Abstract:

This study examines the problems in pronunciation that Turkish EFL learners experience as English language learners. The participants in this study were university students studying in the ELT Department of Dicle University in Diyarbakır, Turkey. In total, 43 students participated in the study and their English proficiency levels ranged from intermediate to upper-intermediate. In order to collect data, ten class sessions were recorded by the researcher. The information obtained were compared to the list prepared by the students who noted their commonly mispronounced words. Finally, an interview was conducted with the students, to learn the causes of their mispronunciations. It was found that, among other factors, English spelling played a large role in the students' mispronunciations. Because of the irregularities in English spelling, students are unsuccessful when they guess the correct pronunciation of words; they also tend to make overgeneralisations. The results of the study may be useful for teachers trying to teach English to Turkish learners.

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