Pronunciation Difficulties at the Segmental Level Encountered by EFL Students: A Case Study of EFL First-Year Students at Omar Al-Mukhtar University in Al-Bayda City

Abstract

This study investigates the difficulties faced by EFL first-year students at Omar Al-Mukhtar University (OMU) in Al-Bayda City regarding accurate pronunciation of English consonant sounds. Adopting a quantitative approach, the study utilized quantitative techniques for data collection and analysis. The data collection tools included a questionnaire administered to 49 students and pronunciation tests conducted with 20 students. The findings from the pronunciation tests were presented as percentages, highlighting specific consonant sounds that posed challenges for the students, such as /r/, /dʒ/, /ʒ/, /θ/, /p/, /ð/, and /tʃ/. In addition, the questionnaire results identified several factors negatively influencing students' pronunciation, including their claim of the first language interference, limited pronunciation practice, and a lack of exposure to the English language. Furthermore, the results of the current study revealed that students struggle with recognizing the lack of correspondence between spelling and pronunciation, which leads to mispronunciations. These findings highlight the essential need to adopt targeted teaching strategies that contribute to improving students' pronunciation skills and enable them to overcome the phonetic challenges they encounter.