THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ULTIMATE ATTAINMENT IN PRONUNCIATION: PRONUNCIATION PROBLEMS OF ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Abstract

This paper is an attempt to address the contributory factors in pronunciation problems of adult non-native speakers (NNSs) of English. It reports on the previous studies on SLA into the issue of ultimate attainment by second language learners (SLLs) starting language acquisition after a critical period which is believed to take place between age two and puberty. On the ground of the researches on SLA, it could be concluded that biologic factors including age, influence of a first language (L1), and variations in the phonetic system of learners’ L1 and L2 are the leading factors as to why majority of late SLLs fail to acquire native-like pronunciation. In addition to that, some recommendations are also included as to guide language teachers to help students with pronunciation problems.