Efficacy of Computer-based Phonetic Training on Students’ Boundary Tone Zhang Yan, Nanjing University

Outline Part One Intonation Functions of Intonation Functions of Intonation Approaches of Teaching Intonation Approaches of Teaching Intonation Computer-based Training of Intonation Computer-based Training of Intonation Part Two Experiment Boundary Tone Boundary Tone Methodology Methodology Findings Findings Part Three Conclusion

Intonation  Functions of Intonation expressing a wide range of attitudinal meanings expressing a wide range of attitudinal meanings marking grammatical contrasts marking grammatical contrasts distinguishing the new information from the old distinguishing the new information from the old illustrating prosodic coherence illustrating prosodic coherence organizing language that are more easily perceived and memorized organizing language that are more easily perceived and memorized identifying people as belonging to different social groups and occupations (David Crystal, 1997) identifying people as belonging to different social groups and occupations (David Crystal, 1997)

 Neglect of Intonation Teaching Intonation, comprised of the so-called suprasegmentals, had not been as extensively researched theoretically or acoustically and was considered a "luxury" in terms of teaching. (Chun 1998) Intonation, comprised of the so-called suprasegmentals, had not been as extensively researched theoretically or acoustically and was considered a "luxury" in terms of teaching. (Chun 1998) Intonation

Hurley (1992) showed how differences in intonation can cause sociocultural misunderstanding. He found that while drops in loudness and pitch are turn- relinquishing signals in English, Arabic speakers of English often use non-native like loudness instead. This could be misinterpreted by English speakers as an effort to hold the floor. Hurley (1992) showed how differences in intonation can cause sociocultural misunderstanding. He found that while drops in loudness and pitch are turn- relinquishing signals in English, Arabic speakers of English often use non-native like loudness instead. This could be misinterpreted by English speakers as an effort to hold the floor. Intonation

Approaches of Teaching Intonation Intuitive-imitative approach Intuitive-imitative approach Analytic-linguistic approach Analytic-linguistic approach (M. Celce-Murcia, 1996) (M. Celce-Murcia, 1996) Intonation

Intonation Intuitive-imitative approach It depends on the learner's intuition to listen to and imitate the intonation of the L2 It depends on the learner's intuition to listen to and imitate the intonation of the L2 students imitate a model - the teacher or a recording - and do their best to approximate the model through imitation and repetition students imitate a model - the teacher or a recording - and do their best to approximate the model through imitation and repetition It presupposes the availability of good models to listen to (Johnson, 2001) It presupposes the availability of good models to listen to (Johnson, 2001)

Intonation Analytic-linguistic approach It emphasizes the importance of an explicit intervention of pronunciation pedagogy in language acquisition. It emphasizes the importance of an explicit intervention of pronunciation pedagogy in language acquisition. The learner is provided with explicit, structured teaching of speech features The learner is provided with explicit, structured teaching of speech features

Communicative approach Pronunciation is viewed as an integral component of communication, rather than an isolated drill. Pronunciation is viewed as an integral component of communication, rather than an isolated drill. Pronunciation is practiced within meaningful task-based activities. Pronunciation is practiced within meaningful task-based activities. Students should not only develop their phonetic- phonological competence but also develop discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic competence by using the language for communicative purposes. (Morely, 1994) Students should not only develop their phonetic- phonological competence but also develop discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic competence by using the language for communicative purposes. (Morely, 1994) Intonation

Computer-based training of intonation Experiencing English New Horizon College English New Era Interactive English (released by Publishing House of Qinghua University) New Perspective English(issued by Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press ) Talk to Me Tell Me More

Experiment Boundary tone The idea of boundary tone was first raised by Pierrehumbert in her doctorial dissertation in She built a model which was later named Autosegmental-Metrical (AM) model. The idea of boundary tone was first raised by Pierrehumbert in her doctorial dissertation in She built a model which was later named Autosegmental-Metrical (AM) model.

(Gussenhoven, 2002)

Pierrehumbert isolates a further tonal entity, the boundary tone, which is positioned at the edge of a intonational phrase and marked by H% or L%, indicating an onset and offset pitch of an intonational phrase. (Selkirk, 2000) Pierrehumbert isolates a further tonal entity, the boundary tone, which is positioned at the edge of a intonational phrase and marked by H% or L%, indicating an onset and offset pitch of an intonational phrase. (Selkirk, 2000) Experiment

Beckman and Pierrehumbert(1986), building on Pierrehumbert(1980), distinguish two types of boundary tone, one associated with the edge of an intonational phrase and another with a smaller, intermediate-level phrase. Beckman and Pierrehumbert(1986), building on Pierrehumbert(1980), distinguish two types of boundary tone, one associated with the edge of an intonational phrase and another with a smaller, intermediate-level phrase. Experiment

Methodology  Subjects  Data Collection  Data Analysis Participants of this experiment were 20 first- year non-English majors from Nanjing University. They were randomly selected from two Band-Two English classes A and B. These two classes were taught by the same English teacher. Participants of this experiment were 20 first- year non-English majors from Nanjing University. They were randomly selected from two Band-Two English classes A and B. These two classes were taught by the same English teacher. 10 students from Class A were experimental group. They received a four-month training of Experiencing English. The other 10 students from Class B were control group. They didn’t use Experiencing English. 10 students from Class A were experimental group. They received a four-month training of Experiencing English. The other 10 students from Class B were control group. They didn’t use Experiencing English. In the pretest, subjects were asked to read aloud 5 dialogues and 1 passage excerpted from the listening materials of College English Test, Band 4, There were 29 sentences (15 in the dialogues and 14 in the passage). In the pretest, subjects were asked to read aloud 5 dialogues and 1 passage excerpted from the listening materials of College English Test, Band 4, There were 29 sentences (15 in the dialogues and 14 in the passage). Students were given 5 minutes to get familiar with the material. In the posttest, four months later, they were asked to read the same material. In both tests their voices were recorded. Students were given 5 minutes to get familiar with the material. In the posttest, four months later, they were asked to read the same material. In both tests their voices were recorded. First we divided the utterance into intonation units. We resorted to Croft’s （ 1995 ） grammatical principles and Cruttenden’s (2002) external and internal criteria of boundary marker and divided the 29 sentences into 69 intonation units. First we divided the utterance into intonation units. We resorted to Croft’s （ 1995 ） grammatical principles and Cruttenden’s (2002) external and internal criteria of boundary marker and divided the 29 sentences into 69 intonation units. And then we used the audio analyzing software Praat to label both the students’ and native speakers’ boundary tones. Later the data of pretest and posttest were respectively compared with the data of the native speakers’. The number of the correct boundary tones was counted and accuracy of the whole group was calculated. And then we used the audio analyzing software Praat to label both the students’ and native speakers’ boundary tones. Later the data of pretest and posttest were respectively compared with the data of the native speakers’. The number of the correct boundary tones was counted and accuracy of the whole group was calculated.

Findings In general, students in the experimental group did better than students in the control group in the post test. Students in the experimental group, after 4-month training, tend to use more high tone at the end of intonation boundary and they used these high tones correctly. Chinese students tend to replace high tones with low tones at the end of the intonation units, especially when it’s at the end of the sentences.

[Shall we have a beer] [ and forget the whole thing]

Chinese students’ tendency to use low tones in the second language may be deeply influenced by our mother tongue, which will be a good topic for further research. Chinese students’ tendency to use low tones in the second language may be deeply influenced by our mother tongue, which will be a good topic for further research.

Conclusion Computer-based training is effective in helping students improve pronunciation and intonation, because Experiencing English is not as helpful as we expect, because it doesn’t provide enough feedback to students. It’s communicative It’s resourceful It’s individualized

Conclusion Speech-visualizing technology may be added to the upgraded version of Experiencing English. A computer display, however, of pronunciation comparing a native speaker‘s model with students’ attempts to match it, can give students “objective information about the location, extent, type, and significance of the error, as well as the progress made in correcting the error” （ Chun, 2002 ） A computer display, however, of pronunciation comparing a native speaker‘s model with students’ attempts to match it, can give students “objective information about the location, extent, type, and significance of the error, as well as the progress made in correcting the error” （ Chun, 2002 ）

Conclusion Spaai and Hermes (1993) devised a visual intonation-display system called "Intonation Meter" that presents visual feedback of the intonation as a continuous representation of the pitch contour and contains only the perceptually relevant aspects of the intonation pattern.

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