The academic paper titled "A Comparative Study between English and Bangla Vowel System" by A. K. M. Mazharul Islam focuses on examining the similarities and differences in the vowel systems of the English and Bangla languages. The study's primary objective is to identify the challenges faced by Bangladeshi learners when acquiring English vowel sounds, which differ significantly from those in their native language.
The purpose of the study is to explore the articulatory aspects of English vowels and compare them with those in Bangla to pinpoint specific difficulties encountered by Bangladeshi learners. The scope includes an analysis of the major segmental features of vowel sounds, excluding supra-segmental aspects, and aims to offer pedagogical suggestions to improve the teaching and learning of English vowels in Bangladesh.
The methodology involved selecting 45 first-year English Department students from various universities who had not yet studied phonetics. These students were asked to read aloud passages containing specific vowel sounds, and their pronunciations were recorded and analyzed to identify common errors and difficulties.
Key findings reveal that Bangladeshi learners often struggle with differentiating between long and short vowels in English, a distinction not present in Bangla. Specific vowels such as the schwa sound, long vowels like /ɑ:/ and /ɔ:/, and diphthongs also pose significant challenges. The study found that learners tend to substitute unfamiliar English vowel sounds with their closest Bangla equivalents, leading to miscommunication.
The study concludes that mastering English vowels is challenging for Bangladeshi learners due to the significant differences in vowel systems between the two languages. It suggests that raising awareness of these differences, providing targeted phonetic instruction, and introducing phonetics at earlier stages of education could help learners overcome these challenges. The findings emphasize the need for tailored teaching strategies to address the specific difficulties Bangladeshi learners face with English vowel sounds.