Phonological Interference in the Pronunciation of Arabic Letters among Mandailing-Speaking Students

A Case Study in the Arabic Language Education Programme at STAIN Mandailing Natal

Abstract

This study investigates phonological interference in the pronunciation of Arabic letters among Mandailing-speaking students on the Arabic Language Education programme at STAIN Mandailing Natal. Several studies have examined Arabic pronunciation among Mandailing speakers in general; however, none has specifically addressed how the phonological system of Mandailing shapes the realisation of Arabic phonemes among students being trained to become Arabic language teachers. Using a descriptive qualitative approach and a case-study design, this research employed total sampling involving all eight students in the 2023 cohort. Data were collected through observations of spontaneous pronunciation during al-ashwat lessons, semi-structured interviews concerning the students’ linguistic backgrounds, and documentation of letter-reading exercises. The data were then analysed using an interactive model comprising data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed nineteen cases of phonological deviation across ten substitution patterns, grouped into three processes: the loss of emphasis in the pharyngealised consonants ص, ط, ض, and ظ; the fronting or glottalisation of the back-of-the-mouth sounds ق, ع, ك, and ح; and the substitution of the interdental and fricative sounds ز and ث with س. The interview data also indicated that these deviations were reinforced by two sociocultural factors: the near absence of /z/ and /ð/ in everyday Mandailing conversation, which hindered students from developing stable perceptual categories for these sounds before undertaking Arabic-language learning, and the students’ strong social ties to the Mandailing-speaking community. Students embedded in close-knit local networks displayed more persistent interference than those with experience in Islamic boarding schools or who had migrated to other areas. These findings indicate that effective al-ashwat instruction for Mandailing-speaking students requires not only segmental articulation training, but also sustained, socially contextualised exposure to the target sounds.