우즈베키스탄 한국어 학습자의 음절말 자음군 연음 발음 양상 및 특성

Liaison Pronunciation Patterns and Characteristics of Final Consonant Clusters among Uzbek Learners of Korean

This study aims to analyze the characteristics of liaison pronunciation in the syllabification process of final consonant clusters among Uzbek learners of Korean and to provide foundational materials for pronunciation education. The research examines both linguistic variables, such as the position of the selected consonant, lexical difficulty, and grammatical information, as well as extralinguistic variables like gender and proficiency level. The findings reveal that pronunciation error rates are significantly higher when the second consonant is selected compared to the first, and that error rates increase with higher lexical difficulty. Additionally, errors in liaison pronunciation were more frequent with nouns than with verbs. Among the extralinguistic factors, male learners at level 3 exhibited distinct patterns of pronunciation errors. These learners showed high error rates in consonant cluster simplification but lower rates in liaison pronunciation, likely due to the influence of the syllable structure in Uzbek, which is similar to the conditions for liaison in Korean. This suggests that learners who acquire Korean more slowly are more influenced by their native language. Furthermore, it was observed that learning consonant cluster simplification impacts liaison pronunciation, leading to increased errors as learning progresses. Based on these results, the study emphasizes the need for systematic syllabification education to help Uzbek learners clearly understand the phonological structure of Korean and distinguish between environments for liaison and consonant cluster simplification. Additionally, tailored educational plans should be implemented to improve pronunciation accuracy.