Exploring Phonological Variations in Pakistani English A Case Study of Punjabi Native Speakers

The present study examines Punjabi ESL students' perceptual judgment of English syllabification and word stress patterns. The paper focuses on phonological variations in Pakistani English as spoken by native Punjabi speakers, particularly exploring their syllabification and word stress patterns. The study investigates how Punjabi native speakers perceive and produce English syllables and stress, attributing differences to the influence of their native language, Punjabi. The data were collected from 40 Punjabi-speaking undergraduate students in Karachi. There were 40 university undergraduate students from different universities in Karachi. A quantitative research design was employed on account of the number of syllables in each word and the variability of lexical stress. A set of 100 English words with varying syllable counts was used to analyze stress and syllable division. There was inconsistency in identifying syllables and stress placement for English words, but some participants correctly identified these features, demonstrating partial adaptation. Females and males showed differing patterns in syllabification across various syllable structures. The findings aim to improve cross-cultural communication and aid in English language teaching in Pakistan. The study further reviews existing research on phonological variations in Pakistani English, emphasizing the role of native languages like Punjabi in shaping English pronunciation. It also discusses how other local languages like Pashto, Punjabi, and Sindhi influence English speech in Pakistan. English pronunciation is often neglected in Pakistani education systems, leading to difficulties in fluency and accuracy. The study encourages better teaching practices focused on pronunciation, stress, and syllabification.