A STUDY OF PHONOLOGICAL INTERFERENCE AMONG THE THREE DIVERSE MOTHER TONGUES OF ENGLISH LEARNERS IN THE SOUTHERNMOST OF THAILAND

This study investigates how the mother tongue influences the pronunciation of
English voiced and voiceless consonants among university students in multicultural
environments in southernmost Thailand. The research focuses on Thai, Pattani
Malay, and Arabic mother tongue groups and adopts a mixed-methods approach to
examine pronunciation accuracy. Quantitative data obtained through frequency
accuracy calculations allows for comparisons and statistical analysis among the
mother tongue groups, while qualitative data acquired through error analysis
explores specific phoneme substitutions made by students. Acoustic measurements
using the Praat program provide objective data for analysis. The findings reveal
variations in pronunciation accuracy across different positions of English consonants
among the three language groups. Thai speakers demonstrate proficiency in initial
and medial positions but encounter challenges in the final position. Pattani Malay
speakers rank second in accuracy, while Arabic speakers exhibit the highest accuracy
in the final position. Most participants in all three groups substitute unfamiliar English
phonemes with familiar or similar sounds from their native languages. Notably, some
students also produce phonemes influenced by the spoken languages and religious
practices of the region's community, in line with the language contact theory. For
instance, some Thai speakers could correctly pronounce the voiced phoneme /g/ due
to interference from Pattani Malay, while Arabic speakers substitute /p ̚ / for /p/ and
struggle with /ð/, potentially influenced by Pattani Malay. The study further reveals
that accurate pronunciation closely aligns with native speaker acoustic patterns,
while incorrect pronunciation results in significant deviations from native speaker
norms in terms of acoustic values. These findings provide teachers with a better
understanding of the specific pronunciation challenges faced by learners from diverse
linguistic backgrounds, enabling them to design effective instructional approaches
and foster effective communication skills. By shedding light on the unique
complexities of language contact and its impact on students' English pronunciation,
this study enhances English language teaching methodologies in multicultural
settings.