“An Investigative Study of Misunderstanding of Urdu Consonants Language among EFL Students”

Abstract

The investigative study on the misunderstanding of Urdu consonants among EFL students revealed that there are many elements aiding to this problem. One of the primary reasons is the difference in phonetic systems between Urdu and English.

Second, different regional dialects have a strong influence on Urdu. The study illustrates that students often struggle to differentiate between similar sounding consonants, such as 'ت,,ط and 'ز, ض, ظ, ژor 'ک and 'ق,andح or ہ. Additionally, the lack of exposure to native Urdu speakers and the absence of proper pronunciation guidelines in EFL materials are determined as other major causes. A Research survey and questionnaire have been filled by EFL students in Government Graduate College for Women Burewala. 45 students have been selected as sample.They come from both Urdu and English medium Schools. These students  have completed at least one semester of Urdu language studies. All students are taken from Government Graduate College for Women Burewala.The aim of the survey and questionnaire is to evaluate their knowledge and proficiency in the Urdu language. This study concludes that many students are unable to differentiate Urdu consonants and even they are unable to utter these words properly. It is because of poor educational background and lack of knowledge about pronunciation due to phonological and cultural differences and orthographical distinction. The research advocates that incorporating more reliable Urdu language resources and providing clear instruction on the pronunciation of Urdu consonants could help mitigate these misconceptions.