Influence of Phonological Errors in English Academic Discourse of Cebuano-Visayan Learners

Abstract

Oral communication always demands clarity in producing a language such as English in order to minimize or avoid communication failure. However, in the context of using English as a medium of communication among speakers who consider it as their second language, regardless of their acquired proficiency, they still commit phonological errors, either intended or otherwise. Ironically, the commission of errors in the expected phonology in English consequently facilitated the communication process instead of constraining it as contended. Thus, it is interesting to know what are these phonological errors in English committed by the learners and how the commission of these phonological errors influenced the academic discourse of native Cebuano-Visayans learners. Through a qualitative single-case study, data were gathered and analyzed following the thematic analytical framework of Miles and Huberman. Findings reveal that these phonological errors fall generally within segmental and suprasegmental areas along with specific identified phonemes and elements. Moreover, the commission of these phonological errors is associated with the alignment of proficiency disparity and its factors and assessment for improvement. Therefore, it is concluded that as English as second language speakers orally communicate, either intentionally or not, the phonological errors committed facilitated the exchange of concepts in the academic discourse as speakers begin to share an abstract concept of meanings that are associated with the produced phonological error.