Mother Tongue Interference on International Students’ English Pronunciation at UIN Saizu Purwokerto
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24090/r3vhrd41Keywords:
international students, mother tongue, pronunciationAbstract
This study investigates the influence of mother tongue interference on the English pronunciation of international students. It focuses on identifying pronunciation errors in consonant and vowel sounds and examining how learners’ first languages affect their English sound production. This research employed a descriptive qualitative method using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. The participants consisted of international students from Gambia, Cambodia, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Bangladesh. Data were collected through reading aloud tests and interviews, while phonetic transcription was used to analyze pronunciation accuracy. The findings indicate that the pronunciation errors followed systematic phonological patterns rather than occurring randomly. The errors were classified into consonant substitution, vowel substitution, diphthong simplification, and sound omission. Consonant sounds such as /v/, /θ/, and /ð/ were commonly replaced with /b/, /s/, and /d/, whereas vowel sounds including /æ/, /ɜː/, and /ə/ were substituted with more familiar vowels such as /a/ and /e/. Furthermore, diphthongs were frequently simplified into monophthongs, reflecting learners’ difficulties in producing complex vowel sounds. The study concludes that mother tongue interference significantly affects students’ English pronunciation and emphasizes the importance of intensive pronunciation practice to improve intelligibility in English communication.
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