Abstract

The phonetic challenges faced by second language learners in acquiring the phonetic features of a new language have implications for language teaching and learning in general. This paper examines the phonetic characteristics of plosive sounds in Hausa, specifically how they are pronounced in disyllabic Hausa words by Igbo and Yorùbá speakers learning Hausa as an additional language other than their mother tongue. Using a mixed mode (quantitative and qualitative approaches), ten (10) participants (5 from each group) who were 18 years and above (males and females), and willing to participate voluntarily in the study, were selected based on a random sampling technique. Extracted wordlist from Bargery’s (1934) English Hausa Dictionary and a structured questionnaire were used as research instruments. The data were analysed using supra-segmental phonology and explained within the framework of Flege and Bohn’s (2020) ‘Revised Speech Learning Model’. The results show that even though some of the participants could accurately produce some Hausa plosives, yet, issues related to substitution of sounds, aspiration distinction, and phonetic transfer were identified. Both Igbo and Yorùbá speakers’ learners of Hausa have specific difficulties in their pronunciations, especially due to cross-linguistic influences impacting their pronunciations. Thus, the paper also reveals the importance of cultural and linguistic backgrounds in the production of speech sounds, as well as the significance of the study in general.