The Effect of Consonant Positional Context on Phonemic Substitution among Non-Native Learners of Arabic in a Multilingual Environment: A Field Study on Indian Learners

Abstract

This study investigates the phenomenon of phoneme substitution among learners of Arabic as a foreign language, with a focus on the impact of the syllabic position of a sound within a word (initial, medial, final) on the likelihood and patterns of substitution. The research was motivated by recurrent pronunciation difficulties, particularly with pharyngeal sounds (/ħ/, /ʕ/), emphatic sounds (/sˤ/), and the glide (/w/), highlighting the need for a methodological approach that combines statistical accuracy with in-depth phonological interpretation.

The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative analysis—through percentage distribution tables and Chi-square tests to assess statistical significance of differences between syllabic positions—with qualitative analysis, describing substitution patterns and interpreting them in light of the articulatory features of the targeted sounds, supported by previous Arabic and international studies.

Findings revealed that syllabic position is a significant factor in phoneme substitution. The medial position recorded higher substitution rates for some pharyngeal and emphatic sounds, while the final position exhibited relative stability. Statistically significant differences were found in four key sounds (/ħ/, /ʕ/, /sˤ/, /w/). Qualitative analysis indicated that learners tend to replace unfamiliar sounds with more common and easier-to-produce alternatives, consistent with known patterns of language interference.

These results have important pedagogical implications for teaching Arabic as a foreign language. The study recommends incorporating targeted pronunciation training within syllabic contexts, with particular focus on positions more prone to substitution, and encourages future research that combines quantitative and qualitative analyses to achieve a deeper understanding of pronunciation challenges and their remediation.