ELT365 · Day 180 — L1 Interference in Listening

Idea — L1 phonological systems can interfere with listening in English. Learners may systematically mishear phoneme contrasts that don’t exist in their first language, no matter how many times they listen.

Example — Japanese learners may consistently mishear /l/ and /r/. Arabic speakers may struggle with short vowel distinctions. Knowing your learners’ L1 helps you predict and address these patterns.

Try — Research one phoneme contrast that is known to be difficult for your learners’ L1. Design a minimal pairs task targeting that contrast for a warm-up next week.

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