Abstract:
This research is an attempt to identify the problems that encountered by Sudanese university students in the area of supra – segmental features namely word stress patterns. Since this study aims at knowing the extent to which they conceive this supra – segmental features and the causes that hinder them from mastering word stress patterns, of the target language (English), the researcher has conducted a test on word stress patterns for the fourth year English language students at the college of education, Sudan University.
In this study the researcher uses the descriptive and analytical method. He has used tools dependent on teachers' questionnaire and students' test, the answer then organized in tables and analysed statistically using the percentage and graphic presentations:
The findings of this study reveal students' weakness on placing stress within different syllables of word classes. This problem as a result of students' mother tongue interference and English word stress is unpredictable .
Depending on these results, the researcher recommends that teachers should master the sound systems of the two languages (L1- L2), and learners should start early on learning word stress patterns using all the modern means of developing their pronunciation in the target languages. Furthermore, the researcher recommends that researchers should be encouraged to conduct additional research on pronunciation in general and word stress patterns in particular
