Variation of Hong Kong Students' Competence in the Pronunciation of Putonghua Syllables: A Multivariate Generalizability Theory Analysis

As the phonological system of Putonghua is vastly different from that of Cantonese, the phonological interference from Cantonese poses critical learning obstacles to Cantonese speakers in their learning of Putonghua, which leads to various pronunciation errors. In this study, the statistical method Multivariate Generalizability Theory was used to analyze the rating data collected from 4 National Putonghua examiners' rating on the pronunciation of 1218 Putonghua syllables by 37 undergraduates at a university in Hong Kong. The purpose of this study was to examine the ability profiles and psychometric characteristics of Hong Kong students in the pronunciation of Putonghua syllables.;The application of generalizability theory on the study of the pronunciation competency of Putonghua syllables made it possible to analyze and estimate the multiple sources of errors which affected the variation of scores as well as the variance of each facet and its proportion against total variance. Through this study, it was possible to further understand the influence of measurement errors of test items and raters on the generalization of their accuracy. In the study, Putonghua syllables were divided into three variables (components: initials, finals and tones) and analytical scoring was applied in the analyses that could specify the location of errors in pronunciation, thus partly remedying the deficiency of holistic scoring. Deconstruction analysis of pronunciation competence was carried out in a 2-level hierarchy. First, the deconstruction took place at syllables in which initials, finals and tones were the sub-skills. Second, the initials and finals were also deconstructed. Research findings showed that correlations among initials, finals and tones were relatively high and that finals were the strongest in differentiating pronunciation competence while initials were the weakest. The covariances among various finals were apparently higher than those of initials. This implies that the mutual hidden competence linked to various types of finals was relatively strong. Findings also revealed that the interaction between subject's competence and test items was the main source of errors.;In addition to the deconstruction analysis of pronunciation competence, applied research basing on the authentic situations of Putonghua tests was also conducted. Verification of technical specifications, including generalizability coefficients, was carried out under different testing conditions through changing test design and the number of test items and raters. The results showed that various testing solutions with the change in testing conditions possess high degree of measurement reliability, suggesting that syllable reading test could be used to examine pronunciation competence under authentic testing conditions.;In this study, learning difficulties and their patterns, which are derived from abundant unprejudiced data, provide objective reference to the teaching and learning of Putonghua syllable pronunciation with clear targets. These findings are also useful to local testing institutions in stipulating syllable reading tests which better suit the competence characteristics of Cantonese speakers. Furthermore, data and study results on rater errors offer reference for rater training which helps to promote the accuracy of rating, thus strengthening the quality of the rating team.