PHONOLOGICAL INTERFERENCE: A CASE STUDY OF EDO ENGLISH SPEAKERS
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This study investigates phonological interference in the pronunciation of English words among Edo-English bilingual speakers. It examines how the Edo language influences the articulation of English sounds, leading to pronunciation variations. Using the contrastive analysis framework, the research compares the phonological structures of Edo and English to identify patterns of interference.
Data were collected through audio recordings and interviews involving 20 Edo-English bilingual speakers pronouncing selected English words. A list of 50 English words and 50 Edo words was compiled, representing various phonological patterns. The informants, selected based on their language proficiency, age, and educational background, were asked to pronounce each word on the list. One of the interviews was conducted in a market setting, where a female trader was met and agreed to participate in the study. The wordlist used in this interview consisted of words related to her daily activities, such as items she sells (e.g., vegetables, fruits, cloth), objects she sees around her (e.g., market stalls, customers, money), and actions she performs (e.g., buying,
selling, counting). This approach allowed for a more natural and spontaneous data collection process, as the informant was able to respond to words and phrases that were familiar to her. The audio recordings were transcribed, and the data was analyzed using phonological analysis.
Analysis revealed several phonological interference patterns, including sound substitution, vowel length distortion, spelling-based pronunciation, consonant cluster reduction, sound insertion and deletion, nasalization, and stress pattern alterations. For instance, Edo speakers frequently replaced English sounds absent in Edo phonology, such as substituting /θ/ in third with /t/ (/tεd/ instead of /θɜ:d /). Consonant clusters were simplified, as seen in basket pronounced as /baskεt/. Additionally, spelling pronunciation errors occurred, such as picture /pikʧər/ being pronounced as /pikso/.
The study concludes that phonological interference arises due to structural differences between the two languages, reinforcing the contrastive analysis hypothesis. These findings have implications for language teaching, pronunciation training, and second language acquisition. The study recommends targeted phonetic drills and increased exposure to native English pronunciation to help Edo-English bilinguals improve their phonological accuracy. Keywords: Phonological Interference, Edo-English Bilinguals, Pronunciation, Contrastive Analysis, Second-Language Phonology
Data were collected through audio recordings and interviews involving 20 Edo-English bilingual speakers pronouncing selected English words. A list of 50 English words and 50 Edo words was compiled, representing various phonological patterns. The informants, selected based on their language proficiency, age, and educational background, were asked to pronounce each word on the list. One of the interviews was conducted in a market setting, where a female trader was met and agreed to participate in the study. The wordlist used in this interview consisted of words related to her daily activities, such as items she sells (e.g., vegetables, fruits, cloth), objects she sees around her (e.g., market stalls, customers, money), and actions she performs (e.g., buying,
selling, counting). This approach allowed for a more natural and spontaneous data collection process, as the informant was able to respond to words and phrases that were familiar to her. The audio recordings were transcribed, and the data was analyzed using phonological analysis.
Analysis revealed several phonological interference patterns, including sound substitution, vowel length distortion, spelling-based pronunciation, consonant cluster reduction, sound insertion and deletion, nasalization, and stress pattern alterations. For instance, Edo speakers frequently replaced English sounds absent in Edo phonology, such as substituting /θ/ in third with /t/ (/tεd/ instead of /θɜ:d /). Consonant clusters were simplified, as seen in basket pronounced as /baskεt/. Additionally, spelling pronunciation errors occurred, such as picture /pikʧər/ being pronounced as /pikso/.
The study concludes that phonological interference arises due to structural differences between the two languages, reinforcing the contrastive analysis hypothesis. These findings have implications for language teaching, pronunciation training, and second language acquisition. The study recommends targeted phonetic drills and increased exposure to native English pronunciation to help Edo-English bilinguals improve their phonological accuracy. Keywords: Phonological Interference, Edo-English Bilinguals, Pronunciation, Contrastive Analysis, Second-Language Phonology
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