The Kaleidoscopic Differences of Gender in Relation to English Pronunciation Acquisition for University Learners in Algeria :The Case Study of Third Year Male and Female Graduates of English at Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University in Mostaganem

Abstract

Gender studies’ proper has witnessed phenomenological growth in various disciplines to the extent of investigating pronunciation proficiency in either gender's oral performance. Although the last few decades have shown an imminent revolution in studying differences in male and female learners' pronunciation accuracy, much evidence-based research in the discipline of Socio-phonetics on EFL gender differences is required. In our context; thus, the investigation of differences as such was carried out through the assessment of third year EFL gender-mixed graduates' English pronunciation, all throughout their two-year tuition of Phonetics, according to different levels of its attainment with reference to phonetic features, accent and sound perception/production, including affective and socio-cultural factors that can either boost or reduce their proper attainment such as motivation, self-confidence, risk-taking, to name a few. Because gaining and sharpening one’s phonetic and phonological capacities are essential elements within EFL pronunciation classes that may enhance learners’ speaking skill, the present socio-phonetic study aims to reveal major dissimilarities among EFL learners in terms of phonological awareness and their speech phonetic properties. It also explores gender viewpoints about fluent or accurate production; as well as segmental and supra-segmental instructions and the type of strategies which they employ alongside their acquisition and learning. To this end, a mixed-method approach was opted for to quantitatively and qualitatively analyse the data collected by means of a students questionnaire, two student exam worksheets and recordings of respondents’ enunciation. To fit the adopted quantitative and qualitative research design and purpose, a great number of different participants took part in the study: amongst third year EFL graduates (n=115) who responded to the administered questionnaire were females (n=95) and males (n=20), in addition to more than one hundred students who took the oral exam. Final results show a degree of superiority that was fluctuating between male and female graduates with regard to their phonetic coding abilities and phonological awareness. There is also a certain male superiority in various aspects in their pronunciation acquisition, including socio-phonetic, socio-cultural, preferential and affective aspects; where the male graduates’ enunciation of American English (GA) was approximately native-like and was achieved through their stronger self-confidence and fluency in interaction. Their female counterparts; however, demonstrated an imbalance and inconsistency in their British/American accents, production/perception of words; as well as countless mispronunciation