Iraqi Arabic Substrate Effects on English Prosody in Tertiary STEM Classrooms

This study investigates the potential impact of Iraqi Arabic prosodic features on the production of English prosody by tertiary STEM students in English-medium instructional settings. Through a descriptive and literature-based conceptual analysis, the study identifies key areas of prosodic transfer, including stress placement, rhythmic timing, pitch range, and prosodic phrasing. It explains how these features may affect intelligibility, clarity, and discourse organization in academic English. The study highlights that differences between the prosodic systems of Iraqi Arabic and English can lead to predictable challenges in STEM communication, where precise emphasis, contrastive signaling, and structured explanation are essential. By synthesizing findings from cross-linguistic prosody research, second-language phonology, and EMI discourse studies, the study underscores the importance of integrating prosodic awareness and suprasegmental instruction into English for STEM Purposes. The conclusions offer theoretical insights and pedagogical recommendations aimed at improving communicative effectiveness in Iraqi EMI environments.