The English Strong, Weak and Contracted Forms and the Related Language Problems of Congolese EFL

This study investigates the problems Congolese students have when learning English as a foreign language, specifically regarding the acquisition and utilization of English strong, weak, and contracted forms, elements crucial for natural-sounding and comprehensible spoken English. The research problem centers on the tendency of these learners to over-rely on literal pronunciation, neglecting the nuances of vowel reduction, stress patterns, and contractions, leading to communication difficulties. Employing observational and interview-based methodologies, the study analyzes the pronunciation patterns of Congolese EFL learners to identify common errors and underlying causes, including spelling pronunciation, overgeneralization, a lack of vowel reduction, and interference from previous languages. The conclusions highlight the need for targeted pedagogical interventions that emphasize phonetics instruction, practice with audiovisual materials, and exposure to native speaker language through immersion or media, and awareness of common orthographic errors. The importance of this work comes from its potential of informing EFL teachers teaching practices in the Congolese context, ultimately improving learners' pronunciation, fluency, and overall communicative competence, thus supporting the Ministry of National Education's efforts to integrate English into the national curriculum.