Problems of Learning Foreign Language Phonology and Phonetics

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2.2 Theoretical Background

In this theoretical background, I will explain about the Problems of Learning Foreign Language, Phonology and Phonetics, Definition of Pronunciation, Reasons of Pronunciation Problems, Pronunciation Features, Teaching Pronunciation, Junior High School Students, Audio Lingual Method, General Concept of Media, The Silent Way Method, Fidel Charts, Songs as the Media, Teaching Learning Cycle, and Experimental Research.

2.2.1 Problems of Learning Foreign Language

Learning a foreign language has become an important thing nowadays. It is important not only for academic life, but also for professional life. However, learning a foreign language is not an easy thing to do. Every learner may find it difficult to learn a foreign language, especially English. The difficulties deal with its grammatical pattern, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Ramelan 1999:4 pointed out that someone who wants to learn a foreign language will face many learning problems. Those learning problems are the beginning of mistakes and errors they may make in learning foreign language. In learning a foreign language, it is important to learn regularly in a certain period of time if we want to master it well. We should learn it regularly because language is a matter about habit. It will be different if we use it irregularly. We will lose our ability easily like a knife that becomes dull because never been ground. However, problems and difficulties 12 in learning a new language or a foreign language cannot be avoided. The difficulty experienced by the students in learning a second language is caused by the different elements that are found between their mother language and the target language Ramelan, 1999:5

2.2.2 Phonology and Phonetics

Talking about pronunciation cannot be separated from phonology and phonetics. ɒoth of them strongly affect students‟ pronunciation ability in learning a foreign language. O‟grady 2005: 137 pointed out about phonetics and phonology. He stated that phonetics is a branch of linguistics that is included into the study of human speech sounds. It is related to physical properties of speech sounds phones; they are physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory perception, and neurophysiological status. Meanwhile, phonology is related to something abstract, grammatical characterization of sounds systems. In phonetics, we can find an objectives way of describing and analysing the range of sounds that human use in their language. Goldsmith 1992:140 pointed out that phonetics is about the physical production, acoustic transmission and perception of the sounds of speech. More specific, articulatory phonetics identifies which speech organs and muscles involved in producing different sounds. Then, those sounds are transmitted from the speaker to the hearer. Acoustics and auditory phonetics focus on the physics of speech since they travel through the air in the form of sound waves. Acoustics and auditory phonetics not only focus in the physics of speech, but also in its‟ effect on the hearer‟s ears and 13 brain. This means that phonetics is in strong association with anatomy, physics and neurology McMahon; 2002: 1 In a narrow definition, phonology defined as the sub-branch of Linguistics that focuses on sounds. In a broader definition, phonology is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken language. Goldsmith 1992: 140 stated that phonology is the linguistics subfield that deals with the sound systems of languages. Phonology also describes how sounds function within a given language or goes to encode meaning.

2.2.3. Definition of Pronunciation