AN INVESTIGATION OF ERROR IN POST ALVEOLAR CONSONANT PRONUNCIATION PERFORMED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Pronunciation refers to the ways that people use to articulate the phonemes of a particular language. Fluency in a language is crucial for properly communicating with others. Inadequate pronunciation may lead to difficulties in being understood, regardless of the accuracy of our grammar and vocabulary. The main objective of this study is to determine errors in the pronunciation of postalveolar consonants among second-semester students enrolled in the English education program at Muhammadiyah University Purworejo for the academic year 2023/2024. This study employs a qualitative descriptive research methodology. The investigation focused on students who were in their second semester of English language education. The researcher chose a sample of twenty students for the investigation. The researcher acquired the data by employing a pronunciation test. The investigation revealed a significant occurrence of incorrect pronunciations near the end of the /g/ sound. Students often displayed a proclivity for replacing the /s/ phoneme with the /ʃ/ phoneme, as demonstrated by terms like "shoe" and "ship." Additionally, Indonesian students encounter difficulty while pronouncing the consonant /ʒ/ in its last position, as exemplified in words like "pleasure". As a result, the sound was often replaced with the /s/ sound. Furthermore, students faced difficulties in appropriately articulating the final location of the /ʤ/ sound, as exemplified in the word "age." As a result, they often replace the sound with either the /t/ or /s/ sound.