Korean Consonant Perception Patterns in Mongolian Learners: An Educational Approach through Experimental Phonetics Analysis

This study analyzed the Korean consonant perception patterns of Mongolian learners for Korean pronunciation education. The research examined the accuracy of consonant perception considering various linguistic intrinsic variables such as place of articulation, manner of articulation, phonation type, syllable position, and following vowels. Through this analysis, it was revealed that the syllable position and voicing type significantly impact the consonant perception of Mongolian learners. Notably, the perception of plain and tense consonants in the initial position was challenging, while in the non-initial position, the absence of fortis articulation in plain consonants made it difficult to distinguish them from tense consonants. Although the accuracy of consonant perception improved as proficiency increased, major influencing factors did not show significant differences across proficiency levels. This study, employing experimental phonetics methodologies and statistical analysis, provides new directions for Korean pronunciation education by concretely analyzing the consonant perception abilities of Mongolian learners.