English pronunciation errors made by 6th grade students at a lower secondary school in bac ninh province

Trang 1 THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE NGUYEN YEN LINH ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION ERRORS MADE BY 6TH GRADE STUDENTS AT A LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BAC NINH PR

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE

NGUYEN YEN LINH

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION ERRORS

SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BAC NINH PROVINCE

MASTER THESIS

THAI NGUYEN - 2023

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION

FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE

NGUYEN YEN LINH

ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION ERRORS

SECONDARY SCHOOL IN BAC NINH PROVINCE

English language teaching methodology

Code: 8.14.01.11

MASTER THESIS

Supervisor: Ph.D NGUYEN VIET HUNG

THAI NGUYEN - 2023

DECLARATION

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains

no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgements in the thesis

This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma

in any other tertiary institution

Thai Nguyen, 2023

Student Nguyen Yen Linh

Additionally, I would like to extend my gratitude to the administrative personnel of the school board, including the principals, vice principals, as well

as the instructors and students of nguyen van cu lower secondary school in bac ninh province Their unwavering support, provision of time, and authorization to conduct this research at their institution have been invaluable

Last but not least, my deepest and sincerest gratitude goes to my family,

encompassing my parents, my husband, and my son, for their unconditional love, understanding, and assistance

ABSTRACT

This study investigates English pronunciation errors made by 6th-grade students in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam Data was collected from 50 students and 10 teachers Common errors include mispronunciation of English vowels and consonants Factors contributing to these errors include mother tongue interference, age, exposure, aptitude, attitudes, and motivation Recommendations include targeted exercises, authentic listening materials, pronunciation clinics, and technology-based resources The study contributes to understanding the English pronunciation challenges faced by 6th-grade students

in Bac Ninh Province By identifying specific errors and considering the local context, language educators can develop effective instructional approaches to address these difficulties Improved pronunciation skills will enhance students' overall English language proficiency and improve communication in various contexts

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

ABSTRACT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF FIGURE v

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Rationale 1

1.2 Aims and Objectives 4

1.3 Scope of Study 4

1.4 Research Question 5

1.5 Significance of study 6

1.6 Organisation of the study 7

Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.1 Theoretical Background 8

2.1.1 Definitions of Pronunciation 8

2.1.2 The importance of pronunciation in learning English 10

2.1.3 Some Common English Pronunciation Mistakes Made by Vietnamese Students 13

2.1.4 Factors affecting English pronunciation mistakes 22

2.2 Related Studies 27

Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 33

3.1 Research design 33

3.2 Participants 34

3.3 Data Collection Instruments 34

3.4 Data collection procedures 36

3.5 Data analysis 37

Chapter 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 39

4.1.1 Audio recordings results: Students’ pronunciation errors 39

4.1.2 Interview results 48

4.2 Research discussion 59

Chapter 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 62

5.1 Conclusions 62

5.2 Recommendation 63

5.3 Limitation 64

REFERENCES 66 APPENDIX

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

APPENDIX 3

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 1: Students’ common pronunciation errors (from audio recordings) 39

Figure 2: Errors of vowels 41

Figure 3: Number of students mispronouncing words containing vowel sounds 42

Figure 4: Number of students mispronouncing consonant sounds 44

Figure 5: Number of students made ending sound errors 46

Figure 6: Percentage of errors of ending sounds made by students 46

Figure 7: Teachers’ views on how frequenly students make English pronunciation errors 48

Figure 8: Teachers’ views on Students’ common pronunciation errors 49

Figure 9: Teachers’ views on English vowels that are most commonly mispronounced by students 50

Figure 10: Teachers’ views on English consonants that are most commonly mispronounced by students 51

Figure 11: Teachers’ views on English final consonants that are most commonly mispronounced by students 53

Figure 12: Teachers’ views on main factors causing students’ pronunciation errors 54

Figure 13: Teachers’ views on the factor that has the most significant impact on student pronunciation errors? 54

Figure 14: Teachers’ views on how factors impact on student pronunciation errors 56

Figure 15: Teachers’ recommendations for reducing pupil pronunciation mistakes 58

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter elucidates the necessity of leading this study It elucidates the goals

of this research, the guiding research questions, and the inherent significance of these educational inquiries

1.1 Rationale

Many English language students have unrealistic expectations of their ability

to speak the language well To fulfill their ambition, they must overcome a variety

of obstacles The pronunciation of another sound system is one of the typical things that they struggle with Learners discover that their native tongue has an impact on how they pronounce English "The native language impacts both the capacity to make English sounds and the ability to perceive sounds." (Avery and Ehrich, 1992) When speaking English as a second language, pronunciation is most probably the first thing that people pick up on "When some instructors and students complain about difficulty in speaking, they are generally talking about pronunciation" Nation (2009, p.75) Derwing and Munro (2005) stated that "having excellent pronunciation of the language can help in normal communication, particularly intelligibility", demonstrating the significance of pronunciation in language learning (as cited in Nation & Newton, 2009, p 75)

English Pronunciation (EP) teaching and learning is generally disregarded in English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, as proven by a growing corpus of research conducted globally (Canagarajah, 2005; Hismanoglu, 2006; Isaacs, 2009; Hismanoglu & Hismanoglu, 2010; Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011; Hismanoglu & Hismanoglu, 2013; Ketabi & Saeb, 2015) Since many students regard EP to be "very tough to learn" (Gilakjani & Ahmadi, 2011, p 74), and

to present numerous challenges in studying it, EP is shunned by both professors (Brown, 1992; Claire, 1993; Fraser, 2000; Yates, 2001) and students (Gilakjani, 2012)

EP has the same lowly standing in Vietnam as it has in many other countries throughout the world Like the majority of East Asian nations, Vietnam has historically taught EFL using "teacher-centered, book-centered, and grammar-translation methods" (Liu &

Littlewood, 1997; Son, 2011, p 37), where students exhibited a great deal of dependence on the teacher (Tomlinson & Dat, 2004) and were placed to receive knowledge, primarily from their teachers Grammar, reading, and writing were heavily emphasized in learning and teaching activities, but oral communication skills appeared

to be neglected by both instructors and students As a result, little time was spent on

EP, which made it a less significant element of language development At that time, passing exams or receiving certificates was the major goal of education In the end,

"students may get the highest results in the tests but fail to display their greatness in real life performance" (Hoang, 1999, p.79) was the outcome of this strategy (Huy, 2006) Many EFL teachers in Vietnam today supplement their use of grammatical translation techniques with other teaching strategies rather than relying only on them Vietnamese people are now paying greater attention to EP because they are aware that

it is a vital component that may help them succeed in speaking effectively in English, since English is now acknowledged to play a more essential role in Vietnam's contact with the outside world However, learning EP is challenging, particularly for Vietnamese people (Cunningham, 2009) Researchers have shown that despite spending several years learning English in schools both locally and abroad, Vietnamese students still struggle to communicate with foreigners (Huy, 2006; Nguyen, 2007; Cunningham, 2010; Tweedy, 2012; Lin, 2014)

As international economic ties between Vietnam and other nations have grown quickly, English has replaced other languages as the foreign tongue of choice in modern-day Vietnam Vietnam's membership in organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) reflected this expansion (WTO) As a result, foreign investors are investing more and more business prospects in the nation and are looking for a qualified work force with fluent English skills "However, the Vietnamese workforce's communicative English proficiency has not reached the employers' needs" (Kieu, 2010, p.119) In fact, a huge proportion of fresh graduates from Vietnamese institutions are unable to secure employment in overseas companies owing to their subpar hearing and speaking abilities in English (Ha, 2007) According to research, one

of the root reasons of this issue is conventional teaching, stressing the learning of grammar and vocabulary rather than communicative skills (Pham, 2005) Similar to this, Wright (2002) said that "many Vietnamese nowadays do not need the traditional emphasis on precision in the written language rather than the attainment of fluency in the spoken language" (p.242) Additionally, according to Cunningham (2009), the general people in Vietnam does not have access to written or broadcast material in English, nor is English a language with any official standing Many Vietnamese stakeholders are concerned about the need to enhance Vietnamese learners' speaking abilities in English due to their limited exposure to and inadequate fluency in the language While without particularly writing on the Vietnamese setting, Gilakjani (2012) asserts that learners with good English pronunciation are likely to be understood even if they make errors in other areas, whereas learners with terrible pronunciation will not be understood, even if their grammar is impeccable Such students could refrain from using the language, feel socially isolated, have trouble finding work, and have few options for further education People are often assessed by the way they talk, therefore students with bad pronounciation may be thought to be unqualified, uninformed, or ignorant

For these reasons, enhancing pronunciation should be prioritized in any ELT curriculum in order to improve Vietnamese learners' speaking abilities Nevertheless, despite the fact that the importance of pronunciation in language acquisition is acknowledged, Vietnamese learners find it challenging (Cunningham, 2010) Additionally, despite years of language training, many Vietnamese students are unable

to create some native speaker targets, according to research, and they "may not be aware that their pronunciation is not understandable" Florez (1998, p.3) Vietnamese scholars have paid a lot of attention to the problem of English pronunciation thus far, but almost all of their studies concentrate on the phonological features of languages (Hoa, 1965; Tam, 2005; Nguyen, 2007), and few, if any, can be found on other pedagogical aspects Thus, the purpose of this thesis is to fill this knowledge vacuum

This is a serious problem at many schools including Nguyen Van Cu Lower Secondary School Additionally, no study has been done to date on how English pronunciation is taught at Nguyen Van Cu Lower Secondary School in Bac Ninh province

Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the errors that learners encounter when acquiring English pronunciation It draws inspiration from Saraceni's (2015) argument, which approaches the core conundrum of balancing language as system and language as social activity from a critical perspective While communicative English necessitates an emphasis on socially useful applications of English in Vietnam, the EP teaching method in Vietnam to far has mostly concentrated on English as a system of sounds to be dissected and learned separately

In the end, this research aims to illuminate elements of EP that could improve learning practices' facilitation

The author, who teaches English at Nguyen Van Cu Lower Secondary School, decided to do the research named "English pronunciation errors made by 6th grade students at a lower secondary school in bac ninh province" in order to deal with this pressing reality

1.2 Aims and Objectives

The major goal of this study was to learn more about how pronunciation is really taught and learned at Nguyen Van Cu Lower Secondary School in Bac Ninh Province, particularly to indicate common English pronunciation errors that students encounter Additionally, the author aims to identify the numerous factors that contribute to pronunciation problems among students in the sixth grade That will assist English teachers in resolving these issues and enhancing students' English pronunciation With this aim, some objectives of the research are presented:

- To determine the common English pronunciation errors that 6th grade students encounter

- To indicate factors influencing pronunciation errors among 6th grade students 1.3 Scope of Study

This study engaged with a focused group of 50 students from Grade Six at Nguyen Van Cu Lower Secondary School in Bac Ninh, Vietnam, to identify and understand common English pronunciation errors prevalent among the students Within the scope of the school's educational setting, Vietnamese is utilized as the main

language for instruction, with English being encouraged during English language classes Also, this study employed structured interviews with ten teachers from the school These teachers, who interacted with the students regularly, provided first-hand insights into the students' pronunciation errors and their potential causes

The research objective was to delve into the English pronunciation errors committed by these sixth-grade students The scope revolved around these learners to derive a precise understanding of their pronunciation difficulties and thereby prompt the formulation of targeted solutions for these identified issues Its data is collected through student's audio recordings, and the interview results This purposive sampling technique, while focusing on students' English language exposure and educational background, enabled a more comprehensive understanding of pronunciation errors

The analysis of the collected data entailed identifying common pronunciation errors based on students’ recordings and teacher interviews The data were grouped according to the forms of consonant and vowel pronunciation errors The study further delved into exploring the potential causes of these pronunciation errors within the context of the Vietnamese educational setting

This study's findings offer crucial insights into English pronunciation errors among sixth-grade students at the identified lower secondary school in Bac Ninh, Vietnam Understanding these errors can catalyze the development of targeted interventions and instructional strategies to boost students' pronunciation skills However, it should be noted that this study's focus is restricted to a single lower secondary school in Bac Ninh, hence, the findings might not entirely represent pronunciation errors among students of other schools or regions in Vietnam

1.5 Significance of study

This research on English pronunciation errors made by sixth-grade students

at a lower secondary school in Bac Ninh, Vietnam holds significant importance for several reasons:

Understanding the specific pronunciation errors made by students at this grade level will provide valuable insights for educators and curriculum developers The findings can be used to design targeted interventions that address these errors effectively, ultimately enhancing the quality of English language education in Bac Ninh

Pronunciation is a crucial aspect of effective communication in English By identifying and addressing the pronunciation errors made by sixth-grade students, this research can contribute to improving their overall communication skills This, in turn, will enable students to engage more confidently in verbal exchanges, both inside and outside the classroom

English is widely recognized as the international language of communication

By improving the pronunciation skills of sixth-grade students, this research can contribute to their ability to connect and engage with individuals from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds This will foster cultural exchange, promote global competence, and prepare students for future academic and professional opportunities

The insights gained from this research can also benefit English language teachers By understanding the specific pronunciation challenges faced by their students, teachers can tailor their instructional strategies, materials, and assessments to better address these challenges This research can contribute to the ongoing professional development of teachers, enabling them to refine their teaching methods and improve student outcomes

While there is existing research on English pronunciation errors, there is a limited focus on sixth-grade students in Bac Ninh, Vietnam This study will help fill this research gap and serve as a foundation for future studies Researchers can build upon this research to explore additional factors affecting pronunciation, investigate the long-term impact of targeted interventions, and compare the results across different regions or grade levels

In conclusion, this research on English pronunciation errors made by sixth-grade students at a lower secondary school in Bac Ninh, Vietnam holds significant

implications for educational improvement, enhanced communication skills, cultural exchange, teacher professional development, and future research The findings of this study can contribute to the advancement of English language education in Bac Ninh and potentially beyond

1.6 Organisation of the study

The research will be structured in five principal chapters:

Chapter 1 elucidates the necessity of leading this study It elucidates the goals of

this research, the guiding research questions, and the inherent significance of these educational inquiries

Chapter 2 encompasses the theoretical framework underlying the research issue,

this chapter offers a detailed overview of past and contemporary studies pertinent to the subject researched

Chapter 3 covers the specific methods utilized for proceeding with this study It

divulges the participant demographics and the particular methods applied for data analysis

Chapter 4 presents the results obtained from the analysis of data collected

through audio recordings and structured interviews It further discusses the findings in relation to the overall study

Chapter 5 Concludes the study, this chapter provides a summary of all research

outcomes It also notes the limitations faced, the implications of the findings, and provides recommendations for future research based on the insights gleaned through this study

Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter encompasses the theoretical framework underlying the research issue, this chapter offers a detailed overview of past and contemporary studies pertinent

to the subject researched

According to Otlowski (1998), pronunciation may be defined as the act of articulating a word in a manner that conforms to social norms and is deemed acceptable within a certain community Roach (2011) defines pronunciation as the act of producing the sounds of a particular language (p.86) In contrast, it is widely agreed among scholars that pronunciation serves a dual purpose of conveying semantic content with its role in sound production According to Seidlhofer (2001), the establishment of meaning in language use necessitates the consideration of pronunciation, which encompasses the creation and perception of the important sounds specific to a particular language (p.56) According to Harmer (2001), the interpretation of a statement is often derived from the way in which it is articulated In addition, Yates (2002) posits that pronunciation entails the production of sounds in order to convey significance Despite its importance in language acquisition, pronunciation has been largely overlooked in the educational system It has been characterized by several descriptions as a consequence According to Djebbari (2014), Kelly (1969) characterized pronunciation as the neglected aspect of foreign language instruction, sometimes referred to as the Cinderella area According to Deng et al (2009), pronunciation is a neglected aspect of second language acquisition In the same context,

Moghaddam, Nasiri, Zarea, and Sepehrinia (2012) referred to this sub-skill as the missing link in the chain These examples provide as clear evidence that pronunciation has deteriorated over time Moreover, Derwing (2010) argued that pronunciation is a neglected aspect of language instruction in the classroom, a claim that seems to be true According to the author (p 24), L2 teachers may have a certain level of apprehension when it comes to the task of teaching pronunciation Nevertheless, because to the difficulty in differentiating between phonetics and phonology, a considerable number

of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students erroneously believe that pronunciation may be equated with both of these concepts

Tharpe (2017) posited that phonology is concerned with the analysis of sound connections within a given language Conversely, the manner in which these sounds are articulated Phonology, as a linguistic discipline, pertains to the study of the abstract representation and organization of sounds within a language Conversely, pronunciation refers to the specific articulatory and auditory aspects involved in producing these sounds In contrast, Lopez (2018) made a clear distinction between pronunciation and phonetics, asserting that pronunciation occurs when the different speech organs come together to generate a specific sound The study of phonetics involves the use of composed symbols to represent and analyze various sounds The significance of pronunciation in individuals' lives lies in its capacity to facilitate the expression of their identities via speech and function as an indicator of their involvement in certain social groups (Seidlhofer, 2001) Hence, it is vital to assert that this particular sub-skill need to be duly acknowledged as a crucial element that facilitates effective communication

As stated by Fact (2002), pronunciation is fundamentally the production of sounds used for the purpose of communicating meaning Ur (2010) argued that the notion of pronunciation may be defined as a combination of linguistic sounds, stress patterns, rhythm, and intonation Authors have used a multitude of approaches to elucidate the concept of pronunciation Pronunciation is often defined as “the manner

in which a word is articulated” or “the prevailing manner in which a word is vocalized” (Oxford Advanced Learner's Encyclopedic, 1992) According to the Longman

Dictionary of Contemporary English (1978), According to Dalton and Seidlhofer (1994), pronunciation may be defined as the production of significant sounds, as stated

in their book "Pronunciation" published in 1994 The phrase is interpreted in two distinct ways Initially, it is used as an integral element inside the code structure of a particular language The divergence between English phonetic sounds and those found

in other languages may be attributed to this phenomenon The term "pronunciation" in this context refers to the process of producing and perceiving oral sounds Furthermore, sound is used in many contexts to communicate and express meaning In this context, the code functions in tandem with other components to facilitate the process of communication Within this particular context, the topic of pronunciation is being examined in connection to various speaking actions

The term "pronunciation" in the context of this research endeavor refers to the manner in which a word is articulated, particularly in a manner that is widely recognized or popularly comprehended (American Heritage Dictionary, 1992)

2.1.2 The importance of pronunciation in learning English

According to Hancock (2003), the importance of accurate pronunciation cannot

be overstated in terms of its impact on both speaking and listening abilities Moreover, according to Mumeneen (2011), individuals who possess a Bachelor of Arts degree in English often encounter challenges related to English pronunciation This difficulty might impede their ability to effectively persuade hiring managers during job interviews Moreover, people have several challenges in their daily interpersonal encounters pertaining to communication In her study, Jahan (n.d.) examined the significance of pronunciation in the context of communication According to her statement, the lack of access to English-medium schools in the Sylhet division has resulted in a significant period of time during which students from this region have been unable to pursue the study of English as a second language Individuals are more prone to misinterpret your message if you exhibit wrong pronunciation in English Conversely, if you demonstrate accurate pronunciation, individuals will be inclined to engage in conversation with you According to Jahan, the instruction of pronunciation poses a significant challenge but remains a crucial aspect within the realm of ESL/EFL pedagogy The author contends that attaining faultless native-like accents is an

unattainable goal for students learning English as a second language (ESL) Effective communication may be achieved when learners' pronunciation is comprehensible to competent English speakers

In contrast, Lin, Fan, Chen, and Moniruzzman (as cited in Howlader, 2010) observed that, similar to the situation in Bangladesh, some educators in Taiwan likewise believe that the importance of English pronunciation is rather low A limited number of tests require pupils to exhibit their proficiency in pronunciation The comprehension of a non-native speaker may be significantly hindered when faced with the continuous mispronunciation of certain phonemes by a language learner In order

to ascertain the significance of addressing pronunciation within the classroom, it is beneficial to consider the potential hindrances that learners' pronunciation difficulties might impose on effective communication According to Kelly and Gerald (2000) and Hewings (2004), the inability to pronounce words correctly may hinder effective communication, resulting in a failure to convey intended messages or comprehend spoken information This underscores the need of include pronunciation instruction in language teaching Given that sound serves as the fundamental basis of language, it is essential for educators to first provide pupils the opportunity to engage in sound experimentation while instructing a new language Moreover, the communicative approach is widely recognized as the prevailing pedagogical strategy for language instruction in the contemporary era This is mostly due to the fact that, upon completion

of their studies, learners are primarily concerned with acquiring the necessary skills to successfully engage in communication within both their professional and personal spheres As a result, educators have begun to demonstrate more vigilance in their instruction of pronunciation

The importance of pronunciation is comparable to that of vocabulary and syntax

in language Undoubtedly, the domain of speech involves a multitude of aspects beyond mere pronunciation; nonetheless, it is essential to acknowledge that pronunciation serves as an indispensable prerequisite for its realization Indeed, the acquisition of accurate pronunciation is often seen as a prerequisite for achieving proficiency in oral communication As a result of this, prioritizing the instruction of pronunciation should be of utmost importance in any language learning endeavor

Undoubtedly, the acquisition of a language is often pursued with the aim of achieving efficient communication, which is contingent upon possessing proficient pronouncing skills Despite potential shortcomings in other aspects, individuals who demonstrate accurate pronunciation often experience enhanced comprehensibility while communicating with others Nevertheless, a considerable number of English as

a Foreign Language (EFL) students, and in some cases, educators, tend to neglect this particular aspect of English instruction Furthermore, it is disheartening that many underestimate its importance, perceiving it to be of lesser significance compared to other domains The importance of pronunciation cannot be overstated The act of mispronouncing words is a prevalent factor contributing to instances of misunderstanding In a restaurant context, the usage of the term "soap" instead of

"soup" may result in a miscommunication between the customer and the server

According to Dalton and Seidlhofer (1993), pronunciation is an integral component of the teaching-learning process Moreover, Celce-Murcia, Brignton, and Goodwin (2010) argued that pronunciation has a prominent position among the many components of human language skills, perhaps surpassing other aspects in terms of significance According to the author (p.279), our perception of every interaction is influenced by a certain perspective, like to a prism Therefore, it is vital to possess accurate pronunciation skills in order to facilitate articulate speech and facilitate efficient interpersonal interaction According to Yoshida (2016), a common occurrence among tutors is the tendency to claim lack of time as a justification for neglecting the teaching of pronunciation Consequently, this aspect is often relegated to a lower position on their list of priorities, creating the perception among students that it has little significance According to Gilakjani (2016), the limited availability of resources, inadequate training, time constraints, and insufficient motivation act as barriers for instructors in effectively instructing this particular sub-skill The contemporary educational landscape necessitates that students possess not only proficient reading and writing skills, but also the ability to effectively engage in spoken discourse and grasp English language in order to facilitate effective communication Communication may also be unsuccessful if the pronunciation of pupils is challenging to comprehend, even

in cases when their grammar and vocabulary skills are proficient The objective of teaching pronunciation is to facilitate comprehension by enabling students to cultivate

an English-speaking ability that is intelligible within the specific contexts in which they will use it In this context, educators are expected to provide their students with the essential resources to enable them to improve their pronunciation, since it plays a crucial role in facilitating effective communication among individuals (Broughton, Brumfit, Flavell, Hill, & Pincas, 1980)

2.1.3 Some Common English Pronunciation Mistakes Made by Vietnamese Students

The discipline of Vietnamese phonetics and phonology has been insufficiently explored and rigorously examined by scholars, both inside Vietnam and internationally Scholars have varying perspectives about the authenticity and credibility of certain studies relevant to the Vietnamese language The selection of standard Vietnamese variants and the proper use of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols for transcribing Vietnamese phonetic components remain unsolved topics The literature review for this study encompasses a diverse range of sources and viewpoints, accompanied by appropriate citations The use of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols in this research is mostly based on the authoritative textbook

on linguistics in Vietnam, notably the section on phonetics and phonology produced

by Đoàn Thiện Thuật, a notable Vietnamese phonetician (Nguyen et al., 2006) None

of the aforementioned categories are specifically used for the purpose of transcribing the occurrences, since transcription is employed in order to denote the "prescriptive" Vietnamese pronunciation

a Errors with vowels

In their seminal work, Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1996) put out two discrete interpretations of vowels Vowels are first identified as "the instruments of poets" because to their ability to enable the formation of assonance and rhythm Vowels have a crucial part in the development of word melodies and the aural appeal of words

As per the authors' assertion in their subsequent definition, vowels are positioned centrally or at the apex of the syllable (p 93) The Vietnamese vowel system has a complex arrangement, including several extra diphthongs and triphthongs

Additionally, Honey provides an extensive analysis of this system, highlighting the presence of eleven unique pure vowels The Vietnamese language has a collection of pure vowels, which are represented phonetically as follows: /a/, /ă/, /ə̆/, /ɔ/, /o/, /ə/, /e/, /ɛ/, /u/, /ɨ/, and /i/ Vietnamese vowels often demonstrate a notable absence of strict spatial limitations, hence allowing them to operate autonomously Nevertheless, there exists a subset of individuals who lack the ability to do this task The process of identifying Vietnamese diphthongs and triphthongs is often aided by their orthographic representation According to Honey (1987), there are several parallels between the two vowel systems In the domain of English phonetics, it is a prevalent phenomenon for the Vietnamese language to provide alternative notations for monophthongal vowels

As an example, it is observed that the Vietnamese pronunciation of the term "low" is sometimes transcribed as "lo" (/lô/), whereas the term "may" is often articulated as

"me" (/mê/) Some diphthong pairings in the Vietnamese language demonstrate distinction only via the length of the component vowels As an example, the diphthong /mai/ is indicative of the action verb "to sew," but the diphthong /ma-i/ represents the nominal form "tomorrow." Vietnamese individuals have a variety of difficulties while conversing in English, mostly because to their inclination to replace and misarticulate certain language components An other salient aspect of the vowel segment that poses difficulties for Vietnamese speakers pertains to the conflation of English tense and lax vowel phonemes Avery and Ehrlich (1992) argue that the difficulties in English arise from the existence of tense and lax vowel pairs Vietnamese individuals who speak English have difficulties when it comes to appropriately pronouncing the two vowels included in each pair The researchers discovered that people who are in the process of learning a second language may have a predisposition to produce a vowel sound that lies in between two clearly different vowels, rather than precisely recreating either the tense or lax vowel sound There is a possibility of encountering misconceptions if these distinctions are not explicitly defined (p 96) Moreover, Avery and Ehrlich have provided compelling examples of this prevalent tendency, including notions like as sleep, taste, and cookery to illustrate their point Based on the reference (p 96), it has been observed that Vietnamese speakers may exhibit some phonetic deviations while

articulating English terms such as "slide", "text", and "stood" which might potentially

be discerned by English native speakers Moreover, existing research has shown that Vietnamese students often have challenges in distinguishing between short and long vowel sounds in the English language (Nguyen, 2021; Van, 2019)

Diphthongs, which are characterized by the coarticulation of two vowel sounds, provide challenges for Vietnamese students, since they may exhibit vowel sound replacement or generate wholly different sounds (Van, 2019) Avery and Ehrlich (p 156) assert that Vietnamese pupils have challenges in discerning the difference between the vowel phonemes /e/ and /ɪ/ when encountered in words such as "bed" and

"terrible" Vietnamese speakers sometimes have a significant difficulty when it comes

to understanding English vowels, particularly in distinguishing between the phonetic sounds of /e/ and /ɪ/ The people have a lack of capacity to distinguish between the different versions The presence of these auditory disruptions often leads to a variety

of errors made by people during the acquisition of information or skills Avery and Ehrlich have observed a prevalent tendency among students to articulate these two vowels in an undifferentiated way Frequently, students frequently struggle to adequately drop their lips and jaws while endeavoring to articulate the /ae/ phoneme (p 99) In contrast to the previously stated vowel sounds, these two sounds demonstrate

a somewhat simpler differentiation Nevertheless, there are still some circumstances in which people exhibit incorrect pronunciation of words For instance, the term "love" may be phonetically represented as either /ləv/ or /lʌv/ (Nguyen, 2014)

b Errors with consonants

Honey (1987) asserts that there exists a considerable degree of variation across dialects, and highlights the notable dissimilarities between the Vietnamese consonant system and its English counterpart Vietnamese language learners may have considerable challenges while attempting to produce certain phonetic sounds, including /f/, /θ/, /ð/, /ʃ/, /z/, /ʒ/, /ʈʃ/, and /dʒ/ According to the source cited on page 240, Vietnamese speakers are capable of pronouncing Vietnamese words that conclude with voiceless stop consonants such as /p/, /t/, and /k/, since these consonants are seen in the last position of Vietnamese words According to Nguyen (2014), the consonants in

Vietnamese are spoken with a brief duration, resulting in the absence of sound release

at the end of words Native English speakers may find it particularly difficult to comprehend the sounds produced by those who speak Vietnamese As an instance, it has been observed that a Vietnamese individual learning English may articulate the term "seat" as "see" (Avery and Ehrlich, 1992, p 153)

According to Nguyen (2014), Vietnamese English speakers have many challenges in distinguishing between voiced and voiceless stops in word final position, including the sounds /b/, /p/, /d/, /g/ and /p/, /t/, /k/ Avery and Ehrlich (year) assert that Vietnamese lacks voiced pauses at word endings (p 154) Moreover, Vietnamese English learners have challenges when it comes to producing the last fricative consonants /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, and /ʒ/ Vietnamese individuals possess the capability to accurately articulate the fricative sounds /f/, /v/, and /s/ while beginning English syllables Nevertheless, fricatives are not found in word-final position in their indigenous language Consequently, in English speech, the last fricative sound of words is commonly elided

According to Avery and Ehrlich (p 154), the youngster consistently passes by the garage while returning home It is evident that a significant number of Vietnamese speakers have difficulties in pronouncing the English consonants mentioned in this abstract, even those who possess a high level of proficiency in the language.It is a common occurrence for individuals who speak Vietnamese to have a tendency to conflate the phonetic sounds /s/ and /z/ The phonetic substitution of the voiceless alveolar fricative /s/ with the voiced alveolar fricative /z/ results in a phonological alteration, whereby words such as "peas" are pronounced as "peace" During speech, there may be two distinct challenges associated with the production of the /s/ sound (Nguyen, 2014) One of the primary concerns is the frequent omission of the /s/ sound during the spelling of certain nouns As an example, it is common for the word

"because" to be spoken with the phonetic representation /bikau/ The second concern that several speakers encounter is the superfluous occurrence of the /s/ sound at contrast to English lexemes, which exhibit the phonemes /s/ and /z/ at word-final position, Vietnamese lexemes do not possess such phonetic features Consequently,

Vietnamese individuals who are learning English exhibit excessive attentiveness towards these phonetic nuances, leading to inaccurate pronunciation of words According to Nguyen (2013), in the context of oral communication, it is often seen that learners exhibit a proclivity to disregard the enunciation of terminal consonant sounds,

as well as final consonant cluster sounds such as /z, s, ks/ Nguyen (2014) asserts that

in Vietnamese, the addition of the /s/ sound is a common occurrence for both adjectives and uncountable nouns As an instance, it is observed that several individuals use the phrase "very goods" instead of "very good" and the expression "a lot of money" is sometimes articulated as "a lot of moneys" According to Ha's (2005) data collection, a total of 13 terms were found to be mispronounced in this manner It is noteworthy that

a number of pupils had a tendency to omit the pronunciation of certain sounds in terms where they naturally appear, while simultaneously incorporating them into other phrases, such as "goods" and "peoples", among others Similarly, the phonemes /ð/ and /θ/ have been widely recognized as among the most challenging, perplexing, or often mispronounced sounds for Vietnamese speakers (Ha, 2005; Tang, 2007; Neumann, 2007; Le & Cunningham, 2010; Luu, 2011) Multiple studies have shown that Vietnamese learners, like others, have a tendency to substitute sounds /ð/ and /θ/; nevertheless, the specific characteristics of this phenomena seem to vary and exhibit diversity Furthermore, the phoneme /ð/ is often replaced by the phonemes /z/ and /d/ according to studies conducted by Ha (2005) and Neumann (2007)

Similarly, the phoneme /θ/ is typically realized as the Vietnamese phoneme /t‘/

as reported by Ha (2005), or as the phonemes /s/ and /t/ as indicated by Ha (2005) and Neumann (2007) For instance, Nguyen (2014) suggests that Vietnamese speakers tend

to generate a strongly voiceless stop /t/ instead of a voiceless fricative /θ/ in words such

as "thank" The Vietnamese language employs a pronounced aspiration in conjunction with the letter "th" resulting in the vocalization of the /t/ sound in accordance with the phonetic characteristics of their language Hence, the word "three" may be phonetically spoken in a manner similar to the word "tree."

According to Avery and Ehrlich (1992, p 155), individuals learning the Vietnamese language often have a tendency to replace /ð/ sounds with either /d/ or /z/

Consequently, the word "than" may be pronounced as /daen/ or /zæn/ In the Vietnamese language, the consonant "th" is not articulated between the upper and lower teeth, unlike its articulation in English Consequently, many individuals have difficulties while attempting to proficiently articulate the /θ/ consonant sound in the English language (Tang, 2007) The degree of sound variation was also contingent upon the phonetic location inside words In a study conducted by Dao (2007), it was seen that the sound /ð/ was pronounced as /s/ in the middle position and as /z/ in the final position Additionally, it was noted that the sound /θ/ was mispronounced as the Vietnamese sound /t‘/ when occurring at the beginning of syllables, and as /t/ or /d/ when occurring at the end of sentences (Dao, 2007) Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge that there was little evidence of sound deletion seen in the English speech

of Vietnamese students in this study Undoubtedly, the prevalent trend seen in the pronunciation of /ð/ and /θ/ among Vietnamese students is that of sound replacement

In the context of Vietnamese speakers' acquisition of the voiceless fricative /tʃ/

in word-final positions, it has been observed that they may have a tendency to pronounce it as /ʃ/ For instance, the phonetic representation of the word "march" is often perceived as /maʃ/ According to Avery and Ehrlich (1992, p 155), The English consonant sound /ʧ/ has phonetic similarities to the Vietnamese consonant –ch Nevertheless, the sound represented by "-ch" is palatal, a stop, and voiceless, while the sound represented by "/ʧ/" is palatal, affricate, and voiceless In a study conducted by Tang (2007) A study was undertaken by Tuan (2011) at Hung Vuong University in Ho Chi Minh City to investigate the English consonants that provide the most difficulty for Vietnamese students The findings indicate that among the set of English consonants examined, students have significant difficulties in accurately articulating the fricatives /∫/ and /ʒ/, as well as the affricates /t∫/ and /dʒ/ Additionally, it is seen that students commonly exhibit confusion between Vietnamese phonetic elements and their English counterparts Furthermore, a research conducted by Dang (2014) provides evidence that Vietnamese individuals who are learning English encounter a multitude

of challenges related to pronunciation, which might potentially hinder the understanding of their spoken language

In Vietnamese, the voiceless stop consonant /p/ is not seen at word-initial positions As a consequence, Vietnamese speakers have the ability to substitute the phoneme /p/ with either a voiced stop (/b/) or a voiceless fricative (/f/) For instance, the terms "pool" and "pop" have phonetic similarities On the contrary, the occurrence

of these consonants often leads to confusion among learners in final positions As an example, Avery and Ehrlich (1992, p 155) suggest that the term "lab" has resemblance

to the word "lap" Vietnamese exhibits the presence of these two distinct phonetic sounds Nevertheless, a significant number of individuals in Vietnam, namely those residing in the northern region, have difficulty in distinguishing between different ethnic groups only based on their native language (Nguyen, 2014) Commonly, individuals have difficulty in discerning between the phonetic sounds of /n/ and /l/ Consequently, individuals constantly commit mistakes in their pronunciation of these phonetic sounds while conversing in the English language For instance, individuals may use phonetic representations such as /ləʊ/ to denote the word "no" /lain/ to signify

"nine" or /snəʊni/ to indicate "slowly" According to Avery and Ehrlich (p 155), it is said that the Vietnamese language does not possess any consonant clusters in initial or terminal positions Vietnamese students may have challenges in accurately pronouncing some English words due to the limited presence of certain consonant sounds in the Vietnamese language According to Avery and Ehrlich (p 155), it has been observed that Vietnamese students have a tendency to omit one or more consonants from a complex consonant cluster One of the most common errors seen is the omission of consonants inside words An instance of this may be seen in the pronunciation of “abstract" as /æb æk/ (Honey, p 240) The study done by Tang (2007)

on cross-linguistic comparison of Vietnamese and English highlights the presence of common onset consonants, which are consonants that occur at the beginning of words,

in both languages The consonants included in this set are /p, b, d, k, m, n, f, v, s, z, h, l/ However, it has been found that the Vietnamese population often has a propensity

to avoid the aspiration of the consonantal phoneme /p/ In contrast, the pronunciation

of the word is phonetically represented by the phoneme /b/ Therefore, it is important for people to actively develop their aspiration skills in order to achieve competency in

making aspirated sounds within the English language Moreover, it is worth noting that both Vietnamese and English have a similar group of consonants at the coda position These consonants include /p, t, k, m, n/, along with the consonant cluster "ng" Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge that in the Vietnamese language, the last consonants /p, t, k/ are not phonetically released In the meantime, it is worth mentioning that they are produced in the English language The challenges faced by Vietnamese learners of English in accurately pronouncing final consonant sounds may

be attributed to the absence of such sounds in their native language

c Errors with ending sounds

In consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word patterns, it is common for the /s/ phoneme to be elided when words end with the letter 's' As an example, the word "sits" may undergo a phonetic transformation resulting in its pronunciation as /sIt/, whereas the term "wishes" may potentially be pronounced as /wan/ In some instances, individuals who speak Vietnamese may have a proclivity for omitting the phonetic elements of /t/ and /s/ within the term "desires." According to Nguyen (2007), informants have significant challenges when dealing with clusters that conclude with voiceless /s/ and /t/ According to the source cited on page 23 Vietnamese language learners have considerable difficulty in accurately articulating some terminal consonant clusters, including /kt/ as shown in the word "walked," /t/ as demonstrated in "washed," /d/ as seen in "judged," and /ld/ as illustrated in "filled." According to Nguyen (2007), the absence of the sound /l/ in the native language poses difficulties for all speakers when encountering two-consonant clusters that include /l/ in the forms of /lz/, /lt/, /ld/,

or /lf/ (p 22) According to Luu (2011), there is a higher probability that the speakers would neglect to articulate the last sounds, perhaps leading to misunderstanding Furthermore, the phonemes /ð/ and /θ/ are denoted by the grapheme "th", which coincidentally resembles the appearance of the Vietnamese consonant /t‘/ in some words Correcting these faults may provide a significant challenge for anyone learning the Vietnamese language The proper production of consonant sounds, especially those that are absent in the Vietnamese language, might provide challenges for sixth-grade Vietnamese pupils In Vietnamese, the absence of the English "th" sound in words such

as "think" and "this" may lead pupils to mispronounce it as either "s" or "f" (Ha, 2019; Van, 2019) The topic of discussion pertains to the concepts of word stress and tones

d Word stress and tones

According to Ngo (2008, p 7), Vietnamese is a tonal language in which alterations in pitch level and/or contour are used to convey shifts in meaning Furthermore, the author placed emphasis on the distinction between English and Vietnamese in terms of their rhythmic patterns Specifically, English was described as

a stress-timed language, while Vietnamese was characterized as syllable-timed (p.7)

In languages that use syllable timing, each syllable is allocated a relatively equal duration for articulation Conversely, languages that adopt stress timing include stress syllables at consistent intervals Consequently, those who are acquiring proficiency in the Vietnamese language have difficulties in accurately determining the appropriate time of stressed syllables According to Honey (p 241), Vietnamese speakers have difficulty in expressing stress via tone in English words due to the presence of syllabic tone The Vietnamese language relies on distinct tonal patterns for the pronunciation

of each syllable, since the absence of such patterns makes it difficult for listeners to differentiate between various words in the language Furthermore, it is worth noting that in compound words consisting of two or more syllabic units, each individual syllable maintains its distinct tone English utilizes many word stresses in its pronunciation Words may have emphasis on any of their syllables, including the first, second, third, or fourth syllables When the word "record" is used as a noun, the emphasis may fall on either the first or second syllable However, if it is used as a verb, the stress often falls on the second syllable The acquisition of English pronunciation

by 6th-grade Vietnamese pupils may be hindered by the complexities of word stress and intonation English is classified as a stress-timed language, whereby some syllables within words are given more importance compared to others In contrast, Vietnamese

is categorized as a syllable-timed language, wherein each syllable is spoken with equal stress Consequently, the incorrect placement of emphasis in English words and phrases

by students may result in communication that lacks clarity (Kieu, 2018; Tran, 2020)

In conclusion, those who speak Vietnamese have a range of difficulties while obtaining proficiency in English pronunciation Comprehending the intricate vowel

system of the English language, particularly the distinction between tense and lax vowels, may pose a significant difficulty Moreover, the diverse patterns of consonant placement, consonant clusters, vocabulary, and tonal distinctions provide several difficulties for those learning English as a second language in the context of Vietnamese It is common for individuals who speak Vietnamese to have challenges with pronunciation while speaking English The primary objective of this research is

to examine the challenges encountered in English pronunciation, specifically with regards to vowel sounds, consonant sounds, and ending sounds

2.1.4 Factors affecting English pronunciation mistakes

The factors that impact the pronunciation of learners have been widely researched Al-Saidat (2010) identifies three factors - age, mother tongue influence, and personality - while Gilakjani (2011) and Attamimi (2015) add motivation and attitude as reasons for English pronunciation problems Altamimi (2015, p.13), on the other hand, highlights the impact of learners’ exposure to the target language and teaching instruction Kenworthy (1987, p 4–9), in her study, suggests that factors like native language, age, exposure, phonetic ability, attitude and identity, motivation, and concern for proper pronunciation have a significant impact on learning pronunciation This is also the theorical framework that the author follows in this research to answers the questions related to factors contributing to English pronunciation errors among 6th grade students

a Mother tongue interference

The dissimilarity between the mother tongue and the target language, according

to Lado (1957) and Celce-Murcia et al (2010), was a significant factor creating foreign accents or inaccurate pronunciation in language learners It is evident that a learner's native language has a significant impact on how well they pronounce English because some of the native language's phonological traits can be heard in a foreign accent These can be applied to tell native speakers apart from non-native ones (untrained as well as trained speakers) Due to the importance of native language, there has been much research on the variations between the sound systems of English and other languages, as well as the issues and challenges that English learners encounter To put

it simply, learners will have greater difficulty pronouncing English the more variances

there are, according to Kenworthy (1992, p 4) According to Le (2016) and Van (2019), one of the primary contributors is the differences in the phonetic and phonological systems between Vietnamese and English Similar to this, it was suggested that a number of Vietnamese and English-specific sounds as well as a bigger number of English consonants distributed more widely across word positions might make learning to pronounce English difficult for Vietnamese learners (Tang, 2007; Avery & Ehlrich, 1992, Luu, 2011) Many researchers have provided an explanation for why Vietnamese learners mispronounce the English sounds in light of negative transference from L1 to L2 (Dao, 2007; Ngo, 2008; Dao, 2011, Le, 2011) These authors claim that because these two English sounds do not exist in Vietnamese, it was difficult for many students to adapt to how to pronounce them When making these interdental noises, some students even found it embarrassing to place their tongue between their upper and lower teeth, making it difficult for them to let the air out (Le, 2011) Second, far fewer consonants may appear at the end of a Vietnamese word than

in English (Tang, 2007) Vietnamese ending sounds, in contrast to English, are also never fricatives and are never released (Tang, 2007; Osburne, 1996; Avery & Ehlrich, 1995) Because Vietnamese pronunciation of English fricatives in the word-final position is therefore completely "new," a negative transference results, making the issues more challenging The likelihood of the speakers forgetting to release those final sounds or making a mistake is higher (Luu, 2011) Additionally, the letters "th" are used to represent the sounds /ð/ and /θ/, which are both pronounced similarly to Vietnamese consonants, /t’/ Thus, it is clear why there is misunderstanding

b The impact of age

Even if adults have a strong command of English or reside in nations where the language is native, it is generally believed that people can pronounce a foreign language like a native if they begin learning it as children and vice versa This raises the question

of whether the mastery of pronunciation has an upper age limit It is very challenging

to control other factors that may be involved, such as ability, motivation, or opportunity

to use and hear the language As a result, there have been numerous studies on this topic, and the results are inconsistent because these studies evaluated pronunciation in different ways According to theory, Gamboa Silva (2011) stated that "Pronunciation

is more difficult than it is for children, and they probably won't succeed in sounding like native speakers." The researcher found that age was not the main factor influencing students' pronunciation mastery in this study because the students' mastery in pronunciation did not increase their pronunciation since their childhood This means that the students who improved their pronunciation as children would have proficiency

in pronunciation Two of the students also worked on their pronunciation at home or in the classroom with their kids

c Amount of exposure

The quantity of exposure a student has to English is another aspect Numerous studies revealed that learners' pronunciation was more similar to native speakers' pronunciation the more target language was inputted and used (Munro, 1993; Flege et al., 1997, Derwing, 2008) Additionally, Celce-Murcia et al (2010) focused on the value of early L2 immersion and L2 listening discrimination Good pronunciation is easier to learn if you have a lot of exposure to the target language, claim Celce-Murcia

& UCLA (2013) It means that exposure affects students' pronunciation mastery, but when the data was analyzed, it was determined that exposure was not the main factor influencing students' pronunciation mastery because three out of ten of the students had friends who regularly used English, which helped them learn the language and master pronunciation Therefore, it may be the cause of the fact that exposure was not the main factor affecting students' pronunciation Some individuals think that this depends on whether the learner resides in an English-speaking nation or not This indicates that a learner who is surrounded by English will benefit more than a learner who is not However, it can be challenging to determine a learner's level of exposure to English and the nature of that exposure Furthermore, how the students react to the chances to listen to and use English matters more than simply their exposure to the language According to several recent research, exposure is not only a contributor to the development of pronunciation abilities but also an essential one A lack of exposure to spoken English, particularly from native speakers, can also hinder students' pronunciation skills (Huy, 2020) This issue is compounded by the fact that English is not a spoken language in Vietnam, and most students do not have access to native

feedback on pronunciation may be another factor contributing to pronunciation errors,

as noted by Kieu (2018)

d Aptitude

Researchers have shown that some people are better than others at precisely imitating noises Since these skills are intrinsic, the instructor appears to have no control on this aspect In order to give a range of assignments that will meet the requirements and abilities of each student, the instructor should first assess the learners' skills According to Gamboa Silva's (2011) theory, students have the same capacity to learn a second language It follows that the students who were proficient in pronunciation had the same capacity to learn a second language, so the student who had good aptitude would also be proficient in pronunciation However, when the data was analyzed, it was discovered that, with only 4 of 10 students who had aptitude, aptitude was not the main factor influencing students' proficiency in pronunciation Six

of them were impacted by other factors Derwing (2008) also claimed that aptitude had

a role Derwing (2008) thought this was the explanation for the situation where two learners were similar in many aspects (L1, age of initial L2 learning, motivation level, condition, etc.) but had noticeably different ability to pronounce words correctly It was once thought that some learners had an innately higher ability to acquire a proper pronunciation than others (Carroll, 1962)

e Attitudes and identity

A person's "sense of identity" and feelings of "group affiliation" are allegedly important determinants of their ability to learn how to pronounce foreign languages correctly It has been demonstrated in numerous studies on attitude and motivation in language learning that language learners who express positive feelings toward native speakers tend to acquire more accurate, native-like accents Gamboa Silva (2011) claims that personal identity issues, degree of acculturation, culture, and native speaker attitudes can all support or obstruct the development of pronunciation skills The analysis of the data revealed that attitude was not the main factor influencing students' proficiency in pronouncing words, as four out of ten pronouncing students had positive attitudes, some pronouncing students rarely had positive attitudes, and one

pronouncing student who had a positive attitude in class did not possess proficiency in pronouncing words

f Motivation and interest in proper pronunciation

It is undeniable that motivation plays a significant role in determining people's engagement in all activities, particularly language learning According to Gamboa Silva's (2011) theory, learning motivation can all support or impede the development

of pronunciation skill The researcher evaluated this idea in light of the findings Because the researcher discovered that eight of the students had strong motivation and varied motivation that contributed to their pronunciation mastery The students consistently work on their pronunciation and engage in practice Therefore, given that motivation scored well on all seven indicators, we may infer that it is the main element impacting students' pronunciation mastery People that are motivated learn more actively The cognitive process is greater in people who are more motivated The process of acquiring pronunciation is also influenced by the learner's attitude toward the language they are learning or plan to learn Students will benefit greatly from their good attitudes as they learn this language and its pronunciation Motivation was found

to have a significant impact on learning pronunciation (Celce-Murcia et al., 2010) According to Moyer, there is evidence supporting this (1999) The expert discovered that learners' success in acquiring good pronunciation or a native-like accent might be attributed to their great ambition to accomplish a specific objective in learning L2 pronunciation

In conclusion, literature review has identified several factors that contribute to these pronunciation errors First, the influence of the Vietnamese language and its phonetic patterns on English pronunciation is evident Differences in sound systems, such as the absence of certain sounds or the presence of different phonetic patterns, can result in errors when producing English sounds Limited exposure to native English speakers and authentic English language resources has also been identified as a factor that hinders accurate pronunciation development These findings from previous studies highlight the common English pronunciation errors made by 6th grade students in Vietnam, including challenges with consonant and vowel sounds, as well as word stress errors Understanding these specific errors and the factors influencing them can inform

instructional approaches and interventions aimed at improving pronunciation skills in this particular group

2.2 Related Studies

Owing to a long history of under-researching, pronunciation has received less attention than other language domains (grammar, linguistic competence, etc.) However, during the past few decades, things have altered somewhat As a result, various empirical research have emerged to identify and address the challenges faced

by EFL learners when learning this subfield of speaking

To solve various pronunciation concerns, a lot of study has been done in Asia

Dr Sattra Sahatsathatsana conducted one of these studies in 2017 at Kalasin University

in Thailand The purpose of that study, "Pronunciation Problems of Thai Students Learning English Phonetics," was to find out what the students thought about the challenges they had learning phonetics as well as what variables may have contributed

to those challenges The investigation was conducted using a questionnaire and a interview, with the random selection of 12 undergraduate English for International Communication students The results of the students' views showed that specific sounds, notably [d], [d] and [d], greatly hampered learners' ability to learn phonetics at the segmental level Additionally, it was discovered that "connecting" caused a significant issue with suprasegmental phonetics acquisition In conclusion, the student's struggles with learning phonetics were brought on by their perception of the differences in the sound systems of Thai and English, as well as other factors such phonetic ability, native language, instruction, and motivation

semi-Pronunciation instruction has been shown to be useful in raising students' levels

of communicative competence in a variety of ways According to Morley (1998), pronunciation is crucial to total communication skill According to Yong (2004), knowledge by reading or writing would no longer be adequate for the development of the economy and that talking in-person or online required comprehension According

to Carter and Nunan (2001), learning a second language is a challenging process that

is more organic than linear, thus kids must begin with pronunciation skills at a young age and continue through high-level AcademicEnglish levels Additionally,

pronunciation instruction could better address the concerns of exposure and motivation

by highlighting the value of pronunciation and increasing exposure to native speakers' opinions (Jones, 2002) Poor pronunciation can prevent students from making the social, academic, and professional success they deserved (Fraser, 1999, 2000) Proper pronunciation may ease tension and facilitate more effective conversation (Dan, 2006) Most students consider pronunciation to be important and an area where they might need additional instruction (Willing, 1993; Australian Bureau of Statistics,1997) Although some scholars have long been fascinated by the study of foreign accents, the teaching of pronunciation and oral skills in general has frequently fallen low on the priority list in foreign and second language schools (Peterson, 2000)

The 16th Educational Conference on Productive Skills in the Academic English Curriculum, organized by Germana Eckert, In search Language Center, and held in Melbourne in 2003, revealed the significance of good writing ability in academic English and teachers spending more time working on students' writing and grammar skills in order to ensure that students are best prepared for exams, especially written exams, along with the main focus of the current academic English curriculum (Germana Eckert, 2003)

The majority of the pronunciation literature focuses on what to teach and how

to teach it, leaving the student in the classroom as a silent abstract Morley (1994) emphasizes that creating new wave educational programs should be the current emphasis in pronunciation teaching Furthermore, she emphasizes that these instructional designs should consider concerns of learner self-involvement and learner strategy training in addition to language forms and functions In other words, students who have mastered the ability to keep track of and adjust their speech patterns as required should take an active role in their own education

According to Kriedler (1989), clear and accurate pronunciation is crucial for learning a language Without them, English-speaking speakers might not understand learners or might perceive them negatively They must be assured of their ability to communicate The development of good pronunciation takes time since there are

hear a lot of English Due to the utilization of teaching tools and resources including tape recordings of native speakers, photographs of mouth and articulations, and positive reinforcement in the classroom, the students get more self-assurance and motivation to learn the language (Quilter, 2002; Estrada & Streiff, 2002; Wu, 2002; and Jay, 1966)

A research on the pronunciation of English consonants and vowels by 24 Turkish adult EFL students was done in 2012 by Dikilitaş & Geylaniolu Each participant in this research received 10 words for each sound Their pronunciations were taped, transcribed using the IPA alphabet, and the phonetic transcription in dictionaries were contrasted The target sounds, including //, were judged to be challenging for the Turkish participants to pronounce According to the study, students should get conceptualization theory training to help learners build an understanding of the goal pronunciation sessions

Vietnamese students' mispronunciations of English fricatives and affricates are the subject of Duong Thi Nu's 2009 research The areas of focus covered both the ways and locations in which these consonants are articulated She also proposed using similarities and contrasts between English and Vietnamese phonetic elements, competent teacher training, and more controlled practice and language usage to help EFL students pronounce English more accurately Hanssan (2014) looked on Sudanese issues pronouncing English words The study's participants included 50 Sudanese students from the University of Sudan of Science and Technology They were watched, recorded, and examined while speaking in English Interviews with these participants also took place According to the study's findings, the main causes of pronunciation issues in English were interference from L1, linguistic differences between the two languages, inconsistent spelling, and sounds The pronunciation errors made by Lebanese EFL and EFL students were examined by Mirza (2015) The study involved

22 individuals Checklists and tests were used The results showed that participants had

a higher rate of errors with fricatives and affricates The phonetic differences between English and Japanese are examined by Ohata (2004) The study also covered issues with pronunciation for Japanese English learners On the basis of the contrastive study

of the two languages, the author also came to conclusions on implications for L2 pronunciation teaching Zhang (2009) examined typical pronunciation issues among Chinese EFL learners These issues were caused by L1 interference, learners' age, attitudes, and poor comprehension of the English phonological and phonetic system, among other things

Foreign language learners will certainly experience challenges, particularly with pronunciation (Kucukoglu, 2012) Many studies have looked at the challenges second language learners have when learning English pronunciation, but little study has been done on how English learners themselves describe their own learning challenges Chan (2010) discovered that advanced Hong Kong Cantonese ESL students struggle to produce English speech sounds, especially consonants that don't exist in Cantonese and vowels like long and short vowel pairs Chan also underlined the significance of speech instruction and the fact that ESL curricula for students at all levels should include it In

a similar vein, Hassan (2014) found that English language learners with Sudanese Spoken Arabic as their first language had difficulty pronouncing English vowels that may be spoken in several ways, such as /z/ and /ð/, /s/ and /θ/, /b/ and /p/, /ʃ/ and /tʃ/

In a study on English pronunciation among Saudi learners, Ahmad (2011) concentrated

on the challenges Saudi students face when pronouncing English consonants The results indicate that the study's Arabic participants had trouble pronouncing certain English consonant sounds, including /p/, /d/, /v/, /t∫/, /ʒ/, and /ŋ/ More recently, Demircioglu (2013) in 20 an inquiry on the pronunciation issues of Turkish learners of English, revealed that the voiced and unvoiced "th" sounds, as well as diphthongs, are the main articulation issues that Turkish learners encounter when learning English Vietnamese researchers have conducted a number of studies on the challenges Vietnamese learners face when learning English pronunciation because they share a concern for the same issue For instance, Tam (2005) and Ha (2007) share the same viewpoints when they observed and discovered three typical pronunciation mistakes made by Vietnamese English learners: (1) sound omission (medial and terminal sounds); (2) sound confusion (e.g t=ʧ, tr = ʧ or ð = z/d); and (3) sound redundancy (e.g

s, z) At Hung Vuong University in Ho Chi Minh City, Tuan (2011) conducted research

to examine the most challenging English consonants that Vietnamese students encounter The results show that among the English consonants surveyed, students have the most trouble pronouncing the fricatives /∫/, /ʒ/, and the affricates /t∫/ and /dʒ/, and that they frequently mistake Vietnamese sounds for English sounds Additionally,

a study by Dang (2014) demonstrates that Vietnamese English learners have numerous pronunciation issues, which can impair the comprehension of their speech In conclusion, the research discussed above places a strong emphasis on examining phonological issues that learners encounter when pronouncing English None of the studies take into account the challenges that students themselves, including nonphonological issues like attitudes and preferences, report having To close this gap, this thesis focuses in part on disclosing what students' self-reported non-phonological pronunciation learning difficulties are

Numerous studies have been carried out in an effort to shed light on why Vietnamese speakers find it so difficult to master EP, and the majority of them concentrate on the phonological differences between English and Vietnamese.) Nguyen (2007) investigated Vietnamese learners and their nine difficulties in pronouncing English final consonants; All types of Vietnamese learners, whose aspirations include improving at EP, can benefit from learning about the phonological aspects of English thanks to the findings from these studies Unfortunately, despite having access to this information, Vietnamese English learners report little progress in their understanding of EP, and researchers have found that they continue to have difficulties with it in several subsequent studies (Lin, 2014; Nguyen, 2015) As a result,

it begs the question of what specifically prevents Vietnamese students from learning

EP if it's not just EP knowledge that counts

In conclusion, previous studies have identified several factors that contribute to these pronunciation errors First, the influence of the Vietnamese language and its phonetic patterns on English pronunciation is evident Differences in sound systems, such as the absence of certain sounds or the presence of different phonetic patterns, can result in errors when producing English sounds Limited exposure to native English speakers and authentic English language resources has also been identified as a factor

that hinders accurate pronunciation development These findings from previous studies highlight the common English pronunciation errors made by 6th grade students in Vietnam, including challenges with consonant and vowel sounds, as well as word stress errors Understanding these specific errors and the factors influencing them can inform instructional approaches and interventions aimed at improving pronunciation skills in this particular group