PHONETIC DIFFICULTIES OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR STUDENTS OF NON-LINGUISTIC SPECIALTIES

Abstract

Abstract. When learning a foreign language, including English, the issue of correct pronunciation should have a clear statement from the start. Without the correct pronunciation, the manifestation of the language communicative function is impossible. The initial stage of training is especially important, because at this period students often imitate sounds, which, at the subconscious level, helps them to get the necessary skills of articulation. The purpose of the article is to stress the importance of studying the phonetic features of the Ukrainian and English languages sound systems based on the experience of the authors of this article and certain theoretical conclusions. Teaching foreign language pronunciation is a difficult task in itself that does not only require good knowledge of the phonetic system of the language taught but also of the mother tongue, since their comparison allows to predict the typical mistakes of those who study a foreign language and to overcome possible difficulties encountered in the learning process more effectively. When choosing the pronunciation option, it is necessary to take into account the purpose of foreign language teaching, the students’ needs and their personal and social identity. Due to the fact that the number of hours allocated to studying a foreign language at non-linguistic faculties of higher educational establishments in Ukraine is not sufficient for the qualitative mastering of all the competences of the English language (lexical, grammatical etc.), the issue of pronunciation is often receded into the background. Much work of considerable interest has been completed aimed to optimize the foreign language teaching process on the basis of the comparative analysis of the native and learned languages. In order to determine the level of pronunciation skills of the first-year students of Geology and Geography Faculty, the English language phonetics level test was held in the first semester of 2017. The students were asked to read certain words aloud, paying attention to intonation and articulation. The test results showed that 100 % of the students made pronunciation mistakes. Therefore, when learning a foreign language, we should comprehensively take into account students’ opportunities and the problems connected with their acquired knowledge and skills to prevent unconscious learning, and at the same time, trying to ensure that the operational side of the language learning is worked out quite clearly, which can allow the practical aspects of language proficiency to be actualized. Thus, both the students and the teachers will feel more confident when the process of training is productive.