The Impact of Mother Tongue on Fourth-Grade Students’ English Oral Reading Skills: Evidence from Three Primary Schools in Gofa Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The influence of the Gofatho mother tongue on students’ EFL learning has not been sufficiently examined; therefore, this study examined its impact on learners’ English oral reading skills. The objectives of this study are to identify the most frequently mispronounced English letters and words due to the Gafatho language interference. Fifty fourth-grade students were selected through systematic random sampling from three primary schools in Sawla Town, Gofa Zone, Ethiopia. Data were collected using an oral reading test and analysed using descriptive statistics, including the mean, standard deviation, and percentage. The findings revealed that many Gofatho-speaking students had difficulty pronouncing English letters and accurately decoding words. Some participants in the study struggled particularly with certain English letters, while most participants were unable to decode or pronounce many English words correctly. Although the two languages share similar orthographic features, differences in letter sounds led to frequent mispronunciations, sometimes resulting in changes in meaning. In the end, the study suggests reducing mother-tongue interference and improving English reading through guided oral reading. Students should be aware of the similarities and differences between the two languages, and EFL teachers should teach them to use phonics when learning to read.

Keywords: Oral reading, interference, Gofatho, Sight words, Upper and Lowercase letters