The Acoustic properties of the central vowel /E/ in CVC context articulated by first year EFL learners at L’Arbi Ben M’hidi University
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Date
2019
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University Of Oum El Bouaghi
Abstract
Vowel sounds play a key role in speech many times. Recently, there is renewed interest in acoustic phonetics that what make the principal objective of this study is to describe and analyze the production of the central vowel /E/. The present inquiry is conducted to set out the acoustic features of the central vowel /E/ which is formant one, formant two and the length. The present piece of research provides a descriptive study where the 18 selected participants are included in the recording process. In a particular concern to answer the raised questions, the first one is asked to answer how the English vowel /E/ pronounced by EFL learners in CEC final syllables of isolated words and within connected speech concerning (a) formant one, (b) formant two and (c) the length. The second question seeks to investigate whether EFL learners pronounce the targeted vowel /E/ as native speakers? For the first question that is raised, the most striking findings show that first year students utter the mid central vowel /E/ in isolated words as well as within connected speech in front and high position in a lengthier period of time compared with natives. More than that, the results of the second question illustrates that EFL learners do not pronounce the mid central vowel /E/ either in isolated words or within connected speech as native speakers. The findings presented in this thesis add to our understanding of the acoustic features of the English vowel /E/ and its importance in EFL context.
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Keywords
Central vowel, Acoustic phonetic