THE PRONUNCIATION OF [di] AND [dʒi] BY LUBA LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Abstract: The present paper investigates the pronunciation of the English phonetic couples [di] and [dʒi] in English utterances by Luba speakers of English. The objective of the study is to explore which of the two combinations appears to be more problematic for Luba learners of English. Thirty First Licence (LMD) students of Mbujimayi Teachers Training College, Department of English had produced spontaneous conversations in English, which had been recorded using a computer and a standard microphone. Afterwards, we have conducted an auditory analysis in an attempt to identify errors in the students’ pronunciation. The results demonstrate that Luba learners of English frequently encounter difficulties in pronouncing [di], substituting it by [dʒi]. Possible causes of the erroneous pronunciation seem to involve native language interference, devoting extra effort to approach authentic English pronunciation, and the neglect of pronunciation instructions. Auditory Analysis and Statistic Approach are instrumental for the analysis of data. Keywords : Error, pronunciation, substitution, inference