The English intonation on non-native speakers
It is widely assumed, first, that errors of English intonation by learners represent a significant barrier to effective communication and, second, that these errors result from differences between the intonation systems of English and the learners' mother tongues. However, little work has been done to establish the extent of the errors, their characteristics, or their origin. This study compares intonation in a corpus of recordings from 12 adult native-speaker informants and 12 adult learners of English, four each from Korea, Greece and Indonesia. The main data analysed are 24 parallel readings of a scripted dialogue. Findings are checked against intonation choices in samples of spontaneous speech from the same informants. The descriptive and interpretative apparatus used is the ~discourse intonation~ model outlined in Brazil (1985a). Comparison focuses on the functional oppositions recognised in this model, realised in the systems of prominence, tone, key and termination. Excluded from the comparison are the phonetic implementation of these categories, such as the typical shape of falling or rising tones, and other non-systemic features. The main findings of the study are that the native and non-native informants
Hewings, Martin John
The English intonation on non-native speakers. It is widely assumed, first, that errors of English intonation by learners represent a significant barrier to effective communication and, second, that these errors result from differences between the intonation systems of English and the learners' mother tongues. However, little work has been done to establish the extent of the errors, their characteristics, or their origin. This study compares intonation in a corpus of recordings from 12 adult native-speaker informants and 12 adult learners of English, four each from Korea, Greece and Indonesia. The main data analysed are 24 parallel readings of a scripted dialogue. Findings are checked against intonation choices in samples of spontaneous speech from the same informants. The descriptive and interpretative apparatus used is the ~discourse intonation~ model outlined in Brazil (1985a). Comparison focuses on the functional oppositions recognised in this model, realised in the systems of prominence, tone, key and termination. Excluded from the comparison are the phonetic implementation of these categories, such as the typical shape of falling or rising tones, and other non-systemic features. The main findings of the study are that the native and non-native informants
english intonation non_native_speaker widely_assume first error english intonation learner represent_significant barrier effective communication second error difference intonation_system english_learner mother_tongue however_little work establish_extent error characteristic origin study compare intonation corpus recording adult native_speaker informant adult_learner english korea greece indonesia main data_analyse parallel reading script dialogue findings check intonation choice sample spontaneous_speech informant descriptive interpretative apparatus use discourse intonation model outline brazil comparison focus functional opposition recognise model realise system prominence tone key termination excluded comparison phonetic implementation category typical shape fall rise tone non systemic feature main_finding study native_non native informant