English Language Features Challenging for Nepali English Learners

This paper explored and analyzedfeatures of English pronunciation that could cause intelligibility problems for Nepali English learners (ELs), who use English as a foreign language (EEL) or English as a second language (ESL). We examined the Nepali ELs ' pronunciation issues by juxtaposing them...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The ORTESOL journal 2023-01, Vol.40, p.21-35
Main Authors: Joshi, Puskar, Eslami, Zohreh R, Rivera, Hector H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic discourse
Communication
Communicative Competence (Languages)
Consonants
Dentistry
Diphthongs
English
English (Second Language)
English as a second language learning
English Language Learners
Foreign Countries
Indo European Languages
Intelligibility
Intonation
Language
Multilingualism
Muscular Strength
Native Speakers
Nepali
Old English
Oral English
Phonemes
Phonology
Pronunciation
Second Language Instruction
Second Languages
Sound
Speech Communication
Suprasegmentals
Vowels
Workplace communication
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Summary:This paper explored and analyzedfeatures of English pronunciation that could cause intelligibility problems for Nepali English learners (ELs), who use English as a foreign language (EEL) or English as a second language (ESL). We examined the Nepali ELs ' pronunciation issues by juxtaposing them with comparable segmental and suprasegmental features of the Nepali language. We found that Nepali has far less sound inventory and voiceless consonants than English, yet it has a lot of contrastive consonants. Similarly, the Nepali language has fewer vowels, minimal diphthongs, and no triphthongs. While both English and Nepali share limited suprasegmental characteristics, they do not complement each other. Given the distinctiveness in pronunciation of the two languages, Nepali ELs are likely to face several intelligibility challenges as they encounter other non-Nepali English users. Thus, they need knowledge and appropriate training to enhance intelligibility for effective communication in workplaces and academic spaces that promote English.
ISSN:0192-401X