Mother Tongue: The Impact on English Pronunciation

Abstract

The proper pronunciation of a foreign language depends on many factors. Many linguists believe that mother tongue is the most powerful tool that effects on the delivery of speech, especially the grammar and pronunciation. This is due to the fact that learners usually compare the foreign language with their mother tongue. Current article is dedicated to the study of those factors, more precisely, the influence of mother tongue onto the pronunciation of the English language.

Moreover, the article is aimed at identifying the significant connection between the mother tongue and English language pronunciation with reference to two languages Uzbek and Russian. The article contains interesting data on the influence of Uzbek language as a mother tongue on the English language learner in terms of its pronunciation. Furthermore, according to the dominant position of Russian language and majority of Russian ethnicity, it was found necessary to include some elements of Russian as a mother tongue. It can be pointed out that comparison of Uzbek-English pronunciation and Russian-English pronunciation is presented in the article with specific examples.

Finally, the article identifies the problems regarding the topic as well as it suggests some possible solutions to deal with the issues both in an academic environment and individually.