Valley International Journal Digital Library

VIJ Digital library
Articles

The Phonetic Challenges of Vowel Elision for Nigerian Students of French for Specific Purpose (FOS)

PDF
  • Awodeha Akpotoghogho,
  • Jimoh Junior Braimoh
Awodeha Akpotoghogho
University of Lagos
Jimoh Junior Braimoh
University of Mississippi
Published in : International Journal of Scientific Research and Management (IJSRM) , Vol. 12 No. 07 (2024)

Submission to VIJ 2024-07-21

Keywords

  • vowel elision, French for Specific Purposes, Nigerian students, phonetic challenges, linguistic interference, phonetic training.

Copyright (c) 2024 Awodeha Akpotoghogho, Jimoh Junior Braimoh

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This article examines the specific phonetic challenges faced by Nigerian students in French vowel elision for specific purpose (FOS). The study analyzes the difficulties related to vowel elision, a phonetic process crucial for the acquisition of advanced linguistic skills in FOS. The research methodology includes classroom observations, student assessments, and interviews with students and teachers, providing in-depth analysis of error patterns and contributing factors. The results show that the main obstacles come from the interference of mother tongues (L1), insufficient phonetic training and a lack of awareness of the nuances of French phonology. The study proposes suitable teaching strategies, focusing on targeted phonics training and awareness activities, to improve the effectiveness of FOS teaching for Nigerian students. Implications for teaching practice and future research are discussed.

PDF

References

  1. Awodeha , A. (2018). Learning phonetics in FLE: Vowel elision and the problems faced by students of French . University of Lagos.
  2. Carras, C., Tolas , J., Kohler, P., & Szilagyi , E. (2007). French for specific objectives and language class . Paris: Éditions CLE International.
  3. Dell, F. (1985). Rules and sounds: Introduction to generative phonology . Hermann.
  4. Flege, J. E. (1987a). The production of "new" and "similar" phones in a foreign language: Evidence for the effect of equivalence classification. Journal of Phonetics, 15(1), 47-65.
  5. Flege, J. E. (1987b). The production and perception of foreign language speech sounds. In H. Winitz (Ed.), Human communication and its disorders: A review (Vol. 1, pp. 224-401). Ablex.
  6. Flege, J. E., Munro, M. J., & MacKay, I. R. A. (1995). Factors affecting strength of perceived foreign accent in a second language. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 97(5), 3125-3134.
  7. Flege, J.E., & Munro, M.J. (1994). The word unit in L2 speech production and perception. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 16 (4), 381-411.
  8. Haidar , M. (2015). For a contextualized teaching of scientific French at university. The example of biology and geology at the University of Kenitra (Morocco). Revue de sociolinguistique et de sociologie de la langue française, 2 (41), 101-118.
  9. Hilgert , E. (2007). When the FOS turns to the FOU (French for university objectives). Terres de FLE, Publication of the Center for Applied Linguistics , Besançon, International Conference of ADCUEFE, University of Franche-Comté.
  10. Lado, R. (1957). Linguistics across cultures: Applied linguistics for language teachers . University of Michigan Press.
  11. Lenneberg, E. H. (1967). Biological foundations of language . John Wiley & Sons.
  12. Mangiante , J.-M., & Parpette, C. (2002). French for specific objectives: from needs analysis to course development . Ed Hachette.
  13. Mangiante , J.-M. (2007). The French referentialization process for professions. French in the world: research and applications. Language and work . Paris: CLE international FIPF, pp. 129-144.
  14. Munro, M. J. (1993). Productions of English vowels by native speakers of Arabic: Acoustic measurements and accentedness ratings. Language and Speech, 36(1), 39-66.
  15. Prince, A., & Smolensky, P. (2004). Optimality Theory: Constraint interaction in generative grammar. Blackwell Publishing.
  16. Scovel, T. (1981). The recognition of foreign accents in English and its implications for psycholinguistic theories of speech production. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 19(1-4), 25-35.
  17. Underhill, A. (1998). Sound foundations: Learning and teaching pronunciation. Macmillan Education.
  18. Wode, H. (1989). Phonology in L2 acquisition. In H. Wode (Ed.), Studien zur Zweitspracherwerbsforschung (pp. 39-57). Gunter Narr Verlag.
  19. Wode, H. (1992). Speech perception and production in L2 acquisition: Towards a coherent account. In R. J. Harris (Ed.), Cognitive processing in bilinguals (pp. 341-354). Elsevier.