INTRODUCTION
Pronunciation
According to Uddin and Monjur (2015), pronunciation is essential for effectively conveying words that are widely recognized and understood For instance, mispronouncing the sounds /l/ and /n/ in "light" and "night" can lead to confusion and alter the meaning of a sentence Thus, ensuring correct pronunciation is crucial for meaningful communication between individuals.
Pronunciation is defined as the creation of sounds used by individuals to convey meaning, encompassing not only the specific sounds of a language but also suprasegmental aspects such as intonation, phrasing, stress, timing, and rhythm Additionally, it involves how the voice is projected and includes gestures and expressions that accompany speech For example, the verb "present" is pronounced /prɪˈzent/, while the noun "presentation" is pronounced /prezənˈteɪʃən/, illustrating how different word forms and stress patterns result in distinct pronunciations despite similar meanings.
To sum up, we can understand that the act or consequence of generating speech sounds is the pronunciation.
Pronunciation features are regularly classified in two categories including segments and suprasegmentals (Tweedy, 2012)
The sound inventory of North American English comprises a total of forty distinct sounds, including fifteen vowels and twenty-five consonant sounds These segmental characteristics enable speakers to differentiate between words effectively (Cunningham Florez, 1998).
Segmental features in sound systems include distinct vowels and consonants (Seferoglu, 2005) Phonemes refer to the sound systems of these consonants, vowels, or specific sound combinations within words As noted by Burns (2003), incorrect pronunciation of phonemes can result in altered sounds, which may change the meaning of a word.
Suprasegmentals provide a rich data structure that helps listeners discern phrases, speech actions like statements and questions, as well as emotional cues and expression boundaries This information manifests in various speech elements beyond individual sounds, including stress, rhythm, connected speech adjustments, prominence, and intonation (Tweedy, 2012).
In the definition of Burn (2003), suprasgmental has three important factors that contribute to pronounce effectively, are linking, intonation and stress
2.1.3 Problems in teaching and learning pronunciation
Due to research scope, the main objects are English and Vietnamsese, so comparision with other languages do not contribute to this topic.
The biggest issue students and teachers have to face when learning and teaching
English is the differences in phonology between English and Vietnamese Four basic phonological characteristics which we will focus on are consonants, vowels, tones and syllable structure (Tweedy, 2012)
Vietnamese speakers often struggle with the pronunciation of the aspirated consonant sound /p/, as it is typically not pronounced with an exhalation of breath in their native language To improve their English pronunciation, they need to practice the aspiration of sounds Additionally, the ending consonants /p/, /t/, and /k/ are released in English but not in Vietnamese, contributing to the challenges faced by learners.
Vietnamese learners often struggle with ending consonant sounds, which are not pronounced in their native language For instance, the Vietnamese consonant "-ch" is similar to the English /ʧ/ sound; both are palatal and voiceless, but "-ch" is a stopped sound while /ʧ/ is affricated This distinction can lead to confusion if learners do not pay attention to the nuances in pronunciation Additionally, the "th" consonant is not articulated between the upper and lower teeth in Vietnamese, further complicating the learning process for English pronunciation.
Meanwhile, it is pronounced that way in English Therefore, some learners have difficulties in practicing the articulation of the /θ/ English consonant sound
Along with consonants, vowels are also a major part of a word Following Lan Truong (2015):
Vietnamese and English vowels differ significantly, with Vietnamese featuring unique vowels in bold and English vowels highlighted in blue bold While English typically has five main diphthongs (/aɪ, aʊ, eɪ, oʊ, ɔɪ/), Vietnamese boasts a more complex system with twenty two-vowel combinations and seven three-vowel combinations, including -ia, -iê, -ua, and others (Giang Tang, 2007) Additionally, Vietnamese vowels are articulated as a single utterance, regardless of whether they consist of two or three vowels.
According to Tweedy (2012), the primary phonological distinction between Vietnamese and English lies in the use of tones While both languages share certain consonant and vowel sounds, Vietnamese utilizes lexical tones to alter a word's meaning, a feature absent in English For example, the Vietnamese word "tim" (heart) changes meaning with different tones, resulting in "tím" (purple) and "tìm" (find) In contrast, English relies on distinct sound articulation, as seen in the word "hip," which has a different meaning due to its initial sound pronunciation.
"lip" in English Basically, Vietnamese has six tones which are rising, falling, dipping rising, creaky, constricted, and level.
Vietnamese syllable structure lacks consonant clusters, making it challenging for beginner learners to pronounce English words like "spring," "strength," "string," and "scrunched." To aid in pronunciation, they often insert vowels between consonants, transforming "script" into "sờ-cờ-ríp-tờ," which can be confusing for native English speakers Additionally, final sounds are typically not articulated in Vietnamese, leading to difficulties in producing English ending sounds among novice learners.
In conclusion, achieving success in teaching and learning pronunciation requires both teachers and learners to have a clear understanding of the phonological differences between the two languages This knowledge is essential for developing effective strategies and solutions.
There are a lot of problems related to pronunciation that learners and teachers have to face when leaning English:
The debate surrounding the impact of age on language acquisition, particularly pronunciation, has been a contentious issue (Tweedy, 2012) Research by Celce-Murcia et al (1996) and Cunningham Florez (1998) explores how the brain's lateralization after puberty affects language learning, suggesting that this process makes it challenging for learners to produce new sounds as easily as children do While some researchers argue that adults must re-adjust their existing neural networks to accommodate new sounds, others believe there are distinct sensitive periods for language learning Overall, studies indicate that adults generally face greater difficulties with pronunciation compared to adolescents.
The learner's first language significantly influences the accent and intelligibility of the new language (Tweedy, 2012) Negative transfer, or intervention, occurs when features of the first language affect the second language, leading to errors in aspiration, rhythm, and intonation Meng et al (2009) note that language transition occurs at both segmental and suprasegmental levels, and these negative transfer effects can become age-fossilized, making it challenging for adults learning a second language.
Language exposure is crucial for learners, as the time spent communicating in English significantly impacts their proficiency The quantity and quality of interactions in daily activities play a vital role in language acquisition Effective language learning is facilitated by ample intelligible input, which is often evident in primary schools where students engage freely in a supportive environment In contrast, adults may lack such enriching experiences due to their work settings A case study by Singer (2006) highlighted that for native Somali speakers, regular access to English was the most important factor influencing their pronunciation skills.
Learners' attitudes and motivation play a crucial role in language acquisition, independent of linguistic aptitude (Tweedy, 2012) Positive and motivated students significantly differ from their negative and unmotivated peers, a fact supported by numerous educators While some individuals pursue English studies to fulfill academic and career aspirations, others may feel obligated to learn the language Additionally, concerns about losing their native language can create internal conflict regarding language learning A learner's attitude towards a new culture, its language, and its speakers can greatly influence their pronunciation development, while issues related to personal identity and motivation can either enhance or impede this process.
Dialect
Dialect plays a crucial role in language and individual communication, significantly impacting pronunciation skills This article will explore various aspects of dialect, including its definition, classification, and the relationship between language and its dialects.
A dialect is a regional variation of a language that includes distinct vocabulary and grammar, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary (2020) Essentially, it represents the unique language usage of a particular area and social group For instance, the differences between Southern and Northern English dialects exemplify this concept.
South: “Fixin to”; North: “About to”
In the definition of John Edward (2009), a dialect is a variety of a language that is at variance with others in three aspects: grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation
Dialects of a language are generally mutually intelligible, but this criterion can become complex For instance, the Spanish-Portuguese border in South America and the continuum of German and Dutch dialects in Europe illustrate how dialects can vary significantly yet still belong to the same linguistic family.
Dialect refers to the distinct language variety associated with specific regional or social groups, encompassing all aspects of language, including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation Variations in dialects arise from various regional and social influences, highlighting the diversity within a particular language.
It can be understood that dialect is a variety in many aspect: vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation of a specific language that is used by a social class.
Wardhaugh (2006) classified dialect into two branches including social dialect and regional dialect.
Regional dialects, as noted by Wardhaugh (2006), are a prominent indicator of language diversity, reflecting the geographical variations in speech These dialectal differences can manifest in pronunciation, vocabulary choices, and syntax Unlike national dialects, which are more broadly recognized across a country, regional dialects are specific to particular areas, highlighting the unique linguistic characteristics of those locales.
An example for this, differences between America-English and British-English:
I don’t have a book I haven’t a book.
Social dialect is defined that a variety of speech related to a social group or social class within a society It also called sociolect.
Social dialects are shaped by various factors including social class, religion, education, age, gender, profession, and caste, distinguishing them from regional dialects, which are defined by geographical boundaries.
For instance, in England some pairs of word were to identify two social class: non upper-class speakers and upper-class speakers.
Upper-class speakers Non upper-class speakers old vintage
Differences between social dialect and regional dialects ( slideshare, n.d.)
Difference in use of language due to social class discrepancies.
Distance is not an important factor.
Be easily influenced by external factors.
Difference in use of language due to geographical discrepancies.
Not be easily influenced by external factor.
In conclusion, each type of dialects has its own characteristics that distinguish with each other, but all of them reflect diversity of a specific language.
In many situation, people usually have mistakes between language and dialect Below some opinion of authors about relationship between language and its dialect.
Edward Finegan (2004) stated that "every dialect is a language, and every language is realized in its dialect," emphasizing that dialects showcase the diverse features of a language Each dialect presents unique aspects of the language, which individuals perceive through listening, observing, or using these dialects For example, in English, dialects illustrate the rich variety within the language.
Australian English New Zealand English
Although Australian English or New Zealand English are different in some word, but all of them are varieties of English and people can realize English through them.
On the other hand, Wardhaugh (2006), the term “dialect” is different from the term
Language encompasses various dialects, with some languages, like English, having multiple dialects While both language and dialect can refer to forms spoken by small groups or singular varieties, experts argue that they are not synonymous Language can evolve based on regional, social, individual, and situational factors, resulting in a rich diversity of language varieties.
According to John Edward (2009), a dialect is a variation of a language characterized by distinct vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation (accent) Essentially, a dialect represents a modification in specific aspects of a language, including its words, grammatical structure, or pronunciation Thus, it can be concluded that every language encompasses its various dialects alongside its standard form.
Moreover, a language is both written and spoken, but a dialect is just spoken.
In conclusion, dialect is only a branch of a specific language, therefore, language and dialect are two different concepts.
In Vietnam, dialects are divided into three parts included northern dialects, southern dialects and middle Vietnamese dialects (central dialects).
Here are some features of each dialects ( ngonngu.net, n.d.)
Northern dialects closely resemble the general language, but speakers often make pronunciation errors, substituting consonants like /l/ for /n/, /ch/ for /tr/, and /s/ for /x/.
Middle Vietnamese dialects or central dialects are spoken wrong mainly in rhyme and tone
In this language, there are only five tones, leading to confusion between certain sounds For instance, speakers may pronounce "tất cả" as "tất cã" and "nước lã" as "nước lả," which illustrates the challenges of tonal distinction.
+ the system of double vowels is simplified, the second element in the double vowel is suppressed and the first one is lasted longer than usual
+ In the system of final vowels, people speak /-ng/ instead of /-n/ and /-k/ instead of /-t/
Southern Vietnamese dialects, found from Da Nang to Ca Mau, feature five distinct tones, with two of them, /?/ and /~/, being pronounced similarly as /?/ Notably, these dialects exhibit consonant shifts, such as /v/ changing to /j/ and /qu/ transforming into /w/ For instance, the phrase “văn hóa” is pronounced as “jăng wóa” in the Southern dialect.
Some featured consonants that only in Southern such as “ênh” -> “inh”, “inh” ->
“anh”, “ân” -> “ơn”, “ing” -> “iêng”.
People in this region pronounce vowels longer than usual, to distinguish with short sounds.
Regarding to all the features, Vietnamsese dialects are different in two main aspects which are consonants and vowels.
Influencing factors of dialects on the status of English pronunciation skill of Vietnamese people
Vowels are speech sounds produced with an open mouth, where the tongue does not touch the roof of the mouth or teeth (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2020) Celce-Murcia and Larsen-Freeman (1996) refer to vowels as "the tools of poets" (p 93), highlighting their role in creating assonance and rhythm in poetry Essentially, vowels facilitate the flow of air during pronunciation, making them integral to spoken language.
Vietnamese has eleven distinct vowel sounds, including /a/, /ă/, /â/, /o/, /ô/, /ơ/, /e/, /ê/, /u/, /ư/, and /i/, along with a variety of diphthongs and triphthongs, as noted by Doan Thien Thuat in 1976 In contrast, the English language features five primary vowel letters: a, e, i, o, u, and occasionally y.
Honey (1987) stated that there are several similarities between English and
Vietnamese vowel systems (p 240) The Vietnamese language often alternatives to the closest pure vowel in pronouncing the pure vowel in English, such as: /nô/ or /nâu/ for
Vietnamese diphthongs can often be differentiated solely by the length of their constituent vowels, as seen in the words "say" (meaning "drunk") and "sai" (meaning "wrong") This unique characteristic poses significant challenges for Vietnamese speakers when pronouncing English, leading to a variety of pronunciation issues.
Vietnamese speakers often struggle with the pronunciation of lax and tense vowels, as highlighted by Avery and Ehrlich (1992), who noted that the distinction between these vowel pairs in English typically poses challenges (p 96) For instance, Vietnamese students frequently have difficulty distinguishing between the vowels /e/ and /ổ/, as seen in the words ‘bed’ and ‘bad.’ Additionally, issues arise with the pronunciation of short and long vowels McGilvray (2005) defines minimal pairs as pairs of words that differ by a single phoneme and convey different meanings (p 102), exemplified by the contrast between 'ship' with the short [I] and 'sheep' with the long [i].
Of all short and long vowels, there can be minimal pair that are vowels with the same pronunciation but different in length
Learning the distinctions between tense and lax vowels, as well as short and long vowels in English, can be challenging for Vietnamese speakers However, consistent practice can help overcome these difficulties For instance, to correctly pronounce the sound /ae/, it's essential to lower your mouth and tongue adequately.
A consonant, as defined by the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2020), is a speech sound produced by completely or partially obstructing the airflow from the mouth These sounds, including examples like /m/, /s/, and /f/, are characterized by the closure of the mouth or the restriction of air passage during pronunciation.
According to Peter Roach (1983), there are 24 consonant sounds present in most English accents, represented by 21 letters of the English alphabet These sounds include /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /v/, /θ/, /ð/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /h/, /x/, /tʃ/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/, /l/, /3/, /r/, /w/, /d3/, and /j/ In contrast, Doan Thien Thuat (1976) identified 23 consonant sounds in Vietnamese, which are p, b, ph, v, m, w, t, th, đ, x, l, n, tr, s, r, ch, nh, j, k, kh, g, ng, and h.
The Vietnamese consonant system significantly differs from that of English, leading to challenges for English learners in Vietnam, especially those from various dialects Sounds such as /f/, /θ/, /ð/, and /z/ can pose particular difficulties.
These are some typical errors caused by effects of Vietnamese Dialects on English consonant pronunciation
Hoang Thi Chau (2004) wrote that some province in the North area such as Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Bac Ninh usually mistakenly pronounce between /n/ and /l/ (p 219)
As a result, people from these areas also confuse /n/ with /l/ in English For example,
“play” is pronounced as /pnei/, “lounder” is pronounced as /naʊdər/, “neighbor” is pronounced as /ˈleɪbər/.
In the northern regions, the sounds /r/ and /z/ are often not differentiated, leading to students substituting /z/ for /r/ As a result, words like "grow" are frequently mispronounced as /ɡzəʊ/ instead of /ɡrəʊ/, and "rule" is pronounced as /zu:l/ Additionally, there is a tendency to substitute /tr/ for /tʃ/ in certain contexts.
In the North region, students often substitute the /tr/ sound with /tʃ/, leading to pronunciations such as "train" being articulated as /tʃaɪn/ and "trouble" as /ˈtʃʌbl/ This phonetic variation highlights regional differences in Vietnamese pronunciation.
Truong Thi Mai Hanh (2018) noted that students from the North and North Central regions of Vietnam tend to pronounce the English consonant sound [j] as /z/ at the beginning of words or syllables, as seen in words like "yes," "young," and "European."
According to the Vietnamese Basis syllabus, the [j] sound appears only in the
In Vietnamese, the Central and Southern dialects pronounce certain sounds differently than the Northern dialect, such as the letters "d" and "gi," which are pronounced as /z/ in the North Additionally, the Northern dialect lacks the [j] sound found in English Conversely, the Southern dialect often pronounces /v/ as [j], giving Southern English learners an advantage in accurately producing the [j] sound compared to their Northern counterparts.
In conclusion, Vietnamese learners face significant challenges in mastering English consonant pronunciation Often, they transfer habits from their native language to English, making it difficult to adapt to the new phonetic system.
Vietnamese people to fix the mistakes such as confusing /n/ with /l/, /j/ with /z/ since they can hardly pronounce them correctly in their mother tongue
Vietnamese speakers face challenges in vocalizing stress in English due to the tonal nature of their native language, which lacks a word stress system and instead relies on six lexical tones to differentiate meanings According to Honey (1987), this results in difficulties when Vietnamese speakers attempt to pronounce English words Hwa-Froelich (2002) identifies the six basic contrastive tones in Vietnamese: high-rising, more emphasized high-rising, mid-level, mid-rising, low-falling, and low-rising Consequently, Vietnamese speakers often either avoid applying stress in English for fear of altering word meanings or uniformly stress each syllable according to their native pronunciation rules.
Every English word with more than one syllable has a fixed stress pattern, as noted by Ladefoged (1993) and Kreidler (1997) English speakers cannot arbitrarily assign stress to any syllable, which can lead to pronunciation errors for learners This failure to grasp English word stress patterns may result in misunderstandings, as highlighted by Benrabah (1997) and Ur.
RESEARCH DECRIPTION
Research scope and scale
Several factors influence English pronunciation for second-year students, including accent stress, rhythm, intonation, and regional dialects This research specifically examines how regional dialects affect the English pronunciation skills of second-year Business English students at National University.
Economics University in in 2019 - 2020 Currently, we will conduct a survey 100 students of 2nd year BE in this field.
Research question
This study is carried out with the purpose of answering the following query:
What are influencing factors of regional dialects on the status of English pronunciation skill of 2nd year Business English students in National Economics University.
Research method
This research uses only one method that is questionaire
The online survey comprises seven multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question, created using Google Docs It will be distributed to students through email or messenger, aiming to gather valuable insights.
100 BE60 students within two weeks According to their answers, we can find out the students who speak dialect and also their difficulties in English pronunciation.
Data collection and analysis
To analyze the data from questionare, MICROSOFT EXCEL was used
Data from each question were categorized by region—Northern, Central, and Southern students—for comparative analysis Additionally, variables reflecting students' pronunciation issues stemming from dialectal factors were developed based on the questions' content All data were meticulously entered and verified to generate comprehensive charts and tables.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Some perception of BE second-year students about the impact of Vietnamese dialect on
Vietnamese dialect on speaking English and listening English pronunciation.
4.1.1 The influence of dialect on the status of English pronunciation skill
Chart 1: Students’ perception of the impact of dialect on English pronunciation skill
The pie chart illustrates the ratings given by 2nd-year Business English students regarding the impact of dialect on pronunciation skills Notably, the ratings for the four options vary significantly, highlighting differing opinions among the students on this topic.
The pie chart reveals that only 11% of respondents rated the influence of dialect on pronunciation skills as "Not at all." A slightly larger segment, 25%, chose "Slightly." The most significant portion, representing 50%, believes that dialect has a moderate impact on pronunciation skills Lastly, 14% of participants rated it as "Extremely."
As such, most students believe that dialect influences moderately on the status of pronunciation skills, whereas there is only a small selection of other options such as
“Not at all”, “Slightly” and “Extremely”.
Saida and Laalia (2013/2014) explored the influence of Algerian dialects on English pronunciation, focusing on the dialects of Annaba, Constantine, and Tebessa Their research aimed to determine if these dialects impact English pronunciation, supported by audio recordings of opinions from Algerian English teachers The findings confirmed that Algerian dialects do affect English pronunciation and negatively interfere with the learning and acquisition of a second language.
In conclusion, our survey findings, along with the research conducted by Saida and Laalia (2013/2014), indicate that dialects significantly impact students' ability to learn and enhance their pronunciation skills in a second language, particularly in English.
4.1.2 The difficulty to listen people from each region speaking English
Chart 2: Students’perception of the impact of dialect on listening English pronunciation
The chart presents the ratings of 2nd-year Business English students regarding the difficulty of understanding English spoken by individuals from Northern, Central, and Southern regions Overall, the challenges in hearing and comprehending English vary significantly across these regions.
Most students perceive that Northern speakers communicate in English as "Very easy" or "Easy" to understand, with very few finding it challenging; notably, no one selected the "Very difficult" option In contrast, while many students from the Central region report being able to understand normally, a significant number express that it is quite difficult to comprehend Central speakers The Southern region sees a majority rating their understanding as "Normal," with several also categorizing it as "Very easy" or "Easy," though these ratings are more moderate compared to the Northern region and less severe than those for the Central region Consequently, the ratings for "Difficult" and "Very difficult" are relatively low across all regions.
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult Very difficult
In conclusion, students often find it challenging to understand English spoken by Central region speakers, while those from the Southern region articulate clearly within a normal range However, Northern region speakers are generally the easiest for students to listen to and comprehend across all three regions.
Impact of Vietnamese vowel sounds in dialect on English pronunciation
Chart 3: Students’confusion of English vowel pronunciation
A Lax and tense vowels B Long and short vowels Both A and B none
The stacked column chart clearly illustrates that students from the Northern, Central, and Southern regions struggle with pronouncing English vowel sounds Common errors include confusion between lax and tense vowels, as well as long and short vowels.
In a study of northern students, 32.1% exhibited difficulties in pronouncing lax and tense vowels, specifically the sounds /e/ and /ổ/ Additionally, 35.9% of the 78 students surveyed struggled with distinguishing between long and short vowels This indicates that issues with long and short vowels are more prevalent than those with lax and tense vowels Notably, approximately 25.6% of students faced challenges in both categories However, the northern region stands out as the only area where some students made no pronunciation errors, although this number remains very low.
In the central region, approximately 41.2% of students fall into one of two specified categories of mistakes, indicating a significant prevalence Additionally, around 17.6% of students in this area exhibit both types of errors.
In the Southern region, the ratio of long and short vowels to lax and tense vowels is notably disproportionate, with students exhibiting a commitment to the former that is four times greater Interestingly, this area stands out as the only one where individuals do not experience difficulties with either vowel type.
After analyzing all above data, it can be understood that students from all region of Vietnam have problems with long and short vowels more than lax and tense ones.
A study by Avery and Ehrlich (1992) highlights that the distinction between tense and lax vowel pairs in English often poses challenges for learners Additionally, it notes that Vietnamese students struggle to differentiate between the vowels /e/ and /ổ/.
The analysis reveals that the vowel sounds in the words 'bed' and 'bad' are commonly confused by students, ranking as the second most frequent mistake This issue is prevalent across all three regions examined.
According to McGilvray (2005, p 112), a minimal pair consists of two words that differ by only one phoneme and have distinct meanings In the context of short and long vowels, minimal pairs can occur when vowels share the same pronunciation but differ in length However, Vietnamese speakers do not differentiate between short and long vowels, leading to a significant number of Vietnamese students facing challenges with these vowel sounds, particularly among Southern students, who are the most affected across the three regions.
In conclusion, Vietnamese vowels – one factor of Vietnamese dialect influence on English vowel sounds in particular and in English pronunciation in general.
4.3 Impact of consonant sounds in dialect on English pronunciation.
Chart 4: Students’ problems in English consonant pronunciation
The bar chart shows the answer for a survey on the problems of pronouncing English consonants when second year BE students at NEU usually have difficulty in 3 regions.
The chart indicates that Northern and Southern students struggle more with initial and middle consonant pronunciation compared to their Central counterparts While students from both Central and Southern regions exhibit errors in consonant pronunciation, the frequency of these mistakes is notably higher among Northern and Southern students.
Problems of pronuncing English consonants confusing initial consonant omitting middle consonant confusing final cosonant none small number of Northern students have no difficulty in pronouncing English consonants.
Confusing initial consonants of southern students is the highest number of all sectors.
Impact of consonant sounds in dialect on English pronunciation
Chart 4: Students’ problems in English consonant pronunciation
The bar chart shows the answer for a survey on the problems of pronouncing English consonants when second year BE students at NEU usually have difficulty in 3 regions.
The chart indicates that Northern and Southern students struggle more with initial and middle consonant pronunciation compared to their Central counterparts Although students from both the Central and Southern regions make errors in consonant pronunciation, the issue is notably more prevalent among Northern and Southern students.
Problems of pronuncing English consonants confusing initial consonant omitting middle consonant confusing final cosonant none small number of Northern students have no difficulty in pronouncing English consonants.
Confusing initial consonants of southern students is the highest number of all sectors.
The omission of middle consonants among students in three regions showed nearly equal percentages, with Northern students at 37%, slightly surpassing their Southern and Central counterparts by 4% Confusing final consonants emerged as the most common issue, affecting 43% of respondents, particularly in the Central region, where it was the leading choice In contrast, this confusion was least prevalent in the North and South, with only about 16% of students reporting it Notably, there were no responses indicating "none" in either the Central or Southern regions.
The Vietnamese phonemic system significantly differs from that of English, leading to challenges for Vietnamese learners when pronouncing certain sounds, such as /f/, /θ/, /ð/, and /z/ (Honey, 1987) In particular, Northern Vietnamese speakers often struggle to differentiate between /l/ and /n/, which results in frequent pronunciation errors in English (Nguyen Tien Dung, 2015) Additionally, common confusions arise among Northern speakers with sounds like /s/ and /S/, /tr/ and /tS/, as well as /z/ and /Z/ Meanwhile, Southern Vietnamese speakers tend to mispronounce final consonants, confusing /t/ with /d/ and /b/ with /p/ (Ha, 2005).
In conclusion, Northern and Southern students mainly have mistakes with the initial and middle consonant sound, and with Central students, the final consonant sounds is the biggest problems.
Chart 5: Confusing English initial consonants for Northern students
The chart indicates that students in the North face various consonant pronunciation challenges, particularly with the sounds /dʒ/ and /z/, which are the most frequently confused Additionally, many Northern students often mix up the sounds /l/ and /n/ This observation is supported by Nguyen Tien Dung (2015).
“people in many parts of Vietnam, especially for those who live in the north of
Vietnamese speakers often struggle to differentiate between the /l/ and /n/ sounds in English due to similarities in their mother tongue This confusion can hinder their English pronunciation skills To achieve a higher standard of English pronunciation, students must practice correctly articulating these sounds in their native language.
Confusing English initial consonants for Central students
Chart 6 indicates that Central students pronounce the sounds /l/, /n/, and /r/ without difficulty According to Hoang Bao Chau (1989), the Central dialect features three additional consonant sounds compared to the Northern dialect: /s/, /r/, and /tr/.
(p.94) Since the Central dialect has these sounds, it is easier for many Central students to pronounce them correctly.
Chart 7: Confusing English initial consonants for Southern students
The chart indicates that Southern students do not confuse the /l/ and /n/ sounds, nor do they struggle with the /r/ and /j/ sounds However, as noted by Hoang Bao Chau (1989), the Southern dialect features a /j/ sound in place of the /z/ sound, which leads to challenges in pronouncing /z/ Additionally, the data reveals that the /dʒ/ sound is the most frequently mispronounced sound among these students.
All of the charts illustrate that the students from all region of Vietnam have problems with pronouncing /dʒ/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/ and /ð/ sounds These sounds do not exist in the
The Vietnamese alphabet presents challenges for students, particularly in English pronunciation Avery and Ehrlich (1992) noted that Vietnamese learners often substitute /d/ or /z/ for the /ð/ sound, causing words like "than" to be pronounced as /dổn/ or /zổn/ (p 155) Furthermore, Northern students exhibit a higher tendency to use the /ʃ/ sound compared to their peers from other regions Hoang Thi Chau (1989) pointed out that in some Northern areas, there is often confusion between the sounds /r/ and /z/, as well as /s/ and /x/ (p 93) For instance, they may say “dun dẩy” instead of “run rẩy.”
Students often mispronounce English sounds due to regional dialect influences, notably substituting "xửa xang" for "sửa sang," which leads to confusion between the /ʃ/ and /r/ sounds Additionally, students from Northern and Central Vietnam struggle with the /j/ sound, which is primarily found in the Southern dialect (Vu Van Thi, 2007, p 48) Consequently, these students must engage in extensive practice to master the correct pronunciation of the /j/ sound.
Impact of Vietnamese dialect on word stress
The column graph illustrates the stress patterns of individuals when pronouncing multi-syllable words, revealing that 85 Northerners participated in the survey, significantly outnumbering the smaller groups from Central and Southern regions Notably, a large percentage of respondents from all three areas tend to stress syllables randomly, with this tendency being particularly pronounced among Northerners Among the 85 Northerners, 19 opted to stress all syllables or speak without stress, while none of the six Southerners chose this approach, marking it as the least common option among Central participants as well Additionally, many individuals apply Vietnamese pronunciation rules to navigate complex words, exemplified by the mispronunciation of "download" as "đao loát," which reflects common stress errors in Vietnamese.
In conclusion, for individuals such as BE students who have been studying English for an extended period, employing random stress can be an effective strategy for accurately pronouncing word stress This approach is particularly beneficial for words with varying syllable counts, including two, three, or more syllables.
Stress all syllables or just speak without any stress Apply Vietnamese pronunciation rules
• Stress randomly all have their rule So that even though they come across a new vocabulary, it may not quite difficult to find out its stress
According to result of survey questionare, a small number of students give some problems they meet when speaking English Here are some of them.
The problem is English intonation (about 0.02%) The reason for this is
Vietnamese speakers frequently exhibit monotone speech, leading to common intonation errors such as a lack of rising pitch and the use of incorrect pitch Students particularly struggle with mimicking rising intonation compared to falling intonation Additionally, they often fail to utilize the appropriate pitch to effectively express their emotions.
The other mistake is confusing between two vowels /o/ and /a/ (0.01%)
One more problem is that a student points that he or she often omits the /w/ sound when pronouncing English.
CONCLUSION
This study aimed to investigate how various regional dialects influence English pronunciation among Vietnamese learners Pronunciation is a crucial aspect of communication skills and significantly affects other skills, particularly listening Consequently, errors in pronunciation can hinder overall English learning The previous chapter provided an analysis and discussion of the results related to each influencing factor.
This study identifies key factors affecting the pronunciation of second-year Business English students at the National Economics University, revealing that regional dialects significantly contribute to their pronunciation challenges The research highlights that familiarity with Vietnamese dialects leads to incorrect English pronunciation, particularly in vowels, consonants, and word stress, which negatively impacts listening skills Through a questionnaire administered to over 100 students, the study provides a detailed analysis of pronunciation errors across different regions (North, Central, and South) However, the focus on a specific group of participants limits the ability to draw broader comparisons across various age groups.
Future research involving a larger cohort of Vietnamese learners could enhance the ability to generalize findings regarding attitudes toward learning English and their impact on speech sample scores Additionally, exploring factors such as accent stress, rhythm, and intonation would provide deeper insights into pronunciation challenges Comparing these elements across different first languages could further identify specific areas of difficulty, enabling learners to anticipate challenges and prepare effective interventions.
Questionare survey includes eight questions.
1 Which region do you live in?
2 Please rate the following levels based on your opinion about the influence of dialect on the status of pronunciation skill.
3 Rate the following level based on difficulty to hear people from each region speaking English.
4 What English vowel sounds do you have problems with pronouncing?
5 What problems do you have when pronouncing English consonants?
Confuse the initial consonants (E.g: Confuse /l/ for /n/)
Omit the middle consonants (E.g: omit /z/ when pronoucing “Wednesday”)
Very easy Easy Normal Difficult Very
Omit the final consonants (E.g: omit /v/ when pronouncing “leave”)
6 Which initial consonant sounds cause you confusion?
7 When you come across a new word with more than one syllable, how do you stress them without using a dictionary or knowing any word stress rules.
Speak all syllables or just speak without any stress.
8 What other English pronunciation problems resulted from dialects do you encounter?
Cambridge Dictionaries (2020) Retrieved from: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
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Southeast Asian Americans face unique challenges in education and advancement, often influenced by cultural factors and socioeconomic status Despite these obstacles, many individuals in this community demonstrate resilience and a strong commitment to academic success Educational institutions play a crucial role in supporting these students through targeted programs and resources By fostering an inclusive environment, schools can help bridge the gap in educational attainment and empower Southeast Asian American youth to achieve their full potential Addressing these issues is essential for promoting equity and enhancing the overall well-being of the community.
Hoang Thi Chau (2009) Phuong ngu hoc Tieng Viet Ha Noi, Viet Nam: Ha Noi National University Pubnishing.
English Pronunciation Errors Made by Vietnamese Speakers are common among ESL students, with key issues including word stress, missing middle sounds in multi-syllable words, and final consonant sounds Vietnamese speakers often struggle to apply the correct syllable stress found in English, as their native language is syllable-timed, leading to uniform stress across syllables This results in difficulties with complex words that contain middle sounds, which are less familiar to them Additionally, certain English sounds, such as "z," "s," "t," "v," "ed," "ks," and "st," do not exist in Vietnamese, causing students to either omit or substitute these sounds in their speech Improving listening skills and mimicking native speakers can greatly enhance pronunciation accuracy for Vietnamese ESL learners.
Lan Truong (2015, June) Vietnamese and English, Phonological
Transferring[Brochure] Retrived from https://www.academia.edu/16305849/Vietnamese_and_English_phonological_analysis
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Leah, T (2012, August) Discovering factors that influence English pronunciation of native Vietnamese speakers [Brochure] Retrieved from: