Investigating Some Pronunciation Problems Encountered by University EFL Learners

Abstract

This study investigates the problems of pronunciation among Sudanese EFL learners. The subjects of the study were (50) students from Sudan International University (SIU), and instructors from the same university and other Sudanese universities. The tools used for data collection were classroom observations, a written test, an oral test and teachers’ interview. The data collected were analyzed statistically and descriptively. The findings of the analysis revealed that Sudanese EFL learners had problems with pronunciation of English vowels, particularly, those that have more than one way of pronunciation, in addition to the consonant sounds. These problems could be due to factors such as the differences in the sound system of Arabic language and English language (mother tongue interference), spelling and pronunciation competence. The findings will be useful in teaching methodology, classroom activities and designing English courses that are related to pronunciation and listening and speaking skills. The recommendations of this study are to give extra practice to the student to bridge the gap between performance and recognition introducing English sounds at the beginning of general English course should be considered.