A Contrastive Analysis of English Phonology and the Phonological Patterns of Nigerian English Speakers: Implications for English Language Teachers (ELT) in Nigeria.

With an emphasis on 100-level students at Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode, this study investigates the phonological difficulty areas of Nigerian English speakers (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba). The aim of the study is to determine how Nigerian students' first-language (L1) phonological structures affect their pronunciation of English and to identify areas that need focused intervention in English language instruction. To evaluate students' pronunciation, the study used a percentage rating scale, direct observation, and an oral production technique. Tested consonant sounds were listened to and their pronunciations were assessed in order to gather data. Ten Hausa speakers participated since they were under-represented in the College of Humanities, whereas fifty first-year students were chosen, twenty of whom represented Yoruba and another twenty represented Igbo speakers. The findings show that phonological patterns from the first language have a big influence on how English is pronounced. In particular, there was a 100% mispronunciation rate for phonemes such /θ/ (thin), /ð/ (this), /ʧ/ (church), /p/ (people), and /v/ (vast), with substitutes that matched L1 phonetic structures. Additionally, phonemes such as /ŋ/ (sing), /ʒ/ (measure), and /z/ (zebra) have high mispronunciation rates (above 75%). Sounds like /r/ (red), /h/ (house), and vowel replacements like /3:/ (church) being pronounced as /ɔ:/ were found to have moderate mispronunciation rates (50–70%). The study demonstrates that there is widespread phonological transfer from L1 to English, which affects acceptability and intelligibility. In light of these results, it is advised that English language teachers (ELT) focus on these trouble spots at all educational levels in order to enhance Nigerian English speakers' general communication skills and pronunciation accuracy.