Sociophonological Gender Variations of EFL Iraqi Students

Abstract

This study employs a mixed-methods approach to examine the phonological challenges faced by Iraqi EFL learners, focusing on gender-based differences and the influence of Iraqi Arabic phonology on English pronunciation. Iraqi Arabic presents unique phonological characteristics—such as dark [??], trilled [r?], and vowel length distinctions—that can complicate the acquisition of English phonology. The study explores two research questions: (1) What phonological features do Iraqi EFL learners struggle with, and how do these differ by gender? (2) How does Iraqi Arabic phonology influence English pronunciation among male and female learners? A quantitative methodology was employed, analyzing speech samples from 50 participants, with frequency counts used to identify patterns. The findings show that both genders struggle with phonological features such as dark [??], trilled [r?], vowel lengthening, monophthongization, and epenthesis. However, gender differences are evident, with males showing higher frequencies of traditional phonological features, while females tend to approximate English norms more closely. These results confirm the significant influence of Iraqi Arabic phonology on English pronunciation, with sociolinguistic factors shaping learners' adaptation strategies. The study contributes to sociophonology and Arabic sociolinguistics and offers practical insights for EFL pedagogy, suggesting targeted pronunciation instruction to address specific challenges faced by Arabic-speaking learners.

Keywords: Iraqi EFL learners, phonological variation, gender differences, Iraqi Arabic phonology, sociophonology, pronunciation challenges