中國學生英語流音發音問題之研究

Abstract

本研究旨在探討中國學生在英語流音 ( liquids /r/ and /l/) 發音上的表現，以及相鄰的母音 (surrounding vowel) 與流音的正確性有何關聯。 五十位高一學生參與本研究實驗，朗讀並錄下所讀的二十個單字、五個句子及一篇短文。朗讀文本的目標音 (target sounds) 設計以英文流音分布的語音環境 (phonetic environment) 為主，包括音節首音(syllable initial /r/ and /l/)、音節尾音 (syllable final /r/ and /l/)、字首子音群 (initial /r/ and /l/ cluster)、字尾子音群 (final /r/ and /l/ cluster) 以及同時出現在一個子音群的兩個流音-rl- (cluster containing two consecutive liquids /rl/)。前四項的語音環境都出現相鄰的後母音(back vowel) 或非後母音 (non-back vowel)，作為研究的分析與探討。 研究結果顯示流音的分布(distribution of liquids)及後母音對英語流音的錯誤率有很大的影響，主要受到母語及英語發展因素的干擾(L1 interference and developmental factors) 還有母音後的/r/及晦邊音/l/ (postvocalic /r/ and dark /ɫ/) 緊接在後母音會產生的共鳴效應 (back vowel resonance)。此外，實驗中語境的大小(the scope of the task)，中文ㄖ的語音分布 (distribution of Mandarin ʐ)，重音的顯著性 (prominence of stress)，鄰近鼻音的同化 (assimilation of a neighboring nasal )，以及受試者學習過程中的個別因素 (some idiosyncrasies of the subjects’ learning) 也會左右流音的正確性。 本研究的最後一章提供對於英語流音在發音教學上的建議，以及未來進一步研究的方向。

The primary aim of this study is to investigate Chinese subjects’ performance in pronouncing English liquids and how their surrounding vowels are correlated to their mispronunciation. Fifty first graders of a senior high school participated an empirical experiment conducted in the present study by recording their pronunciation of a wordlist of twenty words, five sentences and a short passage. The design of the target sounds is mainly based on the distribution of English liquids, namely syllable initial /r, l/, syllable final /r, l/, initial /r/ and /l/ clusters, final /r/ and /l/ clusters, as well as clusters containing two consecutive liquids /rl/. Liquids in the first four phonetic environments are all designed to follow or precede a back vowel or a non-back vowel for later comparison, analysis and discussion. The results of the study reveal that the distribution of liquids and backness of the surrounding vowel have great influence on erroneous production of /r/ and /l/, probably due to L1 interference, developmental factors, and back vowel resonance found in postvocalic /r, ɫ/ with a preceding back vowel. Besides, the scope of the task, distribution of Mandarin /ʐ/, prominence of stress, assimilation of a neighboring nasal, as well as some idiosyncrasies of the subjects’ learning all have different degrees of impact on mispronunciation of liquid. The final chapter of this study provides pedagogical implications for liquid pronunciation teaching and offers some suggestions for future researches as well.