ERROR ANALYSIS IN PRONOUNCING LABIODENTAL FRICATIVES: INSIGHTS FROM INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS
Keywords:
Labiodental fricatives, Pronunciation accuracy, English Education students, Phonetic error analysisAbstract
This study examines the accuracy of fifth-semester English Education students at STKIP Muhammadiyah Aceh Barat Daya (academic year 2022/2023) in pronouncing the labiodental fricatives /f/ and /v/, sounds often challenging for Indonesian learners due to the absence of contrastive features in their first language. A total of 57 students were selected through purposive sampling and assessed using a pronunciation test, with the data analyzed through descriptive statistics in SPSS 20. The results revealed that students achieved a higher level of accuracy with the /f/ sound, reflected in a mean score of 55.18, while their performance on the /v/ sound was notably weaker, with a mean score of 28.33. Statistical comparison confirmed a significant difference between the two sounds, indicating that /v/ poses greater challenges than /f/. These findings point to the persistence of first-language interference in the acquisition of English phonetics, particularly in voiced labiodental fricatives. The study further highlights the pedagogical implications of these results: systematic pronunciation training, with explicit focus on problematic sounds such as /v/, should be prioritized within English teacher education programs to strengthen learners’ communicative competence and ensure that future teachers can model accurate pronunciation for their students.
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