Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Handling Global and Local English Pronunciation Errors

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teaching and Researching the Pronunciation of English

Part of the book series: Second Language Learning and Teaching ((SLLT))

Abstract

This paper discusses the issue of global and local errors in EFL pronunciation of Polish learners. It is argued that in school conditions explicit instruction and drawing the learner's attention to language patterns can save time and enhance progress. Since presenting patterns and rules can help the students handle the problems with global errors but not with local ones, it is worthwhile looking for patterns among the phenomena which are seemingly erratic and unpredictable. Classroom practice tells us that certain kinds of errors reappear, which makes it possible for the teacher to formulate useful hints for the students and even prevent many word-specific, local errors. In the main part of the paper, a list of frequent Polglish pronunciation mistakes (Sobkowiak, 2001) is used to elaborate a set of practical tips for Polish learners of English. The tips refer to English phonotactics and spelling-phonology relations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    The same problem appears on the utterance level with respect to Burt and Kiparsky’s (1972, 1974) classification. Numerous examples can be found where it is hard to decide if certain syntactic deviations (e.g., erroneous word order) affect the whole sentence or just one constituent, regardless of their influence on communication efficiency, not to mention obvious local errors (e.g., wrong lexical choices) that make whole sentences unintelligible.

  2. 2.

    Typically the closing diphthong that is used to name the vowel letter (cf. Porzuczek et al., 2013, p. 40).

  3. 3.

    But <th-> is never voiced before <r> (Sobkowiak, 2001, p. 72).

Abbreviations

/C/:

a consonant

/V/:

a vowel

<C>:

a consonant letter other than <r>

<V>:

a vowel letter

<-C>:

a word final consonant letter other than <r>

<C->:

a word initial consonant letter

<x> → /y/:

letter ‘x’ represents sound ‘y’

<x> ≠ /y/:

letter ‘x’ does not represent sound ‘y’

(N), (V), (A):

noun, verb, adjective (respectively)

References

  • Burt, M. K. (1975). Error analysis in the adult EFL classroom. TESOL Quarterly, 9, 53-63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burt, M., & Kiparsky, C. (1972). The Gooficon: A repair manual for English. Rowley, Mass.: Newbury House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burt, M., & Kiparsky, C. (1974). Global and local mistakes. In J. Schumann, & N. Stenson (Eds.), New frontiers in second language learning. Rowley, Massachusetts: Newbury House Publishing, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porzuczek, A., Rojczyk, A., & Arabski, J. (2013). Praktyczny kurs wymowy angielskiej dla Polaków. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego

    Google Scholar 

  • Sobkowiak, W. (2001). English phonetics for Poles. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskie.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szpyra-Kozłowska, J. (2011). Phonetically difficult words in intermediate learners’ English. In M. Pawlak, E. Waniek-Klimczak, & J. Majer (Eds.), Speaking and instructed foreign language acquisition (pp. 286-299). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szpyra-Kozłowska, J. (2012). Mispronounced lexical items in Polish English of advanced learners. Research in Language, 10(2), 243-256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szpyra-Kozłowska, J. (2013). On the irrelevance of sounds and prosody in foreign-accented English. In E. Waniek-Klimczak, & L. Shockey (Eds.), Teaching and researching English accents in native and non-native speakers. Second language learning and teaching (pp. 15-29). Berlin Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szpyra-Kozłowska, J., & Stasiak, S. (2010). From focus on sounds to focus on words in English pronunciation instruction. Research in Language, 8, 163–177.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland

    Andrzej Porzuczek

Authors
  1. Andrzej Porzuczek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrzej Porzuczek .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of English Studies, University of Łódź, Łódź, Lódzkie, Poland

    Ewa Waniek-Klimczak

  2. Department of English Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Kalisz, Wielkopolskie, Poland

    Mirosław Pawlak

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Porzuczek, A. (2015). Handling Global and Local English Pronunciation Errors. In: Waniek-Klimczak, E., Pawlak, M. (eds) Teaching and Researching the Pronunciation of English. Second Language Learning and Teaching. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11092-9_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation