Consonant Articulation and Lexical Stress in Georgian EFL Learners: Phonological Patterns and Pedagogical Implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22333/ijme.2025.10427Keywords:
Georgian EFL learners, Pronunciation challenges, Vowels, consonants, and stress, L1 transfer and orthographic interference, Pronunciation pedagogyAbstract
This study investigates segmental and suprasegmental pronunciation challenges encountered by Georgian learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), focusing on consonants, and stress. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, it combines IPA-based audio analysis, frequency tracking, and learner surveys to explore both observed difficulties and students’ perceptions of their underlying causes.
Data were collected from 30 B1-level first-year university students enrolled in a Practical Phonetics course at Tbilisi State University during the 2024 Fall–2025 Spring academic year. The analysis reveals systematic inconsistencies in consonant production. Frequent consonantal issues are most commonly manifested through interdental fricative substitution, /v/–/w/ confusion, final consonant devoicing, and misarticulation of English /r/, largely influenced by the Georgian trilled /r/.
The findings suggest that these patterns stem primarily from L1 transfer, orthographic interference, and restricted exposure to authentic English input. Grounded in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) frameworks—specifically Flege’s Speech Learning Model and the Orthographic Interference Hypothesis—the study proposes pedagogical strategies emphasizing explicit pronunciation instruction and phonological awareness within communicative EFL contexts.
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