

The Use of Subtitle in Cartoon Movie Entitled “Frozen 2” as A Media in Improving Students’ Vocabulary Mastery on SMP Purnama 2 Semarang in Academic Year 2023


 
 
 
 The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of using English subtitles from the movie "Frozen 2" to enhance students' vocabulary mastery. The study employed a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design and focused on ninth-grade students at SMP PURNAMA 2 SEMARANG. The sample consisted of 25 students selected through purposive sampling. Pre-test and post-test scores were collected to analyze the data. The study found that the use of English subtitles in the movie "Frozen 2" had a significant positive impact on students' vocabulary mastery. The results of the pre-test and post-test scores showed a considerable improvement in vocabulary understanding. The mean pre-test score was 55.36, while the mean post-test score increased to 82.52. The research also assessed the N Gain scores to evaluate the effectiveness of using subtitles in the movie. The average N Gain score was calculated to be 62.08%, indicating that the approach was quite effective in enhancing vocabulary mastery among the students. Furthermore, the study addressed some of the challenges faced by students in vocabulary learning, such as boredom, difficulty in pronunciation, and struggling to remember new vocabulary words. The use of engaging media like movies was highlighted as a way to overcome these challenges and improve students' motivation to learn. In conclusion, the research demonstrated that utilizing English subtitles from the movie "Frozen 2" effectively enhanced students' vocabulary mastery. The N Gain scores reflected a significant improvement in vocabulary understanding, and the approach was found to be quite effective in helping students engage with and remember new vocabulary words.
 
 
 

Difficulties in Learning Pronunciation of English- Majored Freshmen at Tay Do University

This survey research presents the process of the study more spacing: “Difficulties in learning pronunciation of English- majored freshmen at Tay Do University”. This research is conducted to figure out common problems in learning pronunciation of the students majoring in English. This research is conducted to figure out common problems in learning pronunciation of the dents majoring in English. In the research, the participants in this study are 30 students in class 16A English majored freshmen at Tay Do University. The two main instruments of the research are questionnaire and interview. The results of this research will point out the students’ difficulties in attitude, motivation, word stress, intonation and accent, etc. Therefore, this research also helps students recognize problems and they can easily find solutions to improve their pronunciation skills.

Difficulties in Learning Pronunciation of English- Majored Freshmen at Tay Do University

Difficulties in Learning Pronunciation of English- Majored Freshmen at Tay Do University