AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ PRONUNCIATION DIFFICULTIES IN ENGLISH WORDS THROUGH TONGUE TWISTER ACTIVITIES AMONG THE ELEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS OF SMAS NASRANI 2 MEDAN
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23969/jp.v11i02.44632Keywords:
pronunciation difficulties, tongue twisters, English phonemes, EFL learners.Abstract
This study aims to analyze students’ pronunciation difficulties in English words through tongue twister activities among the eleventh-grade students of SMAS Nasrani 2 Medan. The objectives of this research are to identify the types of pronunciation difficulties experienced by students, determine the English phonemes that are most difficult for them to pronounce, and analyze the patterns of pronunciation difficulties that appear in their pronunciation performance. This research applied a descriptive qualitative research design. The participants of this study were 20 eleventh-grade students of SMAS Nasrani 2 Medan in the academic year 2024/2025. The data were collected through tongue-twister reading tasks, classroom observations, audio recordings, and interviews. The students’ pronunciation performances were transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and analyzed through data reduction, data display, identification and classification of pronunciation difficulties, and interpretation of the findings. The results of the study show that students experience various pronunciation difficulties in both consonant and vowel sounds. The most frequent consonant difficulties were found in the pronunciation of /ʃ/, /θ/, /v/, /r/ in final position, and /z/. Meanwhile, vowel difficulties occurred in the pronunciation of /ʌ/, /æ/, the diphthong /aɪ/, /u/, and /oʊ/. The analysis also revealed three dominant types of pronunciation difficulties, namely substitution, omission, and reduction or simplification. Among these, substitution was the most frequently occurring error, indicating that students often replaced unfamiliar English sounds with similar sounds from their first language. The findings also indicate that first language interference significantly influenced students’ pronunciation performance. In conclusion, the study reveals that tongue twister activities effectively expose students’ pronunciation difficulties and highlight the English phonemes that are most problematic for learners. These findings provide useful insights for English teachers in designing more effective pronunciation teaching strategies and providing focused pronunciation practice for EFL learners.
Downloads
References
(2007), B. (n.d.). H. Douglas Brown (2007) - Principles of Language Learning and Teaching 5th Edition.pdf.
Abbas Pourhosein Gilakjani. (2016). English Pronunciation Instruction: A Literature Review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 1(1), 1–6. www.ijreeonline.com
Analysis, T. H. E., English, O. F., Students, E., In, D., & Vowels, P. E. (2024). Cemara Journal. 4092, 1–6.
Anwar, Y., Kalisa, P., & Semarang, U. N. (2020). Students ’ Problems in Pronouncing Non-Existing English Diphthongs in Indonesian Language. 15(October).
Avery, P. (n.d.). Teaching American English Pronunciation PDF.
Balinayan, M. M. (2024). A Cognitive Approach to Teaching Pronunciation through Tongue Twisters. 11(1), 179–190.
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., Goodwin, J. M., & Griner, B. (n.d.). Teaching Pronunciation: Chapter 1 “The history and scope of pronunciation teaching.” 1–31. https://scispace.com/pdf/teaching-pronunciation-a-course-book-and-reference-guide-mx78rjrl5z.pdf
Compeverde, E. (2021). Campoverde Llivisaca, Erika Valeria.pdf.
Derwing, T. M. (2018). Putting an accent on the positive : New directions for L2 pronunciation research and instruction. September, 19–21.
Education, E., Program, S., Education, E., Program, S., & Inggris, B. (n.d.). Rosita Masfirotul Uyun. 1–7.
Gilakjani, A. P., & Sabouri, N. B. (2016). Why Is English Pronunciation Ignored by EFL Teachers in Their Classes ? 6(6), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v6n6p195
H. Douglas Brown. (2004). Language Asssessment Principles and Classroom Practices.
Harmer. (2007). The Practice of English.
Hughes. (2003). Hughes, A. (2003) Testing for Language Teachers. 2nd Edition.
kelly gerald. (2010). how-to-teach-pronunciation-.
Lado, R. R., & Kramsch, C. (2007). ‘ Classic Book ’ Review. 17(2).
Leviakandella, N. (2022). Teaching English and Language Learning English Journal ( TELLE ) Abstract . Teaching English and Language Learning English Journal ( TELLE ). 02(01), 80–89.
Merriam. (2009). Qualitative research: a guide to design and implementation / Sharan B. Merriam.
miles, huberman, S. (2014). qualitative data analysis - a method sources.
Mills, G. E., & Gay, L. R. (2016). Mills, G. E., & Gay, L. R. (2016) Education research: Competencies for analysis and applications. London, England: Pearson Education. 1. https://www.academia.edu/63326134/Mills_G_E_and_Gay_L_R_2016_Education_research_Competencies_for_analysis_and_applications_London_England_Pearson_Education
Morley, J. (1991). of Other Languages. 25(3), 481–520.
Munro, D. (2015). Language Learning & Language Teaching ( LL & LT ).
Nirwana. (2020). THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TONGUE TWISTERS STRATEGY TO INCRAESE THE. 1.
Nur Fauziah, Zalzabil Zakiah Aororah, Repi Anjani Ramadhany, S. M. H. (2024). The Impact of The English Language Speech Assistant (ELSA)Application on Students’ PronunciationSkills. 11(2), 193–203.
Pacific, S. (1997). CHRISTIANE DALTON AND BARBARA SEIDLHOFER . Pronunciation ( in the series ’ Language Teaching : A Scheme for Teacher Education ’) Oxford University Press , 1994 . 18(3), 396–398.
Roach, P. (2009). English Phonetics and Phonology A practical course.
Salanti1, E., & Meily Ivane Esther Neman. (2024). Exploring the Efficacy of Tongue Twisters in Enhancing Students’ Pronunciation Engelina. 4(2), 1573–1578.
Saragih, M., Sipayung, K., & Manurung, L. W. (2023). The Effect of Using Cake and ELSA Speak Application on Students’ Pronunciation Skills at the Eighth Grade of SMP Negeri 25 Medan. 6, 634–647.
Sitoresmi, U. (2016). Tongue twisters in pronunciation class. 1, 589–592.
Situmeang, I. T., & Lubis, R. F. (2020). Students ’ Difficulties in Pronouncing Fricative Consonant. 08(01), 38–46.
Skripsi, A., & Fahruli, R. P. (2020). THE EFFECT OF TONGUE TWISTERS ON STUDENTS ’ THE FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES.
Tiono, N. I., & Yosta, A. M. (2008). a Study of English Phonological Errors Produced By English Department Students. K@Ta, 10(1), 79–112. https://doi.org/10.9744/kata.10.1.79-112
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Pendas : Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Dasar
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
