Simplification Strategies in the Production of English Word-final Obstruent Clusters by Iraqi EFL College Students - A Markedness Theory Perspective

Oct 15, 2026

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This study investigates English word-final obstruent clusters through a markedness theory perspective, focusing on how Iraqi EFL college students produce these phonotactic structures. Learners’ Arabic background is considered in relation to their tendency to prefer only two-member word-final obstruent clusters. Markedness is evaluated using students’ simplification strategies and whether clusters are treated as marked or unmarked, and whether markedness increases with cluster length. Results from a 60-student production test indicate that word-final obstruent clusters are marked, with longer clusters showing higher markedness levels.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Markedness criteria (frequency, distribution, neutralization, simplicity, learning order)

Research questions and aims

Method overview (production test and participants)

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 [www.alls.aiac.org.au](www.alls.aiac.org.au) | Simplification Strategies in the Production of English Word-final Obstruent Clusters by Iraqi EFL College Students from A Markedness Theory Perspective
Zainab S. Ahmed al-Charrakh1*, Mahdi I. Kareem al-Utbi2
1Department of English, College of Arts, University of Baghdad, Iraq
2Department of English, College of Languages, University of Baghdad, Iraq Corresponding Author: Zainab S. Ahmed al-Charrakh, E-mail: [azynbsam@gmail.com](azynbsam@gmail.com) | | | --- | --- | | ARTICLE INFO | ABSTRACT
This study investigates the phonotactics of English obstruent clusters in the word-final position | | Article history | | | Received: August 19, 2018 | from a markedness theory perspective among Iraqi EFL College Students whose native language, | | Accepted: October 29, 2018 | Arabic, prefers only two-member word-final obstruent cluster as a maximum. The markedness of | | Published: December 28, 2018
Volume: 9 Issue: 6 | clusters is measured depending on Iraqi EFL College Students’ utilization of the simplification strategies. This study tries to answer whether or not word-final obstruent clusters are marked or | | Advance access: November 2018 | unmarked for Iraqi EFL College Students, and whether or not the markedness of the obstruent cluster increases as to its length. In order to answer these questions, a test has been distributed among 60 Iraqi EFL Fourth-Year College students, Department of English, College of Arts- | | | | | Conflicts of interest: None | University of Baghdad for the academic year 2017-2018 involving a list of words and sentences | | Funding: None | containing word-final obstruent clusters. The study concludes that word-final obstruent clusters are marked due to the fact that the obstruents are universally marked in the coda. The fourmember obstruent clusters are more marked than the three-member obstruent clusters which are | | | | | Key words:
English, Arabic, EFL, | in turn more marked than the two-member obstruent clusters. | | Markedness,
Obstruents,
Phonotactics | | INTRODUCTION English and Arabic are two languages of different phonological systems; they differ specifically in their sound systems and syllable structures which provide the phonotactic rules for obstruent clusters. That is, when English Foreign Language Learners (EFLLs, henceforth) do not know the phonotactics of English obstruents or when they assume that their own phonotactics apply in the target language, they may consciously or unconsciously depend on those of L1 . Many EFLLs’ deviations while pronouncing obstruent clusters are attributed to the mother tongue and to the markedness of the obstruent cluster itself. That is, the two-member obstruent clusters are available in the final position of English and Arabic words, but EFLLs may resort to the universal simpler structure of the cluster. Markedness is invoked as a predicator of the direction of the learners’ order of difficulty in foreign language learning. If the target language involves marked obstruent clusters, it will be difficult to learn. If obstruent clusters are unmarked in the target language, they will exhibit little or no difficulty, even if they have no existence in the native language (Richard and Schmidt, 2010: s. v. markedness) . A number of cri- teria that identify the marked and unmarked phonological elements have been given by linguists. The major frequent ones are: frequency, distribution, neutralization, simplicity, and the order of learning and cognitive complexity. 1) Frequency: The more frequent an element is, the more unmarked it will be, and the less frequent an element is, the more marked one it will be (Greenberg, 1966:13) . 2) Distribution: this criterion shows that the distribution of an unmarked category occurs in a wider range both within a given language and across languages in comparison with a marked category

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study on English word-final obstruent clusters?

The study examines the phonotactic status and markedness of English word-final obstruent clusters produced by Iraqi EFL college students, and whether markedness changes with cluster length.

How does the study measure markedness?

Markedness is measured through Iraqi EFL students’ use of simplification strategies and via production tasks that elicit words and sentences containing word-final obstruent clusters.

What conclusion does the study reach about markedness and cluster length?

Word-final obstruent clusters are marked for the participants, and four-member clusters are more marked than three-member clusters, which are more marked than two-member clusters.

Oct 15, 2026

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