Transcript (most frequented pronunciation errors within the code

Critical Analysis of Pronunciation
Errors in English Produced by Slovak
Learners
Michal Bodorík
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
General Information

The following presentation and article for publishing
discusses the partial results from the research of the
author’s dissertation thesis under the title:
 Pronunciation
Difficulties in Slovak Learners’ Oral
Production in English

The whole process and findings were supported by the
following projects:
•
KEGA: 055UKF-4/2016
•
UKF: UGA V/2/2016
Research Procedure
Recording of learners’ speech in English
 20 respondents – 9th grade learners
 2 elementary schools
 Reviewing process – (2 native speakers + 2
non-native professionals)
 Error Analysis
 Summarizing
 Research Findings
 Suggestions for Teaching Practice

1st Reviewer
(sheet with marked pronunciation errors)
2nd Reviewer
(sheet with marked pronunciation errors)
Codes for Pronunciation Errors
(based on the reviewers’ opinions when listening to the
recordings)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Substitution of a Consonant Sound
Substitution of a Vowel Sound
Substitution of a Diphthong or Triphthong
Lengthening or Shortening of a Vowel
Sound
Incorrect Placement of Stress
Pronunciation of Silent Letters
Mispronunciation of a Word
Substitution of a Consonant Sound
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)





most frequented: /ð/ → /d/ in words such as:
other, than, that, the, there, this.
2nd frequented: /ŋ/ → changed for combination
of sounds /ng/ or /nk/ in words such as:
becoming, doing, playing, reading, Viking,
watching, young.
3rd frequented: /w/ → /v/ in words like:
everywhere, Norway, we, were, words, world.
4th frequented: /θ/ → /t/ or /f/ in cases like:
things, thousand, three.
5th frequented: English phoneme /r/ pronounced
as Slovak trilled ʻrʼ
Substitution of a Vowel Sound
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)
Replacement of schwa sound /ə/ by /ʌ/, /e/, /ɪ/,
/ɒ/, /ʊ/, /i:/, /u:/, /eɪ/, /eə/ etc.; like in words:
German /dʒermʌn/, difficult /dɪfɪkʊlt/, Saxons
/sæksɒnz/.
 Substitution of phoneme /ʌ/ for /ɒ/ in words like
becoming /bɪˈkɒmɪnk/, front /frɒnt/.
 Phoneme /æ/ was changed either for /ʌ/ or /e/ as
in the example: Anglo-Saxons /ʌŋɡlɒˈseksənz/.
 The vowel sound /ɪ/ was substituted by phoneme
/e/ in words such as: English /eŋɡlɪʃ/, enough
/eˈnʌf/.

Substitution of a Diphthong or Triphthong
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)

Various forms of substitution were present as
shown in the chart below.
/aɪə/ → /aɪɒ/
violence
/aɪ/ → /ɪ/
by, satellite,Vikings
/əʊ/ → /ɒ/
most, programmes
/eɪ/ → /e/
change, teenager
/eɪ/ → /ʌ/
came
/eɪ/ → /ɒ/
became
Lengthening or Shortening of a Vowel Sound
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)





Phoneme /ɪ/ was pronounced longer as /iː/ in the
word this.
Long vowel /ɑː/ sounded shorter as /ʌ/ in the
case of word Denmark.
Phoneme /i:/ was shortened in the case of these
/dɪz/.
Long vowel sound /ɔː/ was pronounced shorter
as /ɒ/ in words such as according, Norway.
Phoneme /uː/ was pronounced as /ʊ/ in the word
groups /grʊps/.
Incorrect Placement of Stress
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)
•
The respondents put stress on inappropriate
syllables as shown in the examples below.
•
(all of the words are transcribed also with errors as
originally pronounced by learners)
•
always - /ɑːˈweɪz/
aristocracy /ˈærɪstɒkresɪ/
developed /ˈdevelɒpt/
enough /ˈenʌf/
Saxons /sʌkˈsɒns/
•
•
•
•
Pronunciation of Silent Letters
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)
Within the recordings, reviewers found pronounced
letters that should have been silent.
•
answer
• hours
• know
• talk
Mispronunciation of a Word
•
(most frequented pronunciation errors within the code)
Some words were completely garbled which affected
the intelligibility.
•
almost /ʌlmɒst/, also /ʌlzɒ/ or /ʌlsɒʊ/, experiences
/eksperɪentsɪs/, began /bɪkʌn/, brought /brɒgt/, conquered
/kɒŋkwɪred/, health /hɪlt/ Europe /eʊrɒp/, France /frents/, know
/knaʊ/, ordinary /ɒrɪdʒɪnərɪ/, prove /prɒʊ/, tribes /trɪbes/ to /dʊ/,
young /dʒɒŋg/ or /dʒɒʊnk/, studies /stʊdɪɒ/, us /jʊz/, used /jʊset/,
word /vɒrt/.
•
Other were pronounced as similar words, examples
below. Original Word → Pronounced as: Original Word → Pronounced as:
with
which
words
worlds
what
watch
AD
aid
live /lɪv/
live /laɪv/
our
or
be
by
when
where
Suggestions for Further Research and
Teaching Practice

Informing the academic public about the research findings.
 Cooperation with researchers abroad, exchange of
experience and knowledge.
 Design of textbook material suitable for Slovak learners’
needs with regard to pronunciation aspects.
 Survey aimed at the observation of contemporary English
classes at elementary schools → how and what Slovak
teachers practice throughout the lessons.
 Improvement of university courses that prepare future
teachers for their profession.
 Provision
of opportunities (conferences, exchange
programmes, seminars, stays abroad, workshops, etc.) for
educators to improve their pronunciation and teaching
skills.
Thank you for your attention
"To have another language is to possess a
second soul."
Charlemagne