An Error Analysis in Pronunciation of English Vowels of the Third Semester Students of English Department at Unisma

Abstract

Keywords: Pronunciation, Error Analysis, Vowel. This study aimed to analyze the pronunciation errors of vowels sounds that mostly occurred made by the third semester of English students of University of Islam Malang. The focus of this study is to identify errors in pronouncing English vowels of the third semester students of English Department of UNISMA. The researcher used descriptive qualitative. The subjects of this research were the 11 third semester students of English Department. The researcher collected the data by giving the test of the students. Every student had been given same test. The students are asked to read some words that contain list of English vowel. The list of word contains of 12 point; each point contains of 3 words. The procedure used by the researcher are identifying the errors and describing the errors. In this research, the researcher found that there were some mispronounced vowels made by the students. The percentages number of pronunciation errors of English vowels, from the highest are: vowel /ɔː/: (21,6%), vowel /ɑː/: (16,8%), vowel /i:/: (11,6%), vowel /ɜː/: (10,4%), vowel /u:/: (9,6%), vowel /æ/ (8,8%), vowel /ʌ/: (8,8%), vowel /ə/: (8,8%), vowel /e/: (2%), vowel /ɪ/: (0,8%), vowel /ʊ/: 2 (0,8%), and vowel /ɒ/: (0%). The result showed that the students perform most erros in pronouncing vowel are the vowel /ɔː/ as in call /kɔːl/, taught /tɔːt/, caught /kɔːt/, and poor /pɔːr/, the vowel /æ/ as in lamp /læmp/, and hang /hæŋ/, the vowel /ʌ/ as in luck /lʌk/, and son /sʌn/, the vowel /ə/ as in would /wəd/, the vowel /i:/ as in least /li:st/, and the vowel /ɑː/ as in father /’fɑːðə(r)/, and hearth /hɑːθ/. The result of this study can give a description about the errors occur and the causes of these in pronunciation of English vowel. Students are expected to admit their pronunciation mistakes that often made, so they will be careful with those words and will not repeat their mistake. Moreover, it will be able to help the English teacher to increase their teaching pronunciation. To help the students increase their pronunciation, English teachers need to give more drills and practices to the students in order to minimize problems that they might face when pronouncing vowel, as well as the students must practice the pronunciation of English vowel more. This is also suggested for the further researcher to conduct the study in the same topic in different context.