ERROR ANALYSIS IN ENGLISH PURE VOWEL PRONUNCIATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION AMONG STUDENTS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER PAGE – – – – – – – i
DECLARATION PAGE – – – – – ii
APPROVAL PAGE – – – – – – – iii
DEDICATION PAGE – – – – – – – iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – – – – – – v
TABLE OF CONTENTS – – – – – – vii
ABSTRACT – – – – – – – – – ix

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY – – – – – – 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM- – – – – – 7
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY – – – – – – – 8
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS – – – – – – – 9
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS – – – – – – – 10
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY – – – – – 10
1.7 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY – – – – 11
1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS – – – – 11

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITTERATURE
2.1 PRONUNCIATION TEACHING: A BRIEF
HISTORY AND ITS IMPORTANCE – – – – 12
2.2 TEACHING AND LEARNING PRONUNCIATION – – – 13
2.2.1 PRONUNCIATION TIPS- – – – – – – 14
2.2.2 PRONUNCIATION AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF
LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING – – – – 15
2.3 TYPES OF PRONUNCIATION TEACHING – – – – 17
2.3.1 WHOLE LESSONS – – – – – – – – 17
2.3.2 DISCRETE SLOTS – – – – – – – – 18
2.3.3 INTEGRATED PHASES- – – – – – – 18
2.3.4 OPPORTUNISTIC PRONUNCIATION – – – – – 18
2.4 ENGLISH VOWELS – – – – – – – 19
2.5 CLASSIFICATION OF ENGLISH VOWELS – – – 20
2.5.1 DIRECTION OF ARTICULATION – – – – – 20
2.5.2 LEVEL OF JAW OPENING – – – – – – 21
2.5.3 TONGUE HEIGHT/MOVEMENT – – – – – – 21
2.5.4 SHAPE AND POSITION OF THE LIPS – – – – – 21
2.6 ENGLISH VOWEL PRONUNCIATION AND ORAL
COMMUNICATION – – – – – – – 22
2.7 THEORY OF THE PROBLEM AND PREVIOUS STUDIES – 24
2.7.1 L1 INTERFERENCE – – – – – – – 25
2.7.2 MARKEDNESS- – – – – – – – 25
2.7.3 PERCEPTUAL SALIENCE- – – – – – – 26
2.8 PRONUNCIATION COMPONENTS – – – – – 26
2.8.1 SOUNDS – – – – – – – – – 26
2.8.2 STRESS AND RHYTHM – – – – – – – 27
2.8.3 INTONATION – – – – – – – – 27
2.8.4 CONNECTED SPEECH – – – – – – – 27
2.8.4.1 ASSIMILATION – – – – – – – – 28
2.8.4.2 ELISION – – – – – – – – – 28
2.8.4.3 LINKING – – – – – – – – – 28
2.8.4.4 JUNCTURE – – – – – – – – – 29
2.8.4.5 CONTRACTIONS- – – – – – – – 29
2.8.4.6 REDUCTIONS- – – – – – – – 29
2.9 SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – 29

CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURE
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN – – – – – – – 31
3.2 AREA OF THE STUDY – – – – – – – 32
3.3 POPULATION OF THE STUDY – – – – – 32
3.4 SAMPLE OF THE STUDY – – – – – – 32
3.4.1 Sampling Technique- – – – – – – – 32
3.5 INSTRUMENT FOR DATA COLLECTION – – – – 32
3.5.1 Description of Instrument- – – – – – – 33
3.5.2 Procedure for Instrument Development – – – – – 33
3.5.3 Validity of Instrument – – – – – – – 34
3.5.4 Reliability of the Instrument- – – – – – – 34
3.6 PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION- – – – – 35
3.7 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS- – – – – – 35
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
4.0 INTRODUCTION- – – – – – – – 37
4.1 PRESENTATION OF RESULT – – – – – – 37
4.2 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS- – – – – – – 41

CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.0 INTRODUCTION- – – – – – – – 43
5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS. – – – – – – – 43
5.2 CONCLUSION- – – – – – – – – 44
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS – – – – – – – 45
5.4 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY – – – – – – 46
5.5 SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER STUDIES – – – – 47
5.6 CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE – – – – – 47
REFERENCES- – – – – – – – 47
APPENDIXES – – – – – – – 51

Abstract
Pronunciation is one aspect of Language learning that is more difficult to master by a second Language user, especially after adolescence. While it is true that learners are very unlikely to attain a native-like accent, their intelligibility can be greatly improved upon by Explicit Pronunciation teaching. This study examined an error analysis in English pure vowel pronunciation and its implications for oral communication among secondary schools in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau state. A set of word list containing the 12 pure vowels of English and a short paragraph were compiled and administered to 80 students, from four secondary schools in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau state. The two tests were scored, recorded and analysed using simple percentage. From the analyses of data, it was discovered that out of the 12 pure vowels of English, the students found the following pure vowels more challenging and problematic: /i:, æ ,ə,ᴣ:,ᴐ:,u:,ɒ, and ʌ/. The less challenging and problematic pure vowel sounds were: /i, a:, e, and u/. For the tense vowels, the following were problematic: as revealed in the test /i:,ᴐ:,u: and ᴣ:/. The lax vowels which also constituted a problem to them includes: /æ ɒ, ʌ and ə/. The study concludes that it is expedient for teachers to teach English pure vowels alongside with their corresponding letters that make up the sound. Many approaches to the teachings of pure vowel sounds and oral English in general were suggested in the study, as recommendations.