OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Rationale
English is the most widely spoken foreign language globally, making it essential for international communication In Vietnam, English serves as a vital tool for education, research, and professional interactions across various sectors, including education, economics, and science.
Despite the recognized importance of English proficiency, many individuals overlook common pronunciation errors caused by mother tongue interference and insufficient understanding of sound articulation Recent research and personal observations reveal that students often struggle with pronouncing specific consonants, particularly due to differences between Vietnamese and English sounds Consequently, many students frequently mispronounce final consonants To address these challenges, it is essential for students to acquire a foundational knowledge of consonant pronunciation.
This article explores the pronunciation errors of English consonants and final sounds made by first-year students at Thuongmai University The investigation aims to identify common mistakes and their underlying causes, contributing to a better understanding of pronunciation challenges faced by learners By focusing on these specific errors, the study seeks to enhance English language teaching methods and improve students' overall speaking skills.
Previous studies
Many studies have been conducted to find out the problems in the pronunciation of English language which were made by students.
Research indicates that errors made by English speakers are systematic rather than random Moosa (1972) and Homedan (1984) highlight that Arab students struggle with the pronunciation of unfamiliar sounds like /v/, /p/, and /ŋ/ This leads to sound substitution, where speakers replace non-native sounds with similar ones from their native language, such as substituting /p/ with /b/ and /θ/ with /s/.
Vietnamese learners face significant challenges in English pronunciation, often leading to common mispronunciation errors Research by Dung (2014) highlights that these learners struggle particularly with voiced versus voiceless stops in word-final positions, such as /b/, /p/, /d/, /g/ compared to /p/, /t/, /k/, as well as final fricative consonants like /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, and /z/ A frequent issue is the omission of fricatives at the end of words, which stems from their absence in word-final positions in the Vietnamese language Avery and Ehrlich emphasize this point in their studies.
Vietnamese students tend to omit one or more consonants from a difficult cluster”
Duong Thi Nu (2009) examined pronunciation challenges faced by Vietnamese learners, emphasizing the impact of their mother tongue She identified common errors, particularly confusion among consonant sounds, such as /s/ and /ʃ/, /z/ and /ʒ/, as well as /dʒ/ and /ʒ/ Examples include mispronunciations like "she" for "sea" and "measure" for "pleasure." Additionally, the English sound /tʃ/ is often incorrectly articulated as the Vietnamese /ć/, leading to errors in words like "chair."
The mispronunciation of English sounds often stems from the over-practice of a learner's first language, leading to a phenomenon known as fossilization Yule and O’Connor (1975) identified that the primary challenge in mastering English pronunciation lies in developing a new set of sounds distinct from those of the mother tongue, which are deeply ingrained through habitual use Changing these long-established habits is particularly difficult and can take many years of dedicated practice, often influenced by the learner's age, especially among students Consequently, learners frequently confuse specific sounds, substituting them with similar ones from their native language (O’Connor, 2003).
A study by Nu highlighted the impact of sound systems on English pronunciation learning for Vietnamese students The primary challenge arises from the differences between the English and Vietnamese sound systems, particularly with sounds like θ and ð, which do not exist in Vietnamese Consequently, these students struggle to produce these unfamiliar sounds, as their speech organs are not trained to articulate them effectively.
Particularly, the differences between two languages are the differences of manner of articulation, place of articulation, and voicing in Vietnamese and English.
Learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds encounter unique challenges in producing English sounds due to the distinct differences between English and Vietnamese sound systems These variations create barriers to achieving proficiency in English pronunciation, as the unfamiliar sounds can be difficult for their speech organs to articulate.
However, this problem is expected to be solved after a long time of regular practice and hard work.
Many Vietnamese students struggle with English pronunciation due to the differences in sound systems between Vietnamese and English In Vietnamese, the sound system is relatively simple, allowing learners to speak without confusion However, in English, they often mispronounce sounds, such as confusing /ʃ/ with /s/, as in "shame" and "same." Additionally, the /r/ sound in English is pronounced only before a vowel, while in Vietnamese, it is consistently pronounced in all positions This leads to significant challenges for students in distinguishing between various consonant sounds.
Research has identified common issues in consonant pronunciation among English learners However, these studies were conducted outside of Thuongmai University and did not specifically address the English Faculty students This research aims to fill this gap by investigating consonant pronunciation problems specifically at Thuongmai University.
Aims of the study
This study investigates the prevalent pronunciation errors among first-year students at Thuongmai University, analyzing the factors contributing to these mistakes Ultimately, it offers solutions to enhance the pronunciation learning process for undergraduate students.
Therefore, it was to answer the two following questions:
What common errors of pronouncing English consonants are made by first- year students of English faculty at Thuongmai University?
What is the reason of making those errors?
Research subjects
This research focuses on the pronunciation errors and final consonant sounds made by first-year students at Thuongmai University, highlighting the limitations of time and reference materials in the study.
Scope of the study
This study examines consonant pronunciation errors among first-year English faculty students at Thuongmai University, involving a random selection of 100 students from the K53N cohort Additionally, the researcher will engage with seven English faculty teachers specializing in phonetics and phonology, who are well-equipped to address issues related to the pronunciation challenges faced by these students.
Research methodology
This research involved a sample of 50 first-year students from the Faculty of English, comprising 45 female and 5 male students selected randomly Additionally, 7 teachers provided insights through a questionnaire regarding the specific sounds that students frequently mispronounce and the underlying causes of these pronunciation challenges.
Data was collected through using of three main research instruments, observation, recording test and questionnaire respectively These will be discussed in details below:
To gather data on pronunciation errors, the researcher observed students in English phonetics and phonology classes During discussions, the researcher noted specific sounds that students struggled to pronounce correctly or attempted to substitute with similar sounds Additionally, teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess their students' pronunciation skills.
Recording tests are a crucial method for data collection, as evidenced by previous studies, enabling researchers to examine issues related to English pronunciation among students in the English Faculty.
The study involved a sample of 30 students from the Faculty of English The researcher designed three pronunciation exercises focusing on consonant sounds, words, and sentences, which were provided in written form Each student read the materials aloud as their pronunciations were recorded by the researcher.
The researcher meticulously analyzed the recorded sounds of 30 students, listening to the samples repeatedly at home Both accurate and inaccurate pronunciations were documented and descriptively examined.
The recording test involved documenting the sounds produced by students on paper, allowing for a count of correct and incorrect pronunciations for each individual This method significantly enhanced the notes and information gathered from observations.
The third tool used in this study was a structured questionnaire, which was used in collaboration with some of students and English teachers at the English faculty.
A number of 37 copies of the questionnaire were printed and answered by 30 students and 7 Faculty’s teachers within two weeks.
Using open- ended and follow- up questionnaires served three main purposes:
- To assess common pronunciation errors made by students.
- To find out factors that affect to students’ English pronunciation.
- To suggest ways assisting in student’s pronunciation improvement.
The questionnaire used in this study had at least four sections:
- The first section is made of questions about the background of the respondents.
The second section includes two questions that explore respondents' attitudes toward the English language, which is crucial for understanding students' pronunciation performance in this study.
The third section includes five questions focused on pronunciation, specifically targeting consonant sounds These questions aim to identify the challenges students face in pronouncing English sounds, which is crucial for the study's objective of examining pronunciation errors among first-year students.
The fourth and the last section consist of two questions about solution to their problems.
This study aimed to gather teachers' insights on how mother tongue affects students' pronunciation and to identify the underlying reasons for pronunciation errors.
The respondents provided valuable insights on recommending solutions for the identified errors, contributing to the accuracy of the results and ensuring the validity and reliability of the questionnaire.
The results of the questionnaire were analyzed descriptively, and both the findings from the questionnaire and the recordings will be examined in greater detail in the study's third chapter.
Organization of the study
The study is organized into four chapters focusing on the consonant pronunciation errors made by first-year students at Thuongmai University, along with the underlying reasons for these mistakes Each chapter provides a detailed analysis of the specific errors and explores the factors contributing to them.
Chapter I: This chapter introduces the rationale and significance of study, aims, research subjects, the scope and the organization of the study.
Chapter II: This chapter reviews the definition of pronunciation, consonants, final sounds, Vietnamese consonants and final consonants, English consonants and final consonants, and interference of mother tongue on pronouncing English consonants.
Chapter III: Research finding, this part describes the current situation of pronouncing consonants of the English faculty students, pronunciation errors made by them, evaluation of teachers and reasons result from poor pronunciation.
Chapter IV: This is an overview of the previous chapter, suggests some solutions for both teachers and learners, and suggestions for further studies.
LITERATURE REVIEW
The definition of pronunciation, consonants, and final consonants
Pronunciation is defined as the production of English sounds, as noted by Cook (1996) and cited in Pourhosein Gilakjani (2016) It encompasses the sound system's production, ensuring effective communication from both speakers' and listeners' perspectives (Paulston & Burder, 1976) Additionally, Richard and Schmidt (2002) describe pronunciation as the method of producing specific sounds.
Pronunciation refers to how a word or language is articulated, encompassing the generally accepted sound sequences for a specific dialect, known as "correct pronunciation." It can also reflect an individual's unique way of speaking Various factors influence pronunciation, including childhood cultural exposure, current residence, speech disorders, ethnic background, social class, and education.
Pronunciation refers to the way words are articulated and spoken, encompassing the accepted methods of utterance that are widely understood It also includes the graphic representation of spoken words through phonetic symbols, highlighting the importance of accurate speech delivery in communication.
A consonant is a speech sound produced by partially or completely obstructing airflow in the vocal tract, as defined by Wikipedia It also refers to a letter of the alphabet that represents these fundamental speech sounds.
T is pronounced using the tongue (front part)
K is pronounced using the tongue (back part)
B is pronounced with the lips
H is pronounced in the throat
F is pronounced by forcing air through a narrow gap
The pronunciation of the letter "M" involves the use of the nasal passage English consonants can be analyzed based on three primary characteristics that allow individuals to identify and differentiate between the distinct consonant sounds.
- The voicing: The first way in which consonants can be different from each other is in terms of voicing The English consonants can be “voiced or voiceless.”
(Rogers, 2000, p.47) For instance, The sounds /t/ and /k/ are voiceless and the sounds / d/ and /g/ are voiced in English.
Manner of articulation refers to how speech sounds are produced by the speech organs, including oral stops, fricatives, affricates, nasal stops, laterals, and approximants.
Blair, 1988, p.58) The two English fricatives /ʃ/, /ʒ/ and the two affricates /tʃ/, /dʒ/ are examples demonstrating this point.
- The place: where the block of air occurs (lips, teeth, alveolar, ridge, palate and so on).
For ESL (English as a Second Language) learners, "ending sounds" refer to the final consonant sounds in a word, which can consist of single consonants or consonant clusters These sounds play a crucial role in English pronunciation, as they are the sounds that occur at the end of words Understanding and mastering these ending sounds is essential for effective communication in English.
English has specific restrictions on the combinations of consonants that can appear at the beginning and end of words According to Avery and Ehlich (1995), certain consonant clusters, including /-ʃl/, /-lʃ/, /-rʃ/, /-ltʃt/, /-rtʃt/, and /-ndʃd/, exemplify these limitations.
Consonant Clusters Consist of /ʃ/: shrink, shrine, shroud, crucial, essential, Welsh, mention, nation, etc
Consonant Clusters Consist of /ʒ/: garaged, sabotaged, vision, division.
Consonant Clusters Consist of /tʃ/: belched, hitched, watched, arched.
Consonant Clusters Consist of /dʒ/: bulged, changed, exchanged.
Vietnamese consonants and English consonants
There are 24 consonants in English They are classified according to 3 aspects:
Place of articulation: The place of articulation bilabial (both lips), alveolar (tongue against the gum ridge), and velar (tongue against soft palate).
Manner of articulation: Manners include stops, fricatives, and nasals.
The voicing: voiced or voiceless Those consonants are classified based on the following table:
Bilabial Labiodental Dent al Alveolar Palato- alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Table 2.1: English consonants (Source: English Phonetics and Phonology-
Here are the details of place of articulation based on the definitions from Oxford Advanced Leaner’s Dictionary.
Bilabials are consonants that are produced by using the two lips and include /p, b, m, w/.
Labiodentals are consonants that are produced by “placing the top teeth against the bottom lip” Two labiodental sounds are /f, v/.
Dentals are consonants that are articulated by placing the tongue between the teeth and include /θ, ð/.
Alveolars are consonants that are produced “with the tongue touching the part of the mouth behind the upper front teeth” and include 7 alveolar sounds in English
Palato-alveolar consonants are articulated by placing the front of the tongue against the hard palate, just behind the alveolar ridge In English, the four palato-alveolar consonants include /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, and /dʒ/.
Palatal/j/ is a consonant produced by “raising the tongue body against the hard palate”.
Velar are consonants made by “placing the back part of the tongue near or against the back part of the mouth -the soft palate” /k, g, ŋ /.
Glottal is a consonant articulated with the glottis It is /h/.
Plosive consonants are consonants made by “completely stopping the flow of air coming out of the mouth and then suddenly releasing it” (OALD) Six plosive consonants in English are /p, b, t, d, k, g/.
Fricative consonants are consonants articulated by forcing air through a
“narrow space in the mouth with the lips, teeth or tongue in a particular position”
(OALD) English fricatives include 9 consonants /f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ∫, ʒ, h/.
Affricates are consonants made up of a plosive followed immediately by a fricative (OALD) Two affricate consonants are / tʃ, dʒ /.
Nasal are consonants produced by “allowing the air to escape freely through the nose” (OALD) There are 3 nasal sounds They are /m, n, ŋ/
Lateral consonants are defined as sounds produced when a part of the tongue makes contact with the palate, allowing air to flow around both sides of the tongue In English, the only lateral sound is /l/.
Approximant are consonants made by bringing the parts of the mouth which produce speech close together but not actually touching (OALD) There are 3 approximant consonants /w, j, r/.
In English, consonant phonemes are categorized as voiced or voiceless, which, while not the primary distinguishing feature, serves as a useful reference for phonological processes These processes include vowel lengthening before voiced consonants and changes in vowel quality in certain dialects before voiceless consonants Such distinctions enable English speakers to perceive differences between voiced and voiceless consonants, even when devoicing might make them sound similar Ultimately, voicing is essential for differentiating consonant sounds in the English language.
English features four pairs of fricative phonemes categorized by their place of articulation and voicing The voiced fricatives are particularly noticeable, as their voicing is consistently present throughout the sound, especially when positioned between vowels.
Here is an example of the voicing in English fricatives:
Mastering English pronunciation involves understanding how to articulate specific sounds For instance, to produce the /f/ sound as in "fan" and the /v/ sound as in "van," position your lower lips against your teeth Similarly, for the /θ/ sound in "thin" and the /ð/ sound in "then," place your tongue against your teeth The /s/ sound in "sip" and the /z/ sound in "zip" require the tongue to be near the gums Lastly, to pronounce /ʃ/ as in "Confucian" and /ʒ/ as in "confusion," bunch your tongue up Understanding these articulatory positions is key to improving your English pronunciation skills.
Table 2.2: Voicing contrast in English fricatives (Source: Wikipedia)
In English, voiceless stops are typically aspirated at the start of a stressed syllable, while their voiced counterparts exhibit partial voicing in the same context In detailed phonetic transcription, voiced symbols may solely indicate articulatory voicing, with aspiration denoted by a superscript h.
Pronouncing with the lips closed /p/ pin /b/ bin
To master English pronunciation, it's essential to understand the placement of the tongue for different sounds For the /t/ sound in "ten" and the /d/ sound in "den," position your tongue near the gums When producing the /tʃ/ sound in "chin" and the /dʒ/ sound in "gin," bunch your tongue up Finally, for the /k/ sound in "coat" and the /g/ sound in "goat," place the back of your tongue against the palate.
Table 2.3: Voicing contrast in English stops (Source: Wikipedia)
While English has 24 consonants, Vietnamese has 22 initial consonants and 8 final consonants They are also classified according to place of articulation, manner of articulation and voicing.
Manner of articulation Place of articulation
Labial Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal
Aspirated t’ un-aspirated voi cele ss t ʈ c k ʔ
Table 2.4: Vietnamese initial sounds (Source: Le Quang Thiem, p.100)
Labial: Vietnamese has 5 labial consonants They are /b, m, f, v/.
Alveolar: There are 7 alveolar consonants in Vietnamese They are /t’, t, d, n, s, z, l/.
Retroflex: Retroflex consonants includes 3 sounds /ʈ, ş, ʐ/.
Palatal: There are 2 palatal sounds in Vietnamese They are /c, ɲ/
Velar: Vietnamese velar consonants consist of 4 sounds They are /k, ŋ, x, ɣ/
Glottal: There are 2 glottal consonants in Vietnamese They are /ʔ, h/
Vietnamese consonants are divided into two kinds in term of manner of articulation.
Stop consonants include 12 sounds They are /b, t’, t, d, ʈ, c, k, ʔ, m, n, ɲ, ŋ/
Fricative consonants include 10 sounds They are /f, v, s, ş, ʐ, z, ɣ, h, l/
There are also different kinds of stop consonants in Vietnamese Aspirated stop consonant includes /t’/.
Based on mentioned analysis of the consonants in English and Vietnamese, there are some distinctive similarities and differences between them:
- Both consonant systems have fricatives /s/ /z/, /ʃ/ and /ʒ/
- Unlike English, Vietnamese consonant system does not include any affricates.
Vietnamese consonants appear in either the initial or final positions of words, but final consonants are not pronounced In contrast, English consonants can be articulated in three positions: initial, medial, and final.
English final consonants and Vietnamese final consonants
In Vietnamese, there are only six consonants and two semi- consonants which can be pronounced in the final position It is indicated in the following table:
Manner of articulation Place of articulation
Table 2.5: 8 ending Vietnamese consonants( Source: Le Quang Thiem, p.101)
- 6 consonants: p, t, k, m, n, ŋ For example : /n/ chan, /k/ ngoc, /t/ buot.
- 2 semi- consonants : u̯, i̭̯ ( which have both feature of not only vowels but also consonants).
According to Thiem, p 106, the following table also has writings which are equivalent to Vietnamese ending sounds.
2 -t t Át, nét, mặt ch Sách, cách, dịch
7 u̯ o Tao, vào, bao u Đau, ngủ, thiu
In the English consonant system, when multiple consonants appear at the end of a word, they are categorized as "final consonants," with distinctions made for "pre-final" and "post-final" consonants.
Here is the table of English final consonants:
/p/: map, nap /v/: live, leave /m/: Mom, room /b/: rib /θ/: tooth, breath /n/: noon
/t/: cat, right / ð /: breathe /ᶇ/: sing, spring /d/: did, bad /ʒ/: beige /l/: school, cool /k/: like, Mike /ʃ/: cash
/g/: big, pig /d ʒ/: change, huge /f/: laugh, life /t ʃ/: watch
Additionally, English final consonants include pre-final (/m/ /n/, /η/, /l/, /s/) and post- final (/s/, /z/, /t/, /d/, /θ/)
Pre-final plus final plus post-final (e.g helped, banks, bonds, twelfth) Final plus post-final plus post final: s, z, t, d, θ (e.g fifths, next)
2.3.3 Contrastive analysis of some English consonants and Vietnamese consonants
It is indicated that there are some differences between two English consonants and Vietnamese consonants.
Vietnamese has a more detailed classification of manner of articulation compared to English, distinguishing between stop and fricative sounds Within stops, Vietnamese further categorizes them into nasal stops and oral stops, which include oral stops such as /t’/, voiceless stops /ţ, t, c, k/, voiced stops /b, d/, and nasal stops /m, n, ɲ, n/ In contrast, English plosive consonants encompass both oral stops and affricates, represented by /p, b, t, d, k, g, m, n/ and /tʃ, dʒ/, respectively.
English fricative consonants differ from those in Vietnamese, including sounds like /θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ, dʒ, tʃ, s, z/ Additionally, certain English consonants, such as /w, r, j/, do not exist in Vietnamese Moreover, Vietnamese lacks consonant clusters found in English, exemplified by the clusters /spl/ and /ts/ in the word "splits."
Interference of mother tongue on pronouncing English consonants
Through a contrastive view into Vietnamese and English consonants, it is illustrated that English learners are having difficulties in pronunciation.
English contains unique sounds not present in Vietnamese, including /ð/, /θ/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, and /dʒ/, as well as variations of /z/ and /s/ This difference poses challenges for learners, as they struggle to position their mouths correctly to produce these English sounds Additionally, Vietnamese speakers often replace English sounds with similar Vietnamese ones, such as using /b/ instead of /p/ or /θ/ instead of /d/.
In conversational English, Vietnamese learners often face two main issues with the /s/ sound First, certain words, like "bikes," may be pronounced without the /s/, resulting in mispronunciations such as /baik/ Second, Vietnamese speakers tend to add the /s/ sound unnecessarily, as the /s/ and /z/ sounds do not appear at the end of Vietnamese words This over-awareness can lead to errors, such as saying "very goods" instead of "very good." These challenges highlight the pronunciation difficulties faced by Vietnamese learners in mastering the /s/ sound in English.
Vietnamese speakers often struggle with pronouncing final consonant sounds, particularly omitting /t/ and /d/ in word endings Nguyen (2007) highlights that clusters ending with voiceless /s/ and /t/ present significant challenges for learners Additionally, final consonant clusters such as /kt/ in "walked," /t/ in "washed," /d/ in "judged," and /ld/ in "filled" are particularly difficult for Vietnamese learners to articulate correctly.
Vietnamese learners frequently struggle with distinguishing between the sounds /s/ and /z/, often substituting /s/ for /z/ This substitution causes words like "advise" to be pronounced as "advice," resulting in communication misunderstandings between learners and interactions with foreigners.
English features numerous consonant clusters at both the beginning and end of words, a characteristic not present in the Vietnamese sound system As a result, Vietnamese students often omit one or two sounds from these clusters For instance, when attempting to pronounce the word "world" /wə:rld/, they may say /wə:rl/, inadvertently leaving out the final /d/ sound.
According to Nguyen (2007), Vietnamese learners often struggle with two-consonant clusters that include /l/, such as /lz/, /lt/, /ld/, or /lf/, as these sounds do not exist in their native language (p 22) An example of this difficulty is the mispronunciation of "myself" as /maisel/ Consequently, these common pronunciation errors present significant challenges for Vietnamese students.
In conclusion, a contrastive analysis of English and Vietnamese consonants underscores the significant impact of the native language on second language acquisition Learners often perceive a new language through the 'filter' of their native sound system, as noted by Avery and Ehrlich (1995) Consequently, errors such as consonant omission and mispronunciation are common challenges faced by students, largely due to the influence of Vietnamese phonetics.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
Error of pronouncing some English consonants and final sounds made by first- year students at Thuong Mai University
The analysis reveals that most students struggle with a significant range of English consonants Specifically, the sixth question of the questionnaire prompted students to identify the English consonants they find challenging, which include: p, b, t, d, s, z, f, v, m, n, ŋ, h, θ, ð, k, g, ∫, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, l, r, w, and j.
Table 3.1 reveals that students frequently mispronounce 19 English consonants, with the bilabial plosives /p/ and /b/ having error rates of 6.2% and 4.3%, respectively The alveolar plosives /t/ and /d/ show higher mispronunciation rates at 19% and 19.5%, while the velar nasal /ŋ/ is mispronounced only 7.5% of the time Additionally, the labio-dental fricatives /f/ and /v/ have mispronunciation rates of 7.8% and 9.5% Notably, the dental fricatives /ð/ and /θ/ are mispronounced at alarming rates of 40.1% and 42.3% The post-alveolar affricates /tʃ/ and /dʒ/ also reflect significant errors, with rates of 39% and 42% Furthermore, the post-alveolar fricatives /ʃ/ and /ʒ/ show the highest mispronunciation rates at 45.2% and 49.2%, while the alveolar fricatives /s/ and /z/ have rates of 26.4% and 29.3%.
According to the survey and feedback from teachers, a significant number of students struggle with 8 out of the 24 English consonants: /tʃ/, /dʒ/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /θ/, /ð/, /z/, and /s/ These particular sounds are challenging for students because they do not exist in the Vietnamese language.
According to the survey of the five English consonants //tʃ/,/dʒ/,/ʃ/,/ʒ/ and /z/, it is interesting to find out that several learners mispronounced these sounds and produced/ s/, /z/, /z/, Vietnamese/ć/, /z/ instead, respectively.
The percentage of students makes sound confusion
The data reveals that more than 30% of students struggle to pronounce the fricative sound /ʒ/, often substituting it with /z/ Additionally, about 22.2% of students confuse the sounds /ʧ/ and the Vietnamese /ć/ The confusion between /dʒ/ and /z/ or /s/ occurs in approximately 16% of cases Notably, a significant number of students also mix up the sounds /ʃ/ with /s/ and /s/ with /z/, accounting for 33% and 38%, respectively.
Many Vietnamese learners of English often struggle with pronouncing certain consonants due to difficulty in distinguishing between sounds and incorrect articulation placement.
A study was conducted to identify the omission of consonant clusters among first-year students speaking English Each participant was asked to pronounce ten consonant sounds aloud while their voices were recorded The recorded data was then analyzed statistically, revealing the frequency and types of errors made.
Number of subjects with errors
In word-initial position: /ʃr/, /-ʃl/, /-lʃ/
In word-final position /-ʒd/
Consonant Clusters Consist of /tʃ/
Consonant Clusters Consist of /dʒ/
Table3.8 Pronunciation errors of some English consonant cluster
The records test results reveal that 26 out of 30 students struggled with pronouncing the target sounds /-ʃn/, /-ʃt/, and /-ʃnz/ correctly, while 23 students successfully pronounced /-ʒd/ and /-ʒn/ Additionally, 15 students mispronounced /-tʃt/ and 19 students had difficulty with /-ʒdd/ Notably, only 13 students made errors with /ʃr/, /-ʃl/, and /-lʃ/ The most prevalent errors were sound omissions, particularly of ending sounds like /-ʃn/, /-ʃt/, /-ʃnz/, /-ʒd/, and /-ʒn/, which can be attributed to the fact that Vietnamese speakers often do not pronounce ending sounds Furthermore, certain consonant clusters involving /ʒ/, /ʤ/, and /ʧ/ pose significant challenges for Vietnamese learners, especially at the end of words.
To conclude, this suggests that in teaching English pronunciation, the emphasis should be placed in these areas, the pronunciation of ending and cluster consonants in the final position
Regarding the fourth type of errors, consonant omission, there are seven sounds which are regularly omitted by students They include /s/, /z/, /t/, /v/, /k/, /dʒ/, /θ/ that are analyzed in the following chart: s z dʒ t k v θ
Chart 3.5 No of students omits final consonants
Chart 3.2 indicates that sound omissions were prevalent across various positions in words, with notable examples including "help," "hard," "difficult," and "parents." Approximately 27% of students omitted the final "s" sound, which can be pronounced as /z/, /s/, or /iz/ Additionally, 31% of students omitted the consonant /z/, while 24.2% omitted the /θ/ sound in final positions The omission rates for other sounds included 15% for /dʒ/ at the beginning of words, 19% for /k/, and 23.5% for /v/ in final positions, along with 23.7% for /t/ sounds Notably, 27% of students who omitted the sounds /s/ and /z/ also produced those sounds redundantly.
In conclusion, the omission of certain English consonants, particularly /z/, /s/, and /t/, appears to stem from students' laziness and poor habits Many students tend to either over-pronounce or completely omit these ending sounds, and they often fail to seek correction or understand the proper pronunciation techniques It is crucial for educators to address and rectify these significant errors promptly to enhance students' linguistic skills.
Evaluation of the English Faculty’s lecturers on pronouncing some English
This study evaluates the perspectives of seven English phonetics and phonology teachers at Thuongmai University regarding students' errors in English consonant pronunciation Through structured interviews, the research analyzes the teachers' insights and assessments of these pronunciation challenges.
Research indicates that only 10-15% of students proficient in English correctly pronounce words, particularly in pronunciation classes A study involving seven English teachers revealed that first-year students frequently struggle with consonant and final sound pronunciation Notably, 96.5% of teachers observed that mispronunciations of the sounds /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, and /dʒ/ are common among these students Such mispronunciations can lead to misunderstandings and confusion, ultimately making conversations more challenging and less engaging.
Seven lecturers observed that a diverse group of students frequently omitted consonants, particularly redundant sounds like /s, z, t, d/ at the end of words, as seen in examples like "stops," "liked," "laughed," and "doors." These omissions are regarded as significant errors among students.
In interviews, all teachers acknowledged that first-year students receive foundational training in pronunciation However, insufficient practice and ingrained habits contribute to frequent mispronunciations, particularly regarding consonants and sound redundancy Students often add or omit sounds such as 's,' 'z,' or 'ed' at the ends or even in the middle of words, leading to persistent errors that can go uncorrected.
Reasons for errors of pronouncing some English consonants and final consonants
After conducting interviews with both students and teachers, the research identifies key reasons why students struggle with pronouncing English consonants, particularly final consonants These findings highlight the challenges faced in mastering these sounds.
Chart 3.6.Reasons for errors of consonant pronunciation 3.3.1 Lack of practices and drills
A recent analysis reveals that approximately 65% of students admit to feeling too lazy to practice pronunciation at home Furthermore, while many learners possess basic knowledge of pronunciation, they often lack sufficient opportunities for practice in the classroom Teachers also face challenges, as time constraints and curriculum requirements limit the amount of lesson time—over 50-60%—dedicated to enhancing students' pronunciation skills.
The primary issue identified is the lack of adequate practice both at home and in the classroom To address this, it is crucial for students to prioritize regular practice and actively engage in their English classes.
3.3.2 Failure in distinguishing the differences among English consonants
As can be seen that 40% of students agree that difficulty in distinguishing the differences among sounds such as / ʃ/- /ʒ/, / tʃ/-/dʒ/ and so on is one of the main reasons
The researcher identified that the differences between the English and Vietnamese consonant systems, along with the influence of the students' mother tongue, contribute significantly to the challenges faced in distinguishing between the sound systems of their native language and English Specifically, these factors account for approximately 22% and 20% of the difficulties experienced by learners.
In other words, these reasons also strongly highlight student’s failure in distinguish the differences among English consonants.
3.3.3 Lack of correction from teachers
It is clear from the table that approximately 30% students indicated the reason that affects to their pronunciation is the lack of correction from their teachers.
First-year students primarily practice English pronunciation in the classroom, but they often receive limited correction from teachers, who typically focus on sound production With class sizes exceeding 50 students and time constraints, it becomes challenging for educators to provide individual feedback As a result, English faculty students inevitably make mistakes in their pronunciation.
3.3.4 Difference between Vietnamese sound system and English ones
When questioned about students’ difficulties in pronouncing a number of certain English consonants They agree that the consonant system is different in English and Vietnamese
Vietnamese is a tonal, monosyllabic language, while English is polysyllabic, leading to distinct phonetic challenges for Vietnamese speakers learning English Vietnamese contains 21 consonant phonemes, primarily occurring in word-initial positions, with only 8 allowed in word-final positions In contrast, English has 24 consonants that can appear in word-initial, word-medial, and word-final positions, with exceptions for /h/ and /ʒ/ Consequently, Vietnamese learners often struggle with pronouncing English consonants, particularly in word-medial and word-final positions.
Vietnamese students often struggle with the pronunciation of English consonants, particularly in word-final positions, due to the absence of fricatives in Vietnamese This challenge is largely influenced by their native language Additionally, while some English sounds share similarities with Vietnamese, such as the English /tʃ/ in "church" and the Vietnamese /c/ in "cho," the differences between them—such as the post-alveolar affricate nature of /tʃ/ versus the palatal stop of /c/—can lead to confusion Consequently, first-year students find it difficult to distinguish certain consonant sounds that are not present in the Vietnamese sound system.
3.3.5 The influence of mother tongue in English pronunciation
Students often face challenges in English pronunciation due to differences in the sound inventory of their native language First-year learners struggle to articulate English sounds correctly, particularly those that do not exist in their native tongue, such as /p/, /ð/, /θ/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /tʃ/, and /dʒ/ For instance, the English sound /ʃ/ is absent in Vietnamese, leading students to mistakenly substitute it with the Vietnamese sound /s/ This difficulty is evident in various positions within words, including initial, medial, and final placements of the /ʃ/ sound.
Tuan (2001, pp 62) highlights that learners may face challenges in combining sounds into words due to differing linguistic rules between their native language and English This issue can arise even when specific sounds exist in both languages Notably, modern Vietnamese lacks consonant clusters and does not release final sounds, while English utilizes consonant clusters, complicating the pronunciation for Vietnamese speakers.
The complexity of English word combinations often surpasses that of Vietnamese Both languages share similar characteristics, such as longer sound contours in words For example, the word "university" illustrates this with its intricate structure, featuring a sequence of vowels and consonants that showcases the phonetic complexity inherent in English.
In conclusion, the impact of a learner's native language is significant, particularly for those acquiring a second language The errors made by second language learners often stem from predictable challenges influenced by their Vietnamese background.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
Recommendations for students
The study suggests that students should acquire fundamental knowledge of manner and place of articulation, as well as voicing, to enhance their pronunciation skills Learning to pronounce using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is also recommended for effective communication.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is an alphabetic system of phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin alphabet, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet
The general principle of the IPA is to provide one letter for each distinctive sound (speech segment), and help this practice not be complex.
Picture 4.1: International Phonetic Alphabet (Source: Wikipedia)
To accurately pronounce sounds in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), students must understand the manner and place of articulation, as well as voicing differences Additionally, observing the shape of the speaker's mouth during pronunciation is crucial A clear comprehension of tongue and lip positioning, along with the overall mouth shape, is essential for producing simple consonant sounds effectively.
Students should utilize online dictionaries to verify the correct pronunciation of unfamiliar words when engaging with English materials like videos, books, and audio files This practice is particularly beneficial as it allows them to examine phonetic symbols and listen to the accurate pronunciation, enhancing their understanding and speaking skills.
Students can enhance their pronunciation skills, particularly with consonant sounds, by frequently practicing correct pronunciations and referencing UK or US accents To achieve this, it is crucial for learners to regularly listen to authentic English through resources like TED Talks, BBC, and CNN, while also employing effective learning strategies.
To boost their confidence in learning from authentic sources, students should engage in opportunities to communicate with teachers, classmates, and native speakers Participating in English clubs, where learners can practice pronunciation and discuss various topics together, is an effective way to enhance their language skills.
Recording oneself speaking is a powerful method for improving pronunciation Individuals should select one or two sentences to record and then compare their recordings to identify differences If their pronunciation varies, they can review the video to observe the movement of their mouth, tongue, and lips By utilizing this technique, learners can significantly enhance their pronunciation skills in a short period.
Besides mentioned suggestions above, there are several pronunciation apps which are helpful for students outside the classroom.
Sounds Right is an innovative iPad app from the British Council designed to enhance English pronunciation skills This interactive tool features a comprehensive pronunciation chart that categorizes sounds into vowels, consonants, and diphthongs, accompanied by practical examples for effective learning.
Picture 4.2: Listen to the consonant sounds Picture 4.3: Example words
The ELSA app (English Language Speech Assistant) is an innovative mobile application that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance users' pronunciation skills It offers tailored curriculum options aligned with individual interests, including travel and professional contexts As learners progress, they engage with a variety of vocabulary words and phrases, while ELSA's advanced algorithms meticulously analyze their speech for improvement.
According to Forbes, ELSA provides users with feedback on mispronunciations by not only demonstrating the correct pronunciation of a word but also offering guidance on the necessary tongue and lip movements to articulate it accurately.
Picture 4.4: ELSA Speak with artificial intelligence (Source: Edu2)
Recommendations for teachers of English Faculty
To enhance student engagement in English classes, it is crucial to implement stimulating teaching methods Classroom observations reveal that many classes tend to be quiet and tense, which hinders students' focus and interest in learning Encouraging and praising students to speak English during lessons can significantly improve their participation Therefore, teachers are advised to incorporate appealing activities, such as pronunciation games, to make learning more enjoyable and effective.
Here is the important order of the activities used in the experimental teaching:
Tongue twister challenge The game will challenge students ability to say tongue twister quickly while also focusing on their pronunciation.
I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you She sells seashells by the seashore
Fred fed Ted bread and Ted fed Fred bread
Teachers must consistently identify, explain, and correct pronunciation errors to enhance learners' speaking skills When students understand how to produce specific sounds, they are more likely to pronounce them accurately during lessons and assessments Therefore, it is essential for English teachers to conduct weekly reviews of pronunciation In addition to direct corrections from instructors, self-testing enables students to assess their own ability to recognize and pronounce sounds in various contexts, including words, sentences, and conversations.
Teachers should prioritize student practice over theoretical instruction, as practical experience enhances fluency and pronunciation skills Engaging students in various exercises, discussions, and debates in English classes fosters automaticity in their speech, ultimately leading to improved language proficiency.
Here are some ways to help students improve their pronunciation, especially consonant sounds
1 Repeat fricative and affricates pairs
3 Complete the conversation using words from the box
4 Circle the correct word you hear
Here are several particular examples of exercises that help students overcome difficult sounds.
1 Same Spelling Different Sounds Students should learn that the same consonant combination may have different sounds, for example the ch in chicken and character The sound [k] in character, in fact, may be spelled with a k, ck, c, ch or que The th combination is another example: it is pronounced [ð] in this, that, these, those; but it is pronounced [θ] in thin, thank, think, theory, for example The gh combination is yet another example, as it pronounced as a g (ghost) or f (rough) Ask students practice each of these combos and others one at a time.
2 Same Sound, Different SpellingsTeach students to identify different ways to spell the same sound Examples of these are the ai sound in mine, buy, pie, rye Homophones are the perfect example of this: buy and by; pair and pear; cell and sell, etc There are lots of games and activities teachers can do with their class with homophones.
As a general recommendation, teachers should encourage students to listen to as much as they can in English, whether it is TV programs, movies, or songs
Summary of the study
The first chapter outlines the rationale and objectives that led to the development of this paper, providing essential context To support my findings, Chapter 2 presents a literature review in the relevant field, establishing a theoretical foundation that informs the conclusions drawn in Chapter 4.
Later, a detailed plan helping the researcher to realize research objectives was set up in Chapter 3 “Research Findings”.
Chapter 3 was considered as the most important part in this study In this section, the researcher analyzed data to determine common errors of pronunciation some English consonants and also reasons for those errors were drawn from it.
The study revealed that students face significant challenges in the classroom, including a lack of practical experience, insufficient feedback from teachers, and inadequate foundational knowledge of pronunciation, which hinders their ability to recognize and self-correct their mistakes.
Researchers identified key issues in English pronunciation among students, noting that both students and teachers in the English faculty proposed solutions English lecturers emphasized the importance of understanding students' pronunciation challenges and encouraged continuous practice to improve both knowledge and sound accuracy Additionally, first-year students highlighted the significance of actively speaking English during lessons and participating in English clubs as essential strategies for enhancing their pronunciation skills.
In conclusion, this paper successfully achieved its objectives by identifying the errors and challenges faced by first-year students, while also offering practical solutions The researcher hopes that this work will inspire readers to pursue their own study and research goals.
Limitations of the study
In spite of the researcher’s attempt and expectation, this paper remains shortcomings due to time limitation and lack of resources.
The findings will be only satisfactory under certain conditions and hard to apply in other studies with a more comprehensive scope.
Subjectivity poses a significant limitation to this thesis, as the researcher’s personal opinions, derived from observations and questionnaires, may influence the findings due to her insufficient depth of knowledge in the field Additionally, relying solely on interviews with a limited number of teachers could diminish the richness of insights necessary for a comprehensive analysis Moreover, the literature review on this topic is notably sparse, further constraining the study's depth.
Recommendation for further study 35 REFERENCES
From these drawbacks mentioned above, the researcher gave some recommendations for further study.
Firstly, she expected more papers on equivalence in investigating into errors of pronunciation English consonants This will contribute to enhancing students’ correct pronunciation and effective communication in life.
Secondly, different sources of materials such as those from pronunciation should be exploited in similar papers because an expansion in data will improve reliability.
Last but not least, interviews with various students and lecturers ought to be conducted for more objective suggestions It is an effective way to authenticate and strengthen findings.
1 Avery & Ehrlich (1992), Teaching American English pronunciation.
2 Duong Thi Nu, Mistake or Vietnamese English, VNU Journal of Science, Foreign Languages 25 (2009) 41-50.
3 Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., Collins, P., & Blair, D (1988) An Introduction to
Language Australia: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Group
4 Homidan, A H (1984) Utilizing the Theory of Articulatory Settings in the
Teaching of English Pronunciation to Saudi Students Learning English as a Second Language Doctoral Dissertation, King Fahd Public Library.
5 Honey P J (1987) Vietnamese speakers In M Swan & B Smith, Learner
English: A teacher's guide to interference and other problems (1 st ed., pp 243-
6 Moosa, M H (1979) Difficulties of Learning the Pronunciation and
Structural Differences Between Arabic and English MA Dissertation, Library of
Saudi Arabia, Educational mission; Texas.
7 Nguyen Tien Dung, Some common pronunciation problems facing Vietnam learners of English, Ba Ria- Vung Tau University, 2015.
8 P Roach, English Phonetics and Phonology, (2nd edition), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1991.
9 P Roach, English phonetics and phonology - A practical course, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
10 Richards, J., & Renandya, W (2002) Methodology in Language Teaching:
An Anthology of Current Practice Cambridge University Press, New York
11 Rogers, H (2000) The Sounds of Language - An Introduction to Phonetics.
12 Tam Ha Cam, English phonetics and phonology, A course book for students of the English department, Vietnam National University, 1999.
13 Yule, G (1996) The Study of Language (2nd ed.) Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press.
14 http://www.actionresearch.net/writings/china/chendan.htm
15 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation
16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonant
17 https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/viewFile/10421/9927
18 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_(phonetics)
This questionnaire aims to gather information regarding the pronunciation difficulties encountered by first-year students at Thuongmai University Your honest responses to the following questions will significantly contribute to my research and enhance English language learning for all students at the university Thank you for your cooperation!
Question 1: How much do you like to learn English?
Very much A lot So so Not at all
Question 2: Is studying English important to you? Why?
Not very important Not important
Question 3: In your opinion, how do you evaluate the importance of pronunciation?
Not very important Not important
Question 4: How good is your pronunciation?
Very good Good Normal Poor
Question 5: Do you have any difficulty in English pronunciation?
If you identify challenges in your speech, please circle the relevant issues from the following list: a Omitting final consonants, b Confusing consonant sounds such as /∫/, /ʒ/, /t∫/, /dʒ/, /s/, and /z/, c Mispronouncing final consonants like /s/ and /z/, d Omitting or over-pronouncing final sounds like “s” and “ed,” and e Other difficulties.
Question 6: What consonants do you often mispronounce? (circle English sounds)
Question 7: Among the following reasons, which one(s) do you think is behind your problems in English pronunciation, especially consonants? a Influence of the mother tongue b Failure in distinguishing the differences c Your speed ( too fast or too low) d Inadequate practice and drills e The difference between English sounds and Vietnamese sounds f Short time allocated to pronunciation teaching by teachers g Lack of correction from teachers h Other reasons
Question 7: Among the following solutions, which one(s) do you think can help you to rapidly improve students’ pronunciation? a Students should be taught how to recognize the different places of articulation of sounds. b Students increase time allocated to pronunciation learning c Students should be given enough practice both inside and outside of classroom. d Students should have an opportunity to communicate with native speakers. e Students should be given pronunciation games so that they find learning more enjoyable. f Students focus on the most difficult and unusual sounds. g Other suggestions
Thank you for your cooperation!