Analysis of Phonological Errors Made by Grade 4 Learners with Communication Difficulties in Kieni East Sub-County
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Date
2023
Authors
Waruru, Joyce Wamuyu
Nyamasyo, Eunice Auma
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
KCRD
Abstract
Inclusive education in Kenyan primary schools brings together learners with special needs and their peers without special needs
in the mainstream classroom. Some learners in inclusive classrooms have challenges that hinder the acquisition of literacy skills.
Official instruction in ESL in primary schools begins in Grade 4. Learners who fail to acquire basic language skills in Grade 4 will
struggle to master ESL in the upper classes. Against this backdrop, this study set out to analyze the phonological errors made
by Grade 4 learners of ESL in Kieni East Sub-County. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Seven primary schools in
Kieni-East were randomly sampled, and 11 students with communication difficulties purposively sampled for data collection.
The 11 learners were observed during an ESL listening and speaking lesson. The researcher turned Sony ICD-UX570 Digital Voice
Recorder on and left it on the learner’s desk for a 35-minute lesson. The study identified twenty-seven (27) words with
phonological errors. The phonological errors were categorized into five classes such as cluster reduction (22%) followed by
reduplication (19%), distortion (15%), deletion (15%), stopping (11%), backing (11%) and gliding (7%), respectively. The audiorecorded data was transcribed, and the correct forms provided in a table. Data was analyzed qualitatively using Error Analysis
and Natural Phonology Theory to describe the phonological errors. The study found that Grade 4 learners with communication
difficulties make phonological errors due to word complexities, biological disorders, and poor cognitive development. Further,
the study established that inclusive schools do not have adequate assistive resources to instruct learners with communication
difficulties. This study recommends that teachers should partner with speech therapists and language researchers to assist
learners with communication needs. Further, EARC should equip all inclusive classrooms with assistive resources to address the
needs of learners with communication needs.
Description
Article
Keywords
Phonological Errors, Error Analysis, Communication difficulties, Natural Phonology, speech disorder
Citation
Waruru, J., & Auma Nyamasyo, E. (2023). Analysis of Phonological Errors Made by Grade 4 Learners with Communication Difficulties in Kieni East Sub-County. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 6(8), 191–198. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2023.6.8.18