What Sounds Are More Challenging For English Learners?
Students from diverse backgrounds and different parts of the world use the English language every day to connect with others
As the language becomes increasingly globalized, students are faced with a growing list of words and phrases they need to master. But which ones are the most difficult?
The study showed that students who are learning English as a second language (ESL) often find reading comprehension more difficult than listening or speaking.
3 Steps About Sounds Are More Challenging For English Learners
Here mainly 3 steps are discussed
1. Find out which sounds are easiest for English learners to master
For example, “to have” can be confusing if you don’t understand its meaning or its conjugations. “To be” is simple enough,
but its many forms can be confusing (is he or she?), especially for those learning English for the first time.
So, start with this question: which form of “to be” is easiest for you to understand?
Then, work backward: which sounds are easiest to pronounce?
Which ones sound closest to your native language? The same goes for the words “to have” and “of.”
To start, if you’re working with English-language learners, then you need to know which sounds are the easiest for them to understand.
If you have someone who has mastered a particular sound that you don’t understand yet, consider breaking it up into smaller pieces so that your learner can gain mastery of it in pieces.
For example, the sound /b/ is easier for English speakers to learn if it’s broken up into the sounds /p/ and /because in that order it sounds like the word “bath.”
2. Learn some tips for getting through any sound barrier
There is a certain sound that occurs when you hear something that makes you pause and think, “Wait a minute…I didn’t realize that.” The sound I’m referring to is called the sound barrier, and it exists in our lives.
Sometimes this is caused by something external, such as the sound of a doorbell, or maybe something internal, such as the sound of your voice.
3. Find out which sounds are the most challenging for English learners to master
Most people who struggle with English tend to have difficulty understanding some of its more formal language (e.g., nouns, verbs, prepositions).
It may sound strange to talk about the difference between formal and informal speech,
but there is such a thing, and it’s often a challenge for non-native speakers to make themselves understood in the world of business.
A great way to determine the type of sound you need to learn is to listen to yourself and others pronounce it.
You can practice using a recorder app like Quick Record or Audacity to record yourself and then listen back.
you’re learning Spanish, for example, you’ll hear that “r” sound pronounced very differently than it is in English.
It’s very subtle, but you’ll be able to pick up on that difference after a short time.
You can also find recordings of native speakers of the language and listen to those to hear how they pronounce it.
This research was part of a study to find the most common sounds that English learners struggle with the most.
As an example, the researchers tested the ability of native English speakers to distinguish between the word “can” and “can’t.”
They found that, while native English speakers could differentiate between these two words, people who were learning English as a second language struggled to do so.
Final Thoughts
, To improve your English listening, you need to read English at least 50 times a day.
you are reading, try to find examples that have meaning and examples that do not have meaning.
Don’t just listen to a recording and try to repeat what you hear.
Try to write down what you hear.
Try to put the words into different sentences.
Then, look for the differences.
the best way to learn new languages is through immersion.
By immersing yourself in a new language, your brain will learn all the nuances of pronunciation, syntax, and vocabulary in that language.
As you use that language, you’ll build your vocabulary.
And, if you start speaking to other people in that language, you’ll build your social skills.
Immersion gives you a better chance of becoming fluent in a language.
Here are 4 ways to immerse yourself in a new language:
1) Get a good tutor.
2) Find a community of language learners online.
3) Sign up for an online language program, like Duolingo.
4) Join an exchange student program in a foreign country.
Frequently Asked Questions
How difficult is it for students to form certain sounds?
Children master some sounds at different rates as they absorb, emulate, and learn speech. Children often find it difficult to articulate the sounds L, R, S, Th, and Z. These especially difficult intricate sounds for children to produce can sometimes take a bit of extra care to learn.
Which sounds are problematic for language learners?
The unnatural consonant sound production is felt as problematic consonant sounds. The problematic sounds are [v], [θ], [р], [z], [ʧ ], [ʃ ], [t], [ʤ], [ʒ ], [l], and [w].
What do you find most difficult about English pronunciation?
Several letters are silent at times: r, l, b, h, k, n, p, s, t & w. Some letters can be pronounced in multiple ways. For example, 's' can be pronounced as /z/, 'n' can be pronounced in at least five different ways, and 'v' can be pronounced as 'v' or 't'.
What do people struggle with when learning English?
Several factors make learning English hard and perplexing. It is difficult to learn its grammar structure, pronunciation, definitions, and rules.
But bear in mind that the situation is similar for English speakers learning a foreign language.