L1 Phonological Influences among Malay Speakers Learning Korean

Phonologically, Korean disallows several consonant sequences emerge in the syllable boundary. The occurrence of consonant sequences at this morphological domain is resolved by assimilation process. Hence, this study intends to discuss the pronunciation patterns produced by Malay speakers when speaking Korean particularly on consonant clusters. This study also intends to examine the influence of L1 phonological system of Malay when learning Korean as foreign language. Classroom learning observation in a Korean language class was carried out at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. This language class is offered to undergraduate students who are interested to learn Korean. Three students from level one to three from this class were chosen based on their competency. A list of Korean words was prepared before interview session with the students started. During the interviews, students were asked to pronounce the words in the word list. The pronunciations produced by the students were recorded and transcribed. The data analysis shows that coronal consonant clusters assimilate to other places of articulation namely dorsal and labial. The data also reveals that Malay speakers learning Korean incorrectly pronounce nasal-lateral assimilation found in Korean. The incorrect pronunciation produced by Malay speakers was due to the native phonological system. They tend to produce certain consonant clusters in Korean when the clusters are not in their native language. This study hence, provides an added value of phonological knowledge to language learners of Korean. In conclusion, this study gives exposure to Malay speakers who wish to learn Korean as their foreign language.