The comparison of cardinal vowels between Koreans and native English speakers

영어의 기본모음과 한국인 영어학습자의 영어모음 발화비교

  • Kang, Sung-Kwan (Department of English College of Humanities Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Son, Hyeon-Sung (Department of English College of Humanities Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Jeon, Byoung-Man (Department of English College of Humanities Chonbuk National University) ;
  • Kim, Hyun-Gi (The Korean Academy of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Graduate Program, Chonbuk National University/Research Institute of Speech Science)
  • 강성관 (전북대학교 대학원 영어영문학과) ;
  • 손현성 (전북대학교 대학원 영어영문학과) ;
  • 전병만 (전북대학교 대학원 영어영문학과) ;
  • 김현기 (전북대학교 대학원 협동 임상언어병리학과/음성과학연구소)
  • Published : 2007.05.18

Abstract

The Purpose of the study is to give Korean-English leaners better knowledge on vowel sounds in their learning English. The traditional description of the cardinal vowel system developed by Daniel Johns in 1917 is not enough to provide English learners with clear ideas in producing native like vowel sounds. For the reason, three Korean-native subjects, one male, one female and one child are chosen to produce 7 cardinal vowels and compare them with native English and American speaker's vowel sounds. The difference of produced vowels sounds is quantified and visualized by employing Sona-match program. The results have been fairly remarkable. Firstly, Korean-English learner's vowel sounds are articulated differently from their intention of vowel production. Secondly, the tongue positions of Koreans are placed slightly more down and forward to the lips than those of English and Americans. However, the front vowel /i/ sound is quite close to English and Americans. Lastly the mid-vowel /${\partial}$/ sound is not produced in any articulations of Korean-native speakers. It is thought that the mid vowel, /${\partial}$/ is a type of a weak sound regarded as 'schwa' which needs a great deal of exposure to the language to acquire a physical skill of articulation.

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