Phonological and morphological issues in learners’ performance of English as a foreign language : a case study of ninth grade students at Taybeh secondary school for girls in Ma’an Governorate
Other Title(s)
مشاكل صوتية و صرفية في أداء متعلمي اللغة الإنجليزية كلغة أجنبية : دراسة حالة الصف التاسع في مدرسة الطيبة الثانوية للبنات في محافظة معان
Dissertant
Thesis advisor
Comitee Members
al-Hajjaj, Hamid
Abu Hamdiyah, Zakariyya
al-Hasan, Ahmad
University
Middle East University
Faculty
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department
Department of English
University Country
Jordan
Degree
Master
Degree Date
2009
English Abstract
The objective of this study was to account theoretically for phonological and morphological performances of learners of English as a foreign language at Al-Taybeh Secondary School for Girls in Ma’an Governorate.
It aimed at answering the following questions: 1.
How does the theory of distinctive features account for phonological changes in performances? 2.
What phonological rules are posited to govern the gain or loss of features? 3.
How do morphological processes account for the distribution of morphemes in the participants’ performances? 4.
What are the major factors that influence the participants’ performances in morphology? To achieve the goal of this study, the researcher referred to Chomsky and Halle’s (1968) theoretical views on distinctive features for phonology and to Dulay, Burt and Krashen’s (1982) theoretical views on morphological processes.
The results of the study revealed that the selective sample did certain phonological changes due to unawareness of the correct pronunciation of L2.
The changes happened to be in two categories (i) consonants and (ii) vowels.
As an answer to question (1), the consonants were tackled with the features related to cavity, manner and source.
However, the vowels were tackled with reference to the body tongue and cavity features.
The results revealed that also there were other phonological processes, namely, insertion and deletion which are tackled with the same distinctive features.
The researcher discovered certain phonological rules for each environment in which there is a difficulty visible as an answer to question (2).
It is evident that the researcher avoided suprasegmental features as well as morphophonemics processes as they are irrelevant to the analysis.
As far as the morphological data were concerned, the results revealed that the processes divided the morphemes into derivational and inflectional.
Such morphemic difficulties were tackled with reference to the morphological processes of (i) omission, (ii) addition and (iii) misformation as n answer to question (3).
It was evident that, on one hand, morphological issues happened because of the participants’ unawareness of the target language rules.
On the other hand, the mother tongue rules played crucial role in influencing the learners’ performances as an answer to question (4).
Thus, using these two theoretical approaches is valid and led to good results.
Main Subjects
Languages & Comparative Literature
No. of Pages
103
Table of Contents
Table of contents.
Abstract.
Abstract in Arabic.
Chapter One : Introduction.
Chapter Two : Review of literature.
Chapter Three : Methods and procedures.
Chapter Four : Discussions and results.
Chapter Five : Conclusions and recommendations.
References.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Amir, Fatin Husam al-Din. (2009). Phonological and morphological issues in learners’ performance of English as a foreign language : a case study of ninth grade students at Taybeh secondary school for girls in Ma’an Governorate. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Middle East University, Jordan
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-692281
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Amir, Fatin Husam al-Din. Phonological and morphological issues in learners’ performance of English as a foreign language : a case study of ninth grade students at Taybeh secondary school for girls in Ma’an Governorate. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Middle East University. (2009).
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-692281
American Medical Association (AMA)
Amir, Fatin Husam al-Din. (2009). Phonological and morphological issues in learners’ performance of English as a foreign language : a case study of ninth grade students at Taybeh secondary school for girls in Ma’an Governorate. (Master's theses Theses and Dissertations Master). Middle East University, Jordan
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-692281
Language
English
Data Type
Arab Theses
Record ID
BIM-692281
