Abstract
This study aims to investigate the acoustic properties of the native Pashto and English vowels
spoken in District Mianwali. The main purpose of the study is to pin down the similarities and
dis similarities in acoustic properties of both the languages vowels. The study adopts a
quantitative approach. The participants of the study are selected by convenient based sampling
and then categorized into two groups (Group A and Group B). The data was collected through
two stimuli, lists of words (Pashto and English). The analysis is carried by applying the speech
learning model (SLM). The present study shows that Pashto and English have different number
of vowels and these are in dissimilar position on their respective inventories. The comparison of
acoustic properties of English vowels with Pashto speakers‟ acoustic properties proves that these
are significantly dissimilar from each other. An analysis of vowels produced by the native
speakers of English shows that out of eleven vowels of English, /i:/, /e/ and /ɒː/ are like Pashto
vowels and F1 for /ɪ/ and /ɑ:/ of English are like L1 Pashto vowels. F1, F2 for /u:/ and duration
values of the vowel /æ/ are also like the native English speakers‟ corresponding vowels. In
addition, F1 for vowel /æ/, F2 for vowel /ʊ/, /æ/ and /ɑ:/ of Pashto learners are neither like L1
Pashto nor like native speakers of English. This work will initiate further linguistic investigations
on Pashtoon learners of English. The study concludes that the SLM is valid for the context of
English L2 speakers in acquisition of some of the vowels but the model does not account for
some dimensions of acquisition of some other vowels of English by Pakistani learners who speak
Pashto as L1.
Aamir Saeed, Arshad Saleem, Ihsan Kakar, Munir Khan . (2019) A Comparative Study: Acoustic Analysis of English and Pashto Vowels Produced by the Native Speakers of Pashto, Balochistan Journal of Linguistics, Volume 7, Issue 1.
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