A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF AUSTRALIAN-ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION OF VOWEL AND DIPHTHONG SOUNDS

FEVRIYANTI, ELVERA (2009)
Abstract
The research paper aims to figure out kinds of Australian English sounds and the differences between Australian English accent and British English one used in Australian movie. The data of this research are in the form of words taken from Australian movie. This research is a descriptive-qualitative study, which uses technique of collecting, classifying, and analyzing, then drawing conclusion. In analyzing the kinds of Australian English pronunciation and accent, the researcher refers to the Australian English sound system. To describe the difference between Australian English accent from British English accent, the researcher employs the distributional method, especially in substitutional method and extention method. The result of the study shows that first, the kinds of Australian English sounds are two diphthong and five vowels sounds that are used in Australian English sound, they are: [ɑe], [æɔ], [æ], [i:], [ɐ], [ɔ], and [ʉ:]. Second, the difference between Australian English Accent and British English one is in the form of the position of the lip, mouth, tongue, low jaw, nasalisation, long and short pronunce, etc. Mostly, the vowel sound used in Australian English is diphthong of [ɑe] sound.

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
English language becomes a common language, because it is an international language which is used by every one in the world for communication. Every body maybe just knows and uses American English or British English in their communication. Without realizing, one’s use of various English such as Australian English, Canadian English, Hongkong English, Indian English, South Africa English, Malaysian English, Irish English, French English, Spanish English, etc. each of that accent of English has its uniqueness and interestingness.
There are two kinds of abilities to maintain communication, namely oral communication ability and written one. One of the oral communication sub-skills is pronunciation. Pronunciation is important to study, because it makes someone understand the right pronunciation and also make the target speaker understand the meaning of the word or the sentence. According to Richard (1992: 296) pronunciation is stressed more on the way sounds are perceived by the hearer. Pronunciation is one of the three components of language together with the grammar and vocabulary. It plays an important part in listening and speaking skill.
Here, the writer is interested to analyze the pronunciation, especially Australian English pronunciation, because many Australian has different pronunciation and its so uniqueness pronounce than British English one.
Basicaly, many Australian English pronunciation borrowed the pronunciation of British English, the vowels, consonant, and diphthong also have the same table, but the language experiences many development and experiences many differences pronunciation in several words, so Australian make their own pronunciation in order to the target speaker can understand what they want to say. This differentiation of word’s pronunciation can be influence by the level of education, the region, etc. Australian English pronunciation is significant to study, because it can studied by analyzed the kinds of diphthong and vowels in Australian English and also in British English one. It is also can analyzed by differentiate between Australian English accent and British English one.
Australian English pronunciation was got by the writer in the dialogue of Australian movies. To find the the kinds of Australian English sounds and accent, the writer analyzed kinds of Australian English sounds (vowels and dipthongs) and also analyzed the difference accent between Australian English to British English. In Australian movies, the writer tries to describe how the Australian accent and pronunciation of words are, for example:
(in movie was entitled: Crocodile Dundee 1)
Dundee : “Two beers, Ida. One for me, one for me mate.”
Ida : “One for your mate, mad man!”
In the conversation above, the words “beer” and “mate” in British English was pronunced: [bɪəs] and [meɪt], but in Australian English, it is pronunced: [bɪərs] and [maɪt].
It is one of the pronunciation of Australian English in Australian English movie. Australian English pronunciation can be analyzed by finding the Australian English sounds (vowels and dipthongs) and differentiate between Australian English accent to British English accent. Based on the above reason, the writer intents to conduct a further research entitle: “A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF PRONUNCIATION OF AUSTRALIAN ENGLISH”
B. Previous Study
The writer consider that in one subject or case, two or more researchers may do it. They have the same topic or subject, that is pronunciation, but different in using the way or the source to apply it. Here, the writer find several researches related to this research, it is entitled “The Quality Of Pronouncing Diphtongs By The Second Semester Students Of English Department Of Muhammadiyah University Of Surakarta (A Case Study Of Students` Pronunciation In SEGA (Saturday English Gathering)” by Lina Ghorizah. In her analysis, she identify the points which the English diphthongs are articulated by students and the most dominance English diphthongs articulated by the student.
The second researcher is Irma Andria Mahadina (2005) who conducted a study entitles “A Study on English Pronunciation by The First Semester Students of English Department of Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta in 2004/2005 academis year.” She focused on the student’s
pronunciation in producing and error analysis the vowel, consonant, and diphthong sounds which shift from the standard pronunciation made by the native speaker. The result of the data analysis shows that the student’s English pronunciation shifts from standard sound of native speaker. It means that most of the students are able to produce English pronunciation, but few still make shift of pronunciation. The shift or sound frictions are categirized into two; consonant and vowel.
Here, the writer focuses on the study on Australian English pronunciation especially on vowel, consonant, and diphtong sound of Australian English and the accent of it. From those researcher, the writer sure that her topic about the pronunciation of Australian English has not been analyzed yet.
C. Problem Statement
Based on the considerations in the background of the study, the writer states the problems are mentioned below:
1. What are the kinds of Australian English sounds?
2. How are the Australian English different from British English accent?
D. Objective of the Study
From the problem statement, the writer tries:
1. To describe the kinds of Australian English sounds.
2. To differentiate Australian English accent from British English one.
E. Limitation of the Study
Australian English pronunciation can be analyzed based on phonology approach. In phonology approach one, can analyze the kinds of vowels and dipthong which are used in Australian and British English pronunciation. It is also used the comparative approach between Australian and British English pronunciation and accent. In this research, the writer focuses on vowel and diphthong sounds, because the most dominant difference in Australian English pronunciation is in vowel and diphthong sounds.
F. Benefits of the Study
The writer hopes that the research would be useful for the reader and the writer herself. Those benefits are:
1. Theoretical Benefit
The result of this research can be used as income in developing in the phonetic theory of English, especially in pronunciation study and speaking study, in order to the learner can differentiating between the pronunciation of Australian English to British English.
2. Practical Benefit
This research can gives the benefits:
a. The readers are able to recognize the pronunciation of Australian English.
b. The result of the research can give the consideration to the readers about the pronunciation of Australian English and accent of Australian English.
c. The result of the research can give information to the readers that not only British English who can learn, but also Australian English.
d. The result of the research gives advantage to add the knowledge of the readers about kinds of pronunciation.
G. Research Paper Organization
Chapter I is Introduction, which comprises of Background of the Study, Review of Previous Study, Problem Statement, Objectives of the Study, Limitation of the Study, Benefits of the Study, and Thesis Organization.
Chapter II is Underlying Theory, which comprises of General Concept of Pronunciation, Australian English Sound System, British English Sound Systems, Accent.
Chapter III is Research Method, which comprises of Type of Research, Object of the Study, The Source of Data, Method of Collecting Data, Technique of Analyzing Data.
Chapter IV is Research Result, which comprises of Data Analysis, Discussion of Findings.
Chapter V is Conclusion, Implicature, and Suggestion, which comprises of Conclusion, Implicature, and Suggestion.