Understanding Schwa Sound by ESL Learners: A Study of English Pronunciation in Pakistan

Abstract

Schwa Sound denoted by [ə] in the IPA system is a critical issue that must be addressed to improve the pronunciation competence of EFL learners in Pakistan. Pronunciation is essential for achieving fluency in English. To be clear, comprehensible, and impressive to their listeners, speakers must be able to deliver their speech with proper and clear pronunciation. With the status of the Schwa Sound in English pronunciation in mind, the current study sought to investigate the common difficulties experienced by EFL learners in perceiving and pronouncing it. An English learner must pronounce the words correctly in the same way that a native speaker would. The ability of a non-native English speaker or learner to resolve miscommunication issues becomes increasingly important as time passes. However, as it has been discovered and experienced, a non-native English speaker can't speak exactly like a native English speaker, despite strenuous efforts to achieve perfection in English pronunciation.