PRONUNCIATION ERRORS IN ENGLISH SPEAKING CLASS: AN APPLIED LINGUISTICS APPROACH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36002/litera.v12i1.4934Keywords:
Pronunciation, Errors, Speaking, Applied LinguisticsAbstract
This study aimed to investigate pronunciation errors made by fourth-semester students of the English Literature Department at Bumigora University during speaking class. A qualitative descriptive method was employed, with data collected from students’ oral descriptions of daily activities. Their speech was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for pronunciation errors, focusing on consonants, vowels, and diphthongs. The findings revealed three major categories of errors. First, consonant errors occurred most frequently in the substitution of interdental sounds /θ/ and /ð/ with alveolar sounds /t/ and /d/. Second, vowel errors were observed in the confusion between long and short vowels, such as /iː/ and /ɪ/, and the mispronunciation of /æ/ and /e/. Third, diphthong errors appeared when students simplified diphthongs into monophthongs, such as [haʊs] pronounced as [hos]. These errors were caused by several factors, including mother tongue interference, lack of exposure to authentic English pronunciation, difficulty in perceiving phonemic contrasts, and psychological factors such as nervousness or hesitation. The study concludes that students’ pronunciation errors are not only challenges but also indicators of their interlanguage development. Error analysis, viewed through an applied linguistics approach, provides valuable insights for teachers to design corrective feedback and targeted pronunciation practice. By addressing these errors systematically, lecturers can help students improve their communicative competence and confidence in speaking English.
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Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani. (2016). English Pronunciation Instruction: A Literature Review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 1–6. www.ijreeonline.com
Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford [England] ; New York : Oxford University Press. https://archive.org/details/teachingamerican0000aver
Awololon, Y. O. L., Pastika, I. W., & Putra, A. A. P. (2021). Segmental Pronunciation Errors Made by the Lamaholot Speakers of Junior High School Students. International Journal of Research Publication, 76(1).
Awololon, Y. O. L. A., Erfiani, N. M. D., Dewi, N. L. D. S., Wirasa, K. S. (2025). English Consonant Errors Pronounced by Seventh Grade Students in Dwijendra High School. Jurribah: Jurnal Riset Rumpun Ilmu Bahasa, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.55606/jurribah.v4i1.4477
Brown, A. (2014). Pronunciation and Phonetics A Practical Guide for English Language Teachers (1st ed). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315858098
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press
Corder, S. . (1967). International review of applied linguistics in language teaching. International Review of Apllied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 5(4), 161–170.
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Writing center talk over time: A mixed-method study. In Writing Center Talk over Time: A Mixed-Method Study (5th ed.). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429469237
Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 379–397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Gilakjani, A. P. (2016). English pronunciation instruction: A literature review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.ijree.1.1.1
Hornby. (2005). Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary of current English (7th ed.). Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Marianne Celce-Murcia. (2010). Teaching pronunciatione (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://archive.org/search.php?query=external-identifier%3A%22urn%3Alcp%3Ateachingpronunci00celc%3Alcpdf%3A2a9b180d-52cd-416e-a556-63e58d0b72cf%22
Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. W. (2013). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315833835
Roach, P. (2009). Roach. English phonetics and phonology: A practical course.
Tracey M. Derwing and Murray J. Munro. (2005). Second Language Accent and Pronunciation Teaching: A Research-Based Approach. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL), 39(3), 379–397. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Ur, P. (2014). Exploring Indonesian Graduates’ English Language Skills and Companies’ English Language Skills Requirements in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. In IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19, Issue 6, pp. 44–56). https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-19664456
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani. (2016). English Pronunciation Instruction: A Literature Review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 1–6. www.ijreeonline.com
Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford [England] ; New York : Oxford University Press. https://archive.org/details/teachingamerican0000aver
Awololon, Y. O. L., Pastika, I. W., & Putra, A. A. P. (2021). Segmental Pronunciation Errors Made by the Lamaholot Speakers of Junior High School Students. International Journal of Research Publication, 76(1).
Awololon, Y. O. L. A., Erfiani, N. M. D., Dewi, N. L. D. S., Wirasa, K. S. (2025). English Consonant Errors Pronounced by Seventh Grade Students in Dwijendra High School. Jurribah: Jurnal Riset Rumpun Ilmu Bahasa, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.55606/jurribah.v4i1.4477
Brown, A. (2014). Pronunciation and Phonetics A Practical Guide for English Language Teachers (1st ed). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315858098
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press
Corder, S. . (1967). International review of applied linguistics in language teaching. International Review of Apllied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 5(4), 161–170.
Creswell, J. W. (2018). Writing center talk over time: A mixed-method study. In Writing Center Talk over Time: A Mixed-Method Study (5th ed.). SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429469237
Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J. (2005). Second language accent and pronunciation teaching: A research-based approach. TESOL Quarterly, 39(3), 379–397. https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Gilakjani, A. P. (2016). English pronunciation instruction: A literature review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.18869/acadpub.ijree.1.1.1
Hornby. (2005). Oxford advanced learner’s dictionary of current English (7th ed.). Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Marianne Celce-Murcia. (2010). Teaching pronunciatione (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://archive.org/search.php?query=external-identifier%3A%22urn%3Alcp%3Ateachingpronunci00celc%3Alcpdf%3A2a9b180d-52cd-416e-a556-63e58d0b72cf%22
Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. W. (2013). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315833835
Roach, P. (2009). Roach. English phonetics and phonology: A practical course.
Tracey M. Derwing and Murray J. Munro. (2005). Second Language Accent and Pronunciation Teaching: A Research-Based Approach. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL), 39(3), 379–397. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/3588486
Ur, P. (2014). Exploring Indonesian Graduates’ English Language Skills and Companies’ English Language Skills Requirements in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. In IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 19, Issue 6, pp. 44–56). https://doi.org/10.9790/0837-19664456
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