Fossilization Analysis on Segmental and Suprasegmental Features of EFL Learners (Javanese-English): A Comparative Study

Abstract

EFL learners ( Javanese-English) have the same background in that their mother tongue is Javanese. Although students of the English Education Study Program (hereafter PBI) have experienced English learning for years, their pronunciation remains suboptimal. The aims of the study were to compare the fossilization of the students majoring English Education Study Program and Javanese Education Study Program (hereafter PBSD) in Universitas PGRI Semarang, focusing on segmental and suprasegmental features and to describe their perception of fossilization. Descriptive qualitative methods were employed with percentages to show the comparison clearly. The data from 57 respondents were collected using a test of pronouncing academic vocabulary and a questionnaire. The vowels, diphthongs, and consonants were categorized as Segmental Features data, while the pitch and intensity of typical suprasegmental features were detected through a voice spectrogram software named PRAAT. The results showed that PBSD students have higher fossilization than PBI with the percentage of vowels (73.88% > 46.86%), diphthongs (73.71% > 42.55%), and consonants (87.86% > 39.87%). Meanwhile, EFL learners have typical segmental features in pitch and intensity, which are different from native speakers. The pitch of native speakers was 201.5 Hz, while PBI’s was 208.5 Hz and PBSD’s was 220.3 Hz. The results showed that the native speaker’s intensity obtained 74,35714286, while PBI’s was 66,35714286, and PBSD’s was 66,71428571. The results also showed that PBSD students had more difficulty with pronunciation. Therefore, it can be concluded that PBSD has a higher level of fossilization compared to PBI on segmental and suprasegmental features, even though they got the same mother tongue background since PBI students have been learning English for years and they have already familiar with the words. The findings of the current study will be proceeded by the researchers to design a concept of Javanese fossilization.