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A Comparative Study of Kurdish and Persian Intermediate EFL learners’ Pronunciation Errors

Name: A Comparative Study of Kurdish and Persian Intermediate EFL learners' Pronunciation Errors
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تعداد89 صفحه در فایل word

Master of Arts in teaching English as a foreign Language (TEFL)

A Comparative Study of Kurdish and Persian Intermediate
EFL learners’ Pronunciation Errors

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the most common phonological errors committed by two groups of Kurdish and Persian English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners and identified the sources of errors and also it attempted to investigate the major pronunciation errors including segmental and syllabic pattern errors committed by these two groups of learners and the sources of pronunciation errors committed by them. So, 40 Iranian EFL learners participated in the present research. Twenty participants were Persian students and twenty participants were Kurdish (Jaaf). The data collection instrument used in the present study was the Oxford quick placement test to determine the intermediate proficiency level of the participants. In addition to this, an authentic and valid reading passage, 10 different words including the target sounds and 6 sentences including yes/no questions, declarative and wh-questions were used to investigate the learners’ intonation difficulties. The committed errors were described first and then analyzed based on the taxonomies of errors from Keshawarz (2004). As the next step, the sources of errors were identified for the two groups and the pronunciation errors committed by Kurdish and Persian EFL learners were investigated to explore how they can be accounted for. The results of the present piece of research indicated the major segmental and supra-segmental errors committed by participants. The other finding was that the sources of pronunciation errors committed by Kurdish and Persian EFL learners were significantly different. The last finding of the present study was that two basic causes of segmental and supra-segmental errors committed by Kurdish and Persian EFL learners were: 1) the differences between the mother tongue and the target language, and (b) mother tongue interference (MTI).

Key Words: Pronunciation; Kurdish language; Persian language; Phonological errors; Error analysis

دسته: زبان شناسی, علوم انسانی برچسب: Key Words: Pronunciation; Kurdish language; Persian language; Phonological errors; Error analysis

توضیحات

Table of Content

Title Page

Title……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ii

Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………………………. iii

Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………………………………. iv

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .v

Table of Content …………………………………………………………………………………………… vi

List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………………………… xi

List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………….. xii

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .2

1.2 Background of the Study………………………………………………………………………………. .2

1.3 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………………………. .4

1.4 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………………………. .5

1.5 Research Questions……………………………………………………………………………………….. .6

1.6 Definitions of the Key Terms….……………………………………………………..6

Chapter Two: Review of The Literature

2.1 Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .9

2.2 The Theory of Phonology as Human Behavior………………………………………………….. .10

2.3 The Relationship between Speaking and Listening Comprehension…………………….. .11

2.4 What is Pronunciation?…………………………………………………………………………………….12

2.5 Why is Pronunciation Important?………………………………………………………………………13

2.6 Accurate Pronunciation………………………………………………………………..14

2.7 Features Involved in English Pronunciation……………………………………………………… 15

2.8 The Physics and Physiology of Speech……………………………………………………………. 15

2.9 Segmental Features……………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

2.9.1 Explanation of Consonant Sounds…………………………………………………………… 17

2.9.2 Consonant Classification………………………………………………………………………… 19

2.9.3 Explanation of Vowel Sounds…………………………………………………………………. 19

2.9.4 Vowel Classification………………………………………………………………………………. 19

2.10 The Study of Supra-segmental Features…………………………………………………………. 20

2.10.1 Stress………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20

2.10.2 Rhythm………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21

2.10.3 Intonation…………………………………………………………………………………………… 21

2.11 Pronunciation Teaching……………………………………………………………………………….. 22

2.12 What does Teaching Pronunciation Involve?………………………………………………….. 22

2.13 Challenges Facing Instruction of Pronunciation………………………………………………. 23

2.14 Communication Strategies Related to Pronunciation……………………………………….. 24

2.15 The Nature of Interlanguage Phonology………………………………………………………… 25

2.16 Contrastive Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………. 26

2.17 Contrastive Phonology………………………………………………………………………………… 27

2.18 Contrastive Analysis of English and Persian Syllable Structures and Sounds …….. 28

2.19 The History of Kurdish and its Sound System………………………………………………… 30

2.20 The Comparison between Kurdish and English Sound Systems ……………………….. 30

2.21 Error Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31

2.22 Pronunciation Errors……………………………………………………………………………………. 31

2.23 Studies on Error Analysis in Kurdish and English…………………………………………… 32

2.24 Related Studies on EFL/ESL Students’ Problems’ in the Pronunciation…………….. 33

2.25 Related Studies on Persian EFL Students’ Errors in the Pronunciation………………. 35

Chapter Three: Methodology

3.1 Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39

3.2Design………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39

3.3 Participants………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39

3.4 Instrumentation………………………………………………………………………40

3.4.1 Placement test ………………………………………………………………….….40

3.4.2 Reading Passage………………………………………………………………………………………. 41

3.5 Procedures…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 42

3.6 Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 42

Chapter Four: Results and Discussion

4.1 Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .44

4.2 Results………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .44

4.2.1 The First Research Question…………………………………………………………………………..45

4.2.1.1 Segmental Errors Committed by Kurdish Learners……………………………….47

4.2.1.2 Supra-segmental Errors Committed by Kurdish learners……………………….. .50

4.2.1.2.1 Problem with Word Stress……………………………………………………….51

4.2.1.2.2 Examples of Misplaced Syllables in a Word…………………………………….51

4.2.1.3 Problems with Phrasal or Sentence Stress…………………………………………51

4.2.1.3.1 Examples of Misplaced Words in a Sentence……………………………………………. . .52

4.2.1.4 Problem with Intonation…………………………………………………………………………… …53

4.2.2 Consonant Errors Committed by Persian Learners………………………………………….. ….53

4.2.3 Supra-segmental Errors Committed by Persian Learners…………………………………. ….56 4.2.3.1 Problems with Word Stress……………………………………………………………………………………………….. …56

4.2.3.1.1 Examples of Misplaced Syllables in a Word…………………………………………….. …56

4.2.3.1.2 Problem with Phrasal or Sentence Stress………………………………………………………56

4.2.3.1.2.1 Examples of Misplaced word in a sentence……………………………………..57

4.2.3.1.3 Problems with Intonation……………………………………………..………… .57

4.3The Second Research Question……………………………………………………………………….. ….58

4.4 The Third Research Question…………………………………………………………………………. …..62

4.4.1 Consonant Errors Committed by Kurdish Learners………………………………………… …..62

4.4.2 Vowel Errors Committed by Kurdish Learners………………………………………………. . …63

4.4.3 Supra-segmental Errors Committed by Kurdish Learners………………………………… …..63

4.4.3.1 Problem with Word Stress………………………………………………………………………… ……63

4.4.3.2 Problem with Sentence Stress……………………………………………………………………. ……64

4.4.3.3 Problem with Intonation…………………………………………………………………………… …..64

4.4 Consonant Errors Committed by Persian Learners…………………………………………….. …..64

4.4.5 Vowel Errors Committed by Persian Learners……………………………………………….. …..65

4.4.6 Supra-segmental Errors Committed by Persian Learners…………………………………. …..66

4.4.6.1 Problem with Word Stress ……………………………………………………………………….. ……66

4.4.6.2 Problem with Sentence Stress……………………………………………………………………. ……66

4.4.6.3 Problem with Intonation…………………………………………………………………………… …..66

4.3 Discussion……………………………………………………….……………………….. 67

Chapter Five: Summary and Conclusion

5.1 Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .. .73

5.2 Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………… . . 73

5.3 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………… …76

5.4 Pedagogical Implications……………………………………………………………………………….. …77

5.5Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………………………………….. …78

5.6Limitations of the Study…………………………………………………………………………………. …78

References………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …80

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ..94

Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………………………………. .. 102

List of Tables

4.1Descriptive Statistics for Placement Test…………………………………………………..44

4.2Independent Samples Test for Placement Test…………………………..……………….45

4.3The Frequency and Percentage of Consonant Errors Made by Kurdish Learners.………48

4.4The Frequency and Percentage of Vowel Errors Made by Kurdish Learners…………….50

4.5The Frequency and Percentage of Consonant Errors Made by Persian Learners………….54

4.6The Frequency and Percentage of Vowel Errors Made by Persian Learners………………..55

4.7The Frequency and Percentage of Errors Made by Kurdish Learners for each Source…..59

4.8The Frequency and Percentage of Errors Made by Kurdish Learners for each Source……60

4.9 The Results of Chi-square Test for the Sources of Errors Committed by Two Groups….61

List of Figure

Figure Page

4.1 Representation of Differences between Two Groups of Participants Regarding the Main Sources of Errors………………………………………………………………………………………61