Journal of Second and Multiple Language Acquisition-JSMULA

Students' role in enhancing their speaking skills

Dagmawit Tarekegn — 2023-12-30

Speaking is the process of building and sharing meaning through verbal utterance. It is also considered as a crucial part of second language learning and teaching. In Ethiopia, English language is taught in schools for five days a week starting from grade one and when students reach high school in addition to learning English, they learn all other subjects in English. Meanwhile, the students speaking skill is not as good as a student who spend much time using the language; they are anxious to speak in the classroom or outside due to different social and psychological reasons. So, this study was conducted to explore the students’ role in enhancing their speaking skills at two Ethiopian state high schools. The study used descriptive research design, which comprises qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques. Forty students who were randomly selected from the two schools filled out the survey questionnaire and four teachers which were selected voluntarily their classes observed were interviewed. Learners to improve their speaking skills are expected to do different speaking activities in the classroom and outside the classroom. However, the study’s finding found that the students are not playing their role in a way that helps them improve their speaking skill; this means they don’t expose themselves to learning the skill. It was also found that students are not aware that they have to make an effort to improve their speaking skills.

Error analysis of Arab EFL learners’ use of English articles in four semantic contexts [±SR, ±HK]

Muneera Muftah — 2023-12-30

The English article system (the, a(n), and the zero article Ø) is one of the most challenging but crucial aspects of EFL learners' English language acquisition. The purpose of this study is to investigate the types of errors that Arab EFL learners produce in their acquisition of the English article system based on Bickerton’s (1981) Semantic Wheel Model which focuses on the features ±Specific Referent (±SR) and ±Assumed Known to the Hearer (±HK). The study involved 39 Arab EFL learners drawn from three proficiency groups and participated in an article cloze test. Six types of errors committed by Arab EFL learners are identified in [±SR, ±HK] contexts. These errors are (1) deletion of the indefinite article, (2) substitution of the indefinite for the definite article, (3) substitution of the definite for the indefinite article, (4) use of the indefinite article with unmarked plurals, (5) use of the indefinite article with uncountable nouns, and (6) the use of the indefinite article with adjectives. The comparison of accuracy in article use for these contexts showed that [+SR, ?HK] and [?SR, +HK] were the most difficult contexts for Arab EFL learners to acquire. Based on the finding some practical implications were proposed, which might assist EFL learners and teachers with some practicable suggestions and teaching instructions.

Mispronunciation of English back vowels among secondary school and undergraduate students in Lokoja, Kogi state, Nigeria

Oladimeji Olaniyi — 2023-12-30

This study investigates pronunciation of back vowels amongst the final year secondary and undergraduate students in Lokoja, Kogi State. A total number of one hundred respondents (teenagers and early adults) were randomly selected for this study. Some recorded conversations that were gathered from the participants were also analyzed and interpreted using the Optimality Theory as a theory for the determination of the optimal performances of the young Nigerians. The segmental phonological study did not require an acoustic instrument but a qualitative method using the OT. The analyses reveal that the sampled subjects substituted phonemes of English language with the ones that are available in Ebira, Igala and Okun-Yoruba, their First languages (L1). They also pronounced different back vowel sounds with only strong vowel forms. Subjects pronounced words according to the spelling forms. Optimal Performance, however, in back vowels is determined by extent of divergence or convergence whereas the constraints are majorly the factors of ethnicity, educational level and languages of their immediate environments. The findings from this study suggest that the pronunciation of back vowels in English is a challenge to many learners of the English language as a Second Language despite how simple the back vowels seem to be when pronounced.