Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
net/publication/333161866
CITATIONS READS
6 319
3 authors, including:
All content following this page was uploaded by Felix E. Arcilla Jr. on 17 May 2019.
ABSTRACT
ers used descriptive research approach. The participants were the four Visayan
students of senior high school during the first semester academic year 2016-
2017. The participants were made to read a series of words that have sounds
that were difficult for Filipinos to produce. It was put together to test the
hypothesis and to pinpoint the sounds and areas of pronunciation. The
recorded data were transcribed and analyzed based on the two categories
listed by Emily Johnson (2010). Findings revealed that all participants have
trouble articulating some, if not all, of both aspirated and unaspirated conso-
nants. The participants have more errors in articulating the sound of p than the
sounds of t and k. All participants have mispronounced the sounds of f, v, r, and
th, but more so with th. It was suggested that language teachers conduct a needs
analysis of the students’ phonological articulation ability in English. Next is to
incorporate more drill activities on the articulation of English sounds that are dif-
ficult for the students to pronounce based on the needs analysis outcome. Lastly,
language teachers can employ creative and meaningful activities in encouraging
correct English phonology like poetry recitation contest held at different grade
levels.
KEYWORDS
INTRODUCTION
FRAMEWORK
Mother Tongue
Mother tongue (first language, native language, or L1) is the language hu-
man beings acquire from birth. In other words, the first language of the child is
referred to as the mother tongue (Olowookere, 1991).
A recent study on mother tongue-based education by Bachore (2014) re-
vealed that the use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction at a lower level
or preparatory level of education might be advantageous to the students since
students at that age easily associate with a familiar language, and mother tongue
is their instrument of thought.
On a similar note, Agun (1991) points that the philosophy behind the en-
couragement of the use of mother tongue in the primary schools is the belief that
children learn faster and better if they are taught in their mother tongue at the
early stage of their education. He adds that the Mother tongue instruction gives
the children firmer, more solid and enduring foundation for their subsequent
academic, social, and cultural development in life.
However, despite the strong merits of mother tongue-based education,
studies of Samson, Abdullahi, & Olagunju (2014); Patrick, Education, & Sui,
(2013), & Chan (2009), to cite a few, revealed that at times mother tongue influ-
ence is a deterring factor in the successful learning of L2 phonology.
Second Language
The second language is commonly referred to as the L2 or target language
(Stefansson, (2014). Second language or L2 can refer to any language learned
after learning the L1, regardless of whether it is the second, third, fourth, or
fifth language (Gass, 2013). The role of L1 in L2 speech acquisition has formed
a major focus of attention almost as long as L2 speech has been studied. One
focus of the studies is on L2 sound or phonology. Postovsky, (1974), for example,
20
Volume 16 · April 2017
addressed the perception of foreign sounds via the mother tongue. Trubetzkoy
(1958) characterized such perception as the “filtering” of the new sound system
through the “sieve” of the mother tongue. Indeed, it is a commonplace to observe
that the influence of mother tongue on foreign language learning is most evident
in speech as opposed to, for example, grammatical or lexical structure.
Another concept related to second language learning is language transfer.
Transfer in language learning is defined by Odlin (1989) as “the influence result-
ing from similarities and differences between the target language and any other
language that has been previously acquired” (p. 27). Transfer is a psychological
term that is used to describe a situation where one learned event influences the
learning of a subsequent learning event.
In the case of L2 learning, transfer influence has two facets. One is com-
monly known as interference or negative transfer while the other is called positive
transfer. Positive transfer or facilitation entails a transfer of skill or some aspects
of the native language, which facilitates the learning of the target language. On
the other hand, interference is the transfer of a skill which impedes the learning
or has a negative influence on the command of skill in the target language. Ac-
cording to Wardhaugh (1970), transfer is a tool used to account for or explain the
errors which occur in the L2. The assumptions held under this point of view are:
the chance of second language learning problems occurring increases proportion-
ally to the linguistic differences between L1 and L2; and linguistic differences
give rise to negative transfer or interference. The second assumption is that the
chance of L2 learning problems occurring decreases proportionally to the absence
of linguistic differences between L1 and L2 an absence of linguistic differences
give rise to positive transfer or facilitation.
On the other hand, Output Hypothesis is Swain’s response to Krashen’s In-
put Hypothesis. In his book Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisi-
tion, Krashen (1998) posits that for L2 students to learn the language, they have
to have comprehensible input; meaning, that the English they hear should be
clear and understandable to them. In view of this hypothesis, Swain & Lapkin
(1995) came up with a different but parallel theory that she called Output Hy-
pothesis. This hypothesis argues that hearing comprehensible input is not enough
to help L2 students learn the target language; rather, the students must also speak
clearly in English to facilitate L2 learning.
Another interesting theory under L2 learning is the Native Language Effect.
The native language effect has been an issue in L2 learning in countries where the
mother tongue is not English. One of the aspects of language that is influenced
21
IAMURE International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
went to the counter to order for a hamburger with TLC (tomatoes, lettuce, and
cheese). Upon confirming the availability of the item with the kitchen crew, the
clerk at the counter turned to the customer and politely said, “Sorry, sir, but
letus is not available.” To which the customer replied, “Pardon me?” The clerk
then repeated, “There is no letus, Sir.” The customer was puzzled and asked for
clarification by asking what a letus was. The clerk who did not know how else to
make the customer understand simply repeated, “Letus, Sir, letus.” The frustrated
customer then asked, “What’s that?” at this point, the MVC faculty who was lis-
tening to the exchange between the clerk and the native English speaker customer
decided to intervene. She tapped the first customer’s shoulder and said, “Excuse
me, Sir. She means lettuce.” “Oh, lettuce! I don’t care for lettuce. Just give me
what you have.”
In both incidents, the communication breakdowns were not caused by faulty
sentence construction. Instead, they were caused by the wrong production of the
words hair and lettuce.
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The researchers used a descriptive research approach. It was because
the errors were classified, analyzed, and described based on accurate Eng-
lish language sounds through the International Phonetic Alphabet and a
standard dictionary.
23
IAMURE International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Research Environment
This school is located at Mt. Nebo, Valencia City, Bukidnon. The
school was chosen because its students are known to speak good Eng-
lish. Also, their environment is conducive for learning because they are
equipped with instructional materials such as computers with internet,
laboratories, and books.
Research Participants
Four Grade 11 students whose mother tongue is Visayan were ran-
domly selected. They are in senior high school and have taken business
courses. Three of them were from a different private school before enroll-
ing at Mountain View College Academy and the other one from a public
school. They are chosen through random sampling out of 11 Visayan
speaking students.
Research Instrument
The instrument for data collection was through oral reading. The
instrument used were taken from standardized ludescher Pronunciation 20
exercises pdf. The selection of the reading materials was based on the study of
Emily Johnson (2010). A list of English words that have sounds that were
difficult for Filipinos to produce was put together to test the hypothesis
and to pinpoint the sounds and areas of pronunciation in which the par-
ticipants faced problems. The tools aimed at finding out the sounds that
were most problematic for the sample group. A voice recording device was
used to document the data.
Research Procedure
In this research, some ethical measures were considered in gather-
ing the data. The participants were informed ahead of time through call
and text to conduct the study. The participants´ consent to participate
in the study was obtained and a schedule was set to visit them at their
houses; prior to the reading, their verbal permission to have their reading
recorded was also secured. In addition, the participants were assured of
the strict confidentiality of their identities through the letter of consent
that they signed.
24
Volume 16 · April 2017
Data Gathering
Before gathering the data, the researchers got the approval of the
principal of the school, as well as the permission of the Grade 11 Eng-
lish teacher, for the research to be conducted. After the permissions were
obtained, the researchers coordinated with the Grade 11 English teacher
in identifying the students whose mother tongue was Visayan. Eleven
students were identified and random sampling was used to draw the four
names of the participants.
Data Analysis
After the data were gathered, the recorded data were transcribed and
analyzed. The pronunciation errors were identified and described by the
researchers, together with the adviser, through the use of International
Phonetic Alphabet and a standard dictionary. To treat the data, frequency
count and percentage were used to know the committed errors.
In calculating the frequency of each participant´s errors, the follow-
ing formula was used:
Xi X 100% = Pi
Yi
In which:
Xi: committed errors in the ith sound
Yi: total given words in the ith sound
Pi: total percentage of errors in the ith sound
Where i was the sound, e.g., p, k, t, ch, f, v, r, and th.
25
IAMURE International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Pk=nkx100%
Nk
In which:
Where k were the kth category e.g. unaspirated and aspirated pho-
nemes.
The findings and interpretations of the data and the descriptions of the pho-
nological errors among the four Visayan Senior high school students who were
enrolled during the school year 2016-2017. The data were analyzed and identi-
fied based on the two categories listed by Johnson (2010), the unaspirated
and aspirated phonemes.
This study aimed to look into the phonological errors in students
recorded readings in aspirated phonemes k, p, t, ch and unaspirated pho-
nemes f, v, r, and th. Each participant read the given texts and was asked
to read in their natural or normal way of reading, which reflected their
actual competence in the sound production of the said consonant. The
frequency of phonological errors of the four participants in individual data col-
lected is shown in the tables that follow. The participants’ Visayan syllabic-timed
phonological articulation affects the stressed-timed phonological articulation of
the L2 (e.g. “weren´t” as “we rent”). It has been suggested by Postovsky, (1974);
Trubetzkoy (1958) that our native-language phonological system acts as a “sieve,”
filtering out the properties in the speech signal that our first language system
cannot properly accommodate. The tables below show the strong, the weak, and
the wrong pronunciations committed by the participants. Strong pronunciation
means that the sound under study is clearly pronounced during reading. On the
other hand, weak pronunciation means that the articulation of the sound was
26
Volume 16 · April 2017
not clear, but nevertheless correct. In other words, the researchers had to strain to
hear the sound; whereas, errors in pronunciation means the sound under study
were not produced as they should be.
The table displays the data of the strong, the weak, and the wrong pronun-
ciations of participant number one. The data clearly show the participant’s cor-
rect articulation of the sounds p, k, t, ch, f, v, r, and th. In the same way, the data
also reveal the participant’s weak pronunciation of the sounds of k, v, and th; and
the participant’s wrong pronunciation of v and th. Furthermore, the data confirm
that the sounds of p, t, and th were the most difficult sounds to pronounce for the
participant; and the least difficult were the sounds of r and f. It is also interesting
to note that the participant made two errors in articulating the sounds of v and
th. The inconsistencies in articulating the said sounds may be due to the fact that
v and th are not in the Visayan sound system.
27
IAMURE International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Table two presents the data of the strong, the weak, and the wrong pronun-
ciations of participant number two. The data reveal the participant’s correct ar-
ticulation of the sounds of p, k, t, ch, f, v, r, and th. Similarly, the table highlights
the participant’s weak articulation of the sounds of t, and th. The table corre-
spondingly documents the participant’s errors in the sounds of p, k, t, f, v, r, and
th. In fact, of all the sounds under focus, only the sound of ch was pronounced
correctly all the time.
In addition, the data reflect that the sounds of p, t, th, k, and v were the most
challenging sounds to articulate for the participant. It is also surprising to note
that the participant made 4 errors in the articulation of r, a sound that is present
in the participant’s mother tongue.
28
Volume 16 · April 2017
The table displays the data of the strong, the weak, and the wrong pronun-
ciations of participant number one. The data clearly show the participant’s cor-
rect articulation of the sounds of p, k, t, ch, f, v, r, and th. In like manner, the data
reveal the participant’s weak articulation of the sounds of t, v, and th. Moreover,
the data present the errors of the participant in articulating the sounds of p, t, v,
and th. It is also evident in the data that the participant had perfectly articulated
the sounds of k, ch, f, and r, but had difficulty in articulating the sound of p com-
pare to the sound of th.
P 12 2 17 - - 10 83
K 14 10 71 - - 4 29
T 17 13 76 - - 4 24
Ch 10 10 100 - - - -
F 12 12 100 - - - -
V 65 60 92 4 6 1 2
R 71 71 100 - - - -
Th 60 59 98 - - 1 2
The table displays the data of the strong, the weak, and the wrong pro-
nunciations of participant number four. The data reveal the participant’s strong
pronunciation of the sounds of p, k, t, ch, f, v, r, and th. Additionally, the data
show the participant’s weak articulation of the v sound, as well as the errors in the
sounds of p, k, t, v, and th. More than that, the data suggest that the participant
had more difficulty articulating the sound of p than the sounds of k, t, v, and th.
29
IAMURE International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
The table above shows the frequency of phonological errors of the four par-
ticipants. The table above shows what are the most common phonological
errors committed by the participants. Based on the table, consonants f, v,
r, and th have the highest percentage of errors which are 51% and aspi-
rated phonemes k, p, t, and ch are 49%.
CONCLUSIONS
The data showed that the participants had difficulty pronouncing English
sounds that are not in the Visayan phonology. Considering that the participants
were in Senior High School, it can be expected that their knowledge and skills in
producing English consonant sounds are solid or have already been firmly estab-
lished. Apart from that, the medium of instruction in the Philippines, especially
in the higher levels (high school and college), has always been English even after
the advent of Mother-Tongue Based Instruction in the country.
The above stated factors would lead one to believe that the participants
would have no problem articulating English sounds. However, the data collected
show that, indeed, there is mother tongue phonological influence in the second
language sound production of the participants despite the advantages that the
participants have in learning English. The possible explanations for these errors
are that, first, Visayan consonants are not aspirated and that some English con-
sonants like f, v, and th are not native to the Visayan language; and second, there
may not be enough emphasis given in the teaching of English phonology in
English classes.
30
Volume 16 · April 2017
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the study results, the following recommendations have been for-
mulated:
For teachers/curriculum developers
1. Conduct a needs analysis of the students’ phonological articulation ability
in English.
2. Incorporate more drill activities on the articulation of English sounds that
are difficult for the students to pronounce based on the needs analysis
outcome.
3. Employ creative and meaningful activities in encouraging correct English
phonology like poetry recitation contest held at different grade levels, etc.
LITERATURE CITED
Agun, I. (1991). Materials for Instruction in the Mother Tongue in the Primary
Schools, Paper presented at a Conference on Mother Tongue Education
jointly Organized by the Institute of Education, Obafemi Awolowo Univer-
sity, and the Ministry of Education.
Nunan, D. (1999). Second Language Teaching & Learning. Heinle & Heinle
Publishers, 7625 Empire Dr., Florence, KY 41042-2978. Retrieved on Sep-
tember 17, 2017 from https://goo.gl/K6rTJi
Samson, G. Y., Abdullahi, A., & Olagunju, T. S. (2014). Mother tongue inter-
ference in the pronunciation of English sounds by yoruba language speak-
ers. Academia. Edu. Retrieved on May 7, 2017 from https://goo.gl/cAfMzk
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (1995). Problems in output and the cognitive processes
they generate: A step towards second language learning. Applied linguis-
tics, 16(3), 371-391. Retrieved on Septermber 7, 2017 from https://goo.gl/
b4mfjv
Indexed by:
34