Thai Students' Production of English Coda Clusters: An Experiment on Sonority with Thai University Students Taking an English Fundamental Course
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Abstract
In studies of English language learning and teaching, phonological development of second language (L2) learners has received considerable attention. Investigation of phonological acquisition, as well as problematic areas, are useful to predict difficulties that L2 speakers of English may confront when perceiving and producing particular sounds. Consequently, this research was initiated to understand how Thai students of English produce English coda clusters patterning Consonant-stops. To predict the areas of difficulty in producing such clusters, use was made of the Universal Principle (Sonority Sequencing Principle), together with the Markedness Differential Hypothesis established by Eckman (1977). This case study involved participation of 10 students who were taking a third fundamental English course at King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi, Thailand. The students were asked to produce target sounds in cluster elicitation tasks. The tasks required students to produce the target clusters in both formal and natural situations. Areas of difficulty in producing clusters for Thai learners of English were identified, though the hypothesis generated was not confirmed. Deletion and substitution were frequently used as ways to modify problematic clusters.
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