Yemeni EFL Learners' Typical Pronunciation Issues: Quantitative Analysis of Enhancement via Structured Interview-Based Intervention I

Abstract

Abstract

In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes, effective communication requires proper pronunciation. For reasons that include insufficient teacher training, outdated curricula, and lack of teaching materials, pronunciation is neglected in many Arabic-speaking countries such as Yemen. This quantitative research study evaluates the effectiveness of a structured interview-based intervention designed to resolve common pronunciation problems faced by Yemeni EFL learners. A total of thirty students from Hodeidah University in their eighth semester participated in a two-week workshop aimed at segmental (consonant clusters, vowel alternation) and suprasegmental (stress, intonation) teaching. Pre- and post-intervention interviews, using Munro and Derwing's (1995) taxonomy, noted significant reductions in three primary sources of error: stress misplacement (50% reduction), vowel substitution (46.43% reduction), and consonant cluster reduction (56.25% reduction). Most of the errors, particularly L1 interference errors, 56.9% and 27.4% intralingual transfer within a constrained context, contributed to the defined result.

This highlighted a particular contribution of an error source analysis, which somehow drew attention to the restructuring, or even more profound alterations, to how educational resources are allocated beyond the curriculum-focused changes limited to supervision, teacher training, and tacit behavioral guidance. By tackling an overlooked yet vital aspect of EFL teaching in Yemen, this study fills an important gap while offering adaptable, practical interventions for similar regions facing pedagogical and infrastructural challenges.

Keywords: accent modification, Yemeni learners of EFL, research interviews, error analysis, first language influence, phonological modification.