How Arab EFL Learners Pronounce Words Ending in '-ate

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This publication provides valuable insights into the pronunciation challenges Arab EFL learners face when producing words ending in "-ate." The study is particularly important because English stress patterns differ significantly from those in Arabic, where stress is more predictable and usually falls on heavy syllables. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of phonological transfer and the influence of L1 stress rules on L2 pronunciation. One key strength of the research is its empirical approach, which systematically examines learners' errors and the effects of explicit instruction. The study’s pedagogical implications are noteworthy, as they suggest that targeted stress training can improve pronunciation accuracy. This aligns with previous research in second language phonology, which emphasizes the role of explicit phonetic instruction in developing learners’ prosodic competence. However, a potential limitation could be the study's focus on a specific word category, which might not fully capture the broader patterns of stress misplacement among Arab EFL learners. Future research could expand on these findings by exploring how different morphological and phonological factors influence stress assignment in a wider range of English words. Overall, this publication makes a significant contribution to applied linguistics by shedding light on a crucial aspect of L2 pronunciation and offering practical recommendations for language instruction.

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