Challenges of Pronunciation of English Phonemes among Igala Native Speakers

Abstract

The work is titled Challenges of Pronunciation of English Phonemes among Igala Native Speakers. This study seeks to explicate the challenges of pronouncing English phonemes among Igala speakers leaning English as their second language (L2), and stands to achieve the following objectives, to; (a) identify the specific challenges, (b) identify the factors that account for the challenges and the roles of the teacher in curbing the challenges, anchoring the research work on Classical Phonemic/Phonology (CPP) Theoretical Framework. The theory was propounded by Chomsky and Halle in the year (1968). The method employed in the study was Descriptive Survey Design (DSD) and the instrument employed by the researcher in collecting the data was Participant Observation (PO). Subjecting the data to analysis, the researcher found that the challenges were function of personal factor, environmental, absence of some English phonemes in Igala vowel and consonant system, mother tongue interference. And the researcher made the following
recommendations; that the learners should make use of Standard English Dictionary for learning, employ the service of a sound oral English teacher, visit the language laboratory, listen to British Broadcasting Commission (BBC), and Voice of America (VOA) News among others.