Perception of English Consonant Clusters by Ethiopian EFL Learners Speaking Amharic as First Language

Abstract

The study examined the perception of Amharic speaking Ethiopian learners of English while they listen to English words with consonant cluster. Five English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners speaking Amharic as first language participated in the study by completing a forced dictation task in which audio recorded speeches of target words by English native speakers were presented for transcription. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were employed before findings were drawn. The result showed that most of the transcriptions the learners provided in response to the stimuli they heard were found to be semantically different with the original ones. The study verified that the learners experience perception problems of consonant clusters of all kinds at all positions both at word and phrase levels. The problem however is more acute when the clusters are composed of those sounds like interdental fricatives which are lacking in the learners mother tongue. On the other hand, three and above consonant clusters particularly when presented across words in connected speeches are found to be critical for the learners to correctly perceive and therefore to comprehend. Based on the findings, recommendations are forwarded to make learners familiar to English consonant clusters so that learners will improve comprehension abilities.