A Model to Rehabilitate a Fossilized Pronunciation Error of Turkish English Language Teachers: The Nasal Devoicing of /ŋ/ as /ŋk/

Abstract

The Nonnative learners sharing the same L1 naturally converge toward L2 pronunciation heavily by the intrusion of L1, creating the fossilized articulation errors. It must be noted that fossilized pronunciation errors of segmental nature inevitably exert disproportionate impacts on the communicative competence by impairing the intelligibility, accuracy, and fluency of the nonnative learners. This negative L1 segmental intrusion is inescapable because the L1 phonemic inventory exerts mental blocks on the learners' articulation skills if L1 and L2 do not share the same language typology. This presentation will prove that the difficulty of the/eta/ nasal phoneme to Turks is such a case. In this study, it has been indicated that the audio-articulation model is a practical and workable method, and that novice teachers and students are capable of modifying their fossilized pronunciation errors and can bring them closer to the target language norms if they practice with the pronunciation correction model called the audio-articulation model. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved