A COMPARISON OF PORTUGUESE AND ENGLISH PHONOLOGY

Authors: Burcu Basoglu Saritas & Baha Cankut Saritas

ABSTRACT

In this study, similarities and differences between the two languages, Portuguese and English, are viewed within the frame of the phonological system. “By focusing on the similarities and differences between the two sound systems, it is possible to set up scales of structural divergence. (Azevedo, 1981, p.7)’’ Such scales help us to determine the features of L1 that can be directly transferred to L2, and also the features of L2 that have no counterpart in L1. Probable Errors with consonants and vowels made by Portuguese speakers learning English are analyzed with the help of a hierarchy of difficulty chart. Solutions for the Pronunciation Problems of Portuguese speakers learning English is deemed to be significant in the research.

Index terms: phonological system, structural divergence, the hierarchy of difficulty

REFERENCES

  • Azevedo, M. M. (1981). A Contrastive Phonology of Portuguese and English. Georgetown University Press.
  • Cruz-Ferreira, M. (1999). “Portuguese (European)”, Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet, Cambridge University Press, pp. 126-130
  • Frankenberg-Garcia, A. (1991). Second Language Writing Instruction: a study of the effects of a discourse-oriented program upon the ability of skilled writers to improve their written production. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Edinburgh University, from http://www.linguateca.pt/Repositorio/Frankenberg-GarciaPina1997.doc
  • Schütz, R. (2008). “Os Fonemas Vogais do Inglês e do Português.” English Made in Brazil, from <http://www.sk.com.br/sk-voga.html>. Online. 28 de maio de 2008. 
  • Schütz, R. (2005) “Os Fonemas Consoantes do Inglês e do Português.” English Made in Brazil, from <http://www.sk.com.br/>. Online. 12 de dezembro de 2005.
  • Shoebottom P. (2007).A guide to learning English, from     http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/langdiff/portuguese.htm
  • Stockwell R.P. and Bowen J.D. (1965). Sound Systems in Conflict: A Hierarchy of Difficulty. P. 28
  • Swan, M. and Smith, B. (2001) Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press.
  • Yule, G. (1996). The Study of Language. Cambridge University Press, pp. 40-49 http://www.sonia-portuguese.com/text/pronunciation.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differences_between_Spanish_and_Portuguese