Analysis of Phonological Errors Made by Grade 4 Learners with Communication Difficulties in Kieni East Sub-County

Abstract

Inclusive education in Kenyan primary schools brings together learners with special needs and their peers without special needs in the mainstream classroom. Some learners in inclusive classrooms have challenges that hinder the acquisition of literacy skills. Official instruction in ESL in primary schools begins in Grade 4. Learners who fail to acquire basic language skills in Grade 4 will struggle to master ESL in the upper classes. Against this backdrop, this study set out to analyze the phonological errors made by Grade 4 learners of ESL in Kieni East Sub-County. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Seven primary schools in Kieni-East were randomly sampled, and 11 students with communication difficulties purposively sampled for data collection. The 11 learners were observed during an ESL listening and speaking lesson. The researcher turned Sony ICD-UX570 Digital Voice Recorder on and left it on the learner’s desk for a 35-minute lesson. The study identified twenty-seven (27) words with phonological errors. The phonological errors were categorized into five classes such as cluster reduction (22%) followed by reduplication  (19%), distortion (15%),  deletion (15%), stopping (11%), backing (11%) and gliding (7%), respectively. The audio-recorded data was transcribed, and the correct forms provided in a table. Data was analyzed qualitatively using Error Analysis and Natural Phonology Theory to describe the phonological errors. The study found that Grade 4 learners with communication difficulties make phonological errors due to word complexities, biological disorders, and poor cognitive development. Further, the study established that inclusive schools do not have adequate assistive resources to instruct learners with communication difficulties. This study recommends that teachers should partner with speech therapists and language researchers to assist learners with communication needs. Further, EARC should equip all inclusive classrooms with assistive resources to address the needs of learners with communication needs.