Chapter published in:
English Pronunciation Instruction: Research-based insightsEdited by Anastazija Kirkova-Naskova, Alice Henderson and Jonás Fouz-González
[AILA Applied Linguistics Series 19] 2021
► pp. 279–302
Chapter 12Vowel reduction in English grammatical words by Macedonian EFL
learners
Ivana Duckinoska | Ss. Cyril and Methodius University , Skopje
Research into L2 vowel reduction shows that
learners find this phenomenon challenging to acquire, most likely
due to their inability to differentiate between stressed and
unstressed syllables. Consequently, their L2 speech is characterised
by overuse of strong forms, which may be detrimental to
intelligibility. This study explores vowel reduction in grammatical
words by Macedonian learners of English (N = 121).
Participants at B1, B2 and C1 proficiency levels completed 25 tasks
which elicited target words in spontaneous speech. The results
reveal that learners predominantly use strong forms. Moreover, weak
form use is significantly associated with learners’ proficiency
level and formal pronunciation training, but not with word category.
It was also observed that words with certain strong vowels are more
frequently reduced.
Keywords: vowel reduction, strong forms, weak forms, grammatical words, language proficiency, pronunciation training
Article outline
- Introduction
- Previous research studies on vowel reduction
- The current study
- Research questions
- Research methodology
- Participants
- Stimuli
- Procedure
- Data analysis
- Frequency of weak form use
- Weak form use across proficiency levels
- Weak forms use across word categories
- Weak forms use across trained and untrained groups
- Frequency of weak forms use across strong vowels
- Discussion
- Pedagogical implications
- Conclusion
-
Acknowledgements -
Notes -
References
Published online: 13 October 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.19.12duc
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.19.12duc
References
Abe, H.
(2011) Effects
of form-focused instruction on the acquisition of weak forms
by Japanese EFL
learners. In W.-S. Lee, & E. Zee (Eds.), Proceedings
of 17th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences –
ICPhS (pp.184–187). City University of Hong Kong. https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/icphs-proceedings/ICPhS2011/OnlineProceedings/RegularSession/Abe/Abe.pdf
Baker, A.
Bogacka, A., Polczynska-Fiszer, M., Orzechowska, P., Schwartz, G., & Zydorowicz, P.
Bouchhioua, N.
Council of
Europe
Derwing, T. M., & Munro, M. J.
Flege, J. E., & Bohn, O.-S.
García Lecumberri, M., & Maidment, J. A.
Ghazali, S., & Bouchhioua, N.
(2003) The
learning of English prosodic structure by speakers of
Tunisian Arabic: Word stress and weak
forms. In M. J. Solé, D. Recasens, & J. Romero (Eds.), Proceedings
of the 15th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences –
ICPhS (pp.961–964). Causal Productions. https://www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/icphs-proceedings/ICPhS2003/papers/p15_0961.pdf
Gonet, W., Szpyra-Kozłowska, J., & Święciński, R.
Gómez Lacabex, E., García Lecumberri, M., & Cooke, M.
Gómez Lacabex, E., & García Lecumberri, M.
(2010) Investigating
training effects in the production of English weak forms by
Spanish
learners. In K. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, M. Wrembel, & M. Kul (Eds.), Proceedings
of the 6th International Symposium on the Acquisition of
Second Language Speech – New
Sounds (pp.137–143). Adam Mickiewicz University.
Gralińska-Brawata, A.
(2015) The
acquisition of vowel reduction by Polish learners of
English. In J. Volín (Ed.), Proceedings
of the 4th International Conference on English
Pronunciation: Issues &
Practices (pp.43–44). Charles University. http://web.ff.cuni.cz/ustavy/fu/epip4/docs/EPIP4-Proceedings.pdf#page=43
Henderson, A., Curnick, L., Frost, D., Kautzsch, A., Kirkova-Naskova, A., Levey, D., Tergujeff, E., & Waniek-Klimczak, E.
Jenkins, J.
Josipović Smojver, V.
Jurafsky, D., Bell, A., Fosler-Lussier, E., Girand, C., & Raymond, W. D.
(1998) Reduction
of English function words in
switchboard. The 5th
International Conference on Spoken Language
Processing, paper
0699. https://www.isca-speech.org/archive/icslp_1998/i98_0669.html
Kirkova-Naskova, A.
(2012) Megjujazična fonologija: Sporedba na vokalnite
sistemi na angliskiot i na makedonskiot
jazik [Interlanguage phonology: A comparison of English and
Macedonian vocalic
systems]. In Godišen
zbornik na Filološkiot fakultet „Blaže
Koneski“, (Vol. 38, pp. 141–152). Univerzitet „Sv.
Kiril i Metodij“.
Lepage, A., & Busà, M. G.
(2014) Intelligibility
of English L2: The effects of incorrect word stress
placement and incorrect vowel reduction in the speech of
French and Italian learners of
English. Concordia Working
Papers in Applied
Linguistics, 5, 387–400. http://doe.concordia.ca/copal/documents/27_Lepage_GraziaBusa_Vol5.pdf
Little, D.
Pennington, M., & Rogerson-Revell, P.
Poesová, K.
Poesová, K., & Weingartová, L.
Roach, P.
Rojczyk, A., & Porzuczek, A.
Silva Fragozo, C.
(2015) Acquisition
of unstressed vowels by Brazilian speakers of
English. In J. Volín (Ed.), Proceedings
of the 4th International Conference on English
Pronunciation: Issues and
Practices (pp. 123–127). Charles University. https://fu.ff.cuni.cz/epip4/docs/EPIP4-Proceedings.pdf#page=123
Sönning, L.
Van Bergem, D. R.
(1991) Acoustic
and lexical vowel
reduction. Proceedings of the
phonetics and phonology of speaking styles: Reduction and
elaboration in speech communication[Online],
paper 10, 1–5. https://www.isca-speech.org/archive_open/ppospst/pp91_010.html