THE ANALYSIS OF EFL STUDENTS' PRONUNCIATION USING PRAAT SOFTWARE

(A case study at State Islamic University)

Abstract

Pronunciation is one of the speaking skills. Speaking without proper pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings between speakers and listeners. Therefore, accurate pronunciation is essential for clear communication in English. By utilizing PRAAT software and students' perceptions, this study aims to explore the accuracy of EFL students' pronunciation and to identify common errors that EFL students often make. This study employs both case study and qualitative research approaches. This is used due to Gerring (2004), the depth of analysis is one of the key strengths of the case study approach. The participants of this study are three students in, the third semester, of English Language Education Department at Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University, Bandung. The study's results show that EFL students have good pronunciation abilities. Students are already aware of typical errors and know how to correct them. The accuracy of EFL students' pronunciation is evaluated using PRAAT software. PRAAT software is often used to study sounds since it provides intensity, pitch, waveform, and formant information. Consequently, these represent the outcomes of students' pronunciation accuracy while utilizing PRAAT software. As a result, students and teachers can effectively test accuracy with this software. The findings revealed that students generally pronounced words like "presentation," "magazine," and "challenges" quite accurately, with some progress despite occasional issues on specific syllables. The software analysis showed that the students' pitch, formants, and intensity closely matched those of native speakers, especially in the word "Presentation”. The study also found that common pronunciation errors among EFL students include issues with syllable pronunciation, vowel combinations, word stress, and silent letters, which can hinder communication. Despite these challenges, students remain committed to improving their pronunciation by using technology and listening to native speakers, acknowledging that mistakes are part of the learning process. Overall, the students demonstrated a decent level of pronunciation accuracy, though there is room for improvement.