Phonological Errors and L1 Interference: A Case Study of Jordanian Learners of English as a Foreign Language

Abstract

This study investigates the phonological errors made by Jordanian learners of English as a foreign language. It aims to explore the role played by the learners’ first language in committing such errors. The researcher collected data from 20 Jordanian learners of English; all were in Grade 10 and speak Jordanian Arabic (JA) as their native language. The researcher asked each participant to read a list of words and recorded their pronunciation. The analysis of data showed that participants made two types of errors: insertion errors and substitution errors. The results also revealed that learners’ first language interference is the major source of both insertion and substitution errors. The study made some suggestions to eliminate errors and recommendations for future research.