Problems in Assimilation of English Words for Undergraduate Level Students in Hazara University

Abstract

This present study has focused on the problems in the assimilation of English words for undergraduates in Hazara University. A survey descriptive design was used to collect data from fifty undergraduates selected through convenient-non probability sampling technique who were asked to comprehend the assimilation process in certain words in the selected clips from English movies. To measure the problems in assimilation for the students, the students were asked to reproduce the same speech. The statistical analysis of the data shows that undergraduates did not have any major issues in the comprehension of the assimilated sounds in English words as they identified the assimilated sounds from the available lexical items and the speech context itself. The findings of the study show that students had fewer issues regarding the comprehension of the assimilated speech by native speakers than the issues they had while reproducing the same speech in spoken form themselves. In light of the findings of the study, it is suggested that due attention should be given to speaking skills in order to eliminate issues of assimilation in connected speech.