THE INFLUENCE OF EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND ON THE MISPRONUNCIATION OF /l/ AND /r/ AMONG MALAYSIAN CHINESE UNDERGRADUATES

• Main Author: Chen, Cecelia xin Li
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English; English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, (UNIMAS) 2020
• Subjects: PN Literature (General)
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/34764/1/THE%20INFLUENCE%20OF%20EDUCATIONAL%20BACKGROUND24pgs.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/34764/4/THE%20INFLUENCE...ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/34764/
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

The study investigated the mispronunciation of /l/ and /r/ in English words among Malaysian Chinese undergraduates in relation to their educational background. The objectives were to determine the frequency of mispronunciation of English words containing /l/ and /r/ according to phoneme, phoneme position, and mispronunciation characteristics among Malaysian Chinese educated (CE) and non-Chinese educated (NCE) undergraduates. A quantitative approach was employed in the study. Word lists with /l/ and /r/ in initial, medial, and final positions were provided for 60 Malaysian Chinese undergraduates to pronounce. Recordings of the participants’ pronunciation were then transcribed and transformed into numerical data. The descriptive statistics were analysed according to the research objectives. The results of the study show that Chinese educated Malaysian undergraduates tend to mispronounce English words containing /l/ in medial and final position. Words containing /l/ in medial position tend to be substituted while words with /l/ in final position tend to be deleted or vocalized.