Challenges in Pronouncing English /r/ for Chinese Learners
Abstract
Chinese English learners face challenges in pronouncing English /r/ sound. This study explores how regional dialects influence the acquisition of this sound. A literature review is utilised to investigate the perception and production of the English /r/ among Mandarin, Cantonese, and Shanghainese speakers. The participants are all Chinese undergraduate students. In this research, data was collected through various ways, including surveys, pronunciation tests, listening exercises, and interviews. The paper finds that those speakers have different pronunciation performances in /r/. Since there is a similar retroflex approximant in Mandarin, they do better in both perceiving and articulating the /r/ sound. On the other hand, Cantonese and Shanghainese speakers have more difficulties and usually substitute /r/ with /l/ or /ʋ/ sounds. The findings emphasises the impact of regional dialects on English pronunciation and help teachers come up with more effective English pronunciation teaching strategies in the future.
References
- Wang, J. (2024). Pronunciation Variation of/r/in the Accented English of Chinese Learners. In 5th International Conference on Language, Art and Cultural Exchange (ICLACE 2024) (pp. 228-235). Atlantis Press.
- Deterding, D., Wong, J., & Kirkpatrick, A. (2008). The pronunciation of Hong Kong English. English world-wide, 29(2), 148-175.
- Wells, J. C. (1982). Accents of English: Beyond the British Isles. 3(Vol. 3). Cambridge University Press.
- Demirezen, M. (2012). Which/r/are you using as an English teacher? rhotic or non-rhotic?. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 2659-2663.
- Pankovicsová, A. (2014). Slovak English: rhotic or non-rhotic?.
- Janson, T. (1983). Sound change in perception and production. Language, 18-34.
- O’Neal, G. (2020). Does an ELF phonology exist?. Asian Englishes, 22(3), 282-296.
- Jiang, X. (2020). Chinese EFL Learners’ Acquisition of Phonology: A Comparative Analysis of the Influence of Two Dialects (Northeastern and Cantonese) (Doctoral dissertation, Newcastle University).
- Henly, E., & Sheldon, A. (1986). Duration and context effects on the perception of English/r/and/I: A comparison of Cantonese and Japanese speakers. Language Learning, 36(4), 505-522.