VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* MAI CÔNG TRÌNH A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WASP AND ONLINE AUDIO RECORDER TO DEVELOP SENTENCE INTONATION REPRODUCTION BY FIRST-YEAR, NON-MAJOR STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES – THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Nghiên cứu về hiệu quả của các phần mềm WASP và Online audio recorder trong việc nâng cao khả năng bắt chước ngữ điệu câu của sinh viên tiếng Anh không chuyên năm thứ nhất tại Đại học Khoa học - Đại học Thái Nguyên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 Hanoi, 2015 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ********************* MAI CÔNG TRÌNH A STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF WASP AND ONLINE AUDIO RECORDER TO DEVELOP SENTENCE INTONATION REPRODUCTION BY FIRST-YEAR, NON-MAJOR STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES – THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY Nghiên cứu về hiệu quả của các phần mềm WASP và Online audio recorder trong việc nâng cao khả năng bắt chước ngữ điệu câu của sinh viên tiếng Anh không chuyên năm thứ nhất tại Đại học Khoa học - Đại học Thái Nguyên M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY CODE: 60140111 SUPERVISOR: ASSOC. VÕ ĐẠI QUANG, Ph. Hanoi, 2015 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY I, the undersigned, hereby certify my authority of the study project report entitled: A study on the effectiveness of WASP and Online audio recorder to develop sentence intonation reproduction by first-year, non-major students at University of Sciences – Thai Nguyen University. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MA in English Teaching Methodology.
Except where the reference is indicated, no other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis. Hanoi, August 2014 Mai Cong Trinh i TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis could not have been completed without the help and support from a number of people. First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Assoc. Vo Dai Quang, my supervisor, who has patiently and constantly supported me through the stages of the study, and whose stimulating ideas, expertize, and suggestions have inspired me greatly through my growth as an academic researcher.
A special word of thanks goes to my colleagues at University of Sciences – TNU who have helped me in piloting the materials and making constructive and insightful comments as well as suggestions for this paper, and many others, without whose support and encouragement it would never have been possible for me to have this thesis accomplished. Last but not least, I am greatly indebted to my family, my wife for the sacrifice they have devoted to the fulfillment of this academic work. ii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com ABSTRACT This study investigates whether first-year, non-major students at University of Sciences – Thai Nguyen University perceive and reproduce accurate intonation contours of sentences in English after two weeks of training with WASP and Online Audio Recorder focusing on two types of intonation patterns (definite statements, yes/no questions). The study found that the learners improved their correctness in reproducing the intonation patterns according to the results and analyses of pre-test, post-test and interview.
The participants also stated that the tools were beneficial, interesting to use and helpful for their learning. The study also motivates future research in some kinds of aspects related. iii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS L1: First Language L2: Second Language ASR: Automatic Speech Recognition CMS: Course Management System TNU: Thai Nguyen University iv TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of Design Study.
Pre-test results. Post-test results. 28 v TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Preview of an exercise in Moodle.
Visual display of the utterance “My car’s in the car park. Visual display of “Did you have a good time?” first made by a participant in the training phase. Visual display of “Did you have a good time?” made by a participant after several attempts in the training phase. 33 vi TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of Originality.
iii List of Abbreviations. iv List of Tables. v List of Figures. vi Table of contents.
vii PART A: INTRODUCTION. Rationale for the study. Aims of the study. Objectives of the study.
Scope of the study. Design of the study. 4 Chapter 1: Literature review. Technology for Learning.
Technology-based Intonation Teaching. Review of Previous Studies Related to the Research. 11 vii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com Chapter 2: Methodology. Research-governing Orientations.
Preparing the Materials. Pre-test and Post-test. Pre- and Post-tests Materials. 19 Perception and Reproduction Training.
Testing and Training Applications. 20 Online Audio Recorder. Procedure for Data Collection. 20 Pre-test Phase.
22 Post-test Phase. 22 viii TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Data Processing and Analysis. 25 Chapter 3: Findings and Discussions.
What effects does the training with the tools have on participants’ perception, reproduction of definite statements and yes/no questions? 27 3. Connection between Perception and Reproduction…………… 30 3. Conclusion on the Research Question. Limitations of the Study.
Suggestions for Future Research. II ix TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale for the Study It cannot be denied that technology nowadays has been developing really fast. All fields of everyday life are covered by computers and Internet, which creates chances for teachers, and researchers to integrate technology in educational settings.
However, most of applications of technology are now seen under the term “Technology of Education” as Gupta (2010) defined in her study. It means that technology are considered as a medium for teachers to prepare digitalized lectures, learning materials, teaching aids… Very few of teachers pay attention to the use of “Technology in Education” that Gupta (2010) clarified as the use of technology to improve learning and meet learners’ needs. From the facts mentioned above, the author decided to investigate if technology-based tools can improve the students’ reproduction of sentence intonation. Following Kern’s (2006) ideas about the use of technology: “In the tutor role, computers can provide instruction, feedback, and testing in grammar, vocabulary, writing, pronunciation, and other dimensions of language and culture learning.
In the tool role, computers provide ready access to written, audio, and visual materials relevant to the language and culture being studied. In the medium role, technology provides sites for interpersonal communication, multimedia publication, distance learning, community participation, and identity formation” (p. This study focused on the use of technology as “tutor” and “tool” in case of the study “on the effectiveness of WASP and Online audio recorder to develop sentence intonation reproduction by first – year, non – major students at University of Sciences – Thai Nguyen University.” 1 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Aims of the Study The study explores the effectiveness of WASP and Online audio recorder to develop sentence intonation reproduction by first – year, non – major students at University of Sciences – Thai Nguyen University.
The major aims of the study are to: Make use of tools WASP and Online Audio Recorder to improve students’ sentence intonation in terms of perception and reproduction. Confirm the easiness of the two open-access tools to the learning of intonation and pronunciation in particular, and English learning in general. Objectives of the Study The objectives of the study were further elaborated into the research question which can be stated as follows: What effects does the training with the tools have on participants’ perception, reproduction of definite statements and yes/no questions? 4. Scope of the Study It would be too ambitious for this minor thesis to cover all functions of WASP and Online Audio Recorder in learning all intonation patterns.
Thus, the author chose to focus on the effectiveness of the two tools in perceiving and reproducing of two types of intonation patterns which are of definite statements and yes/no questions. The study was also conducted within 03 participants who are non-major, first-year students at University of Sciences – TNU. 2 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail. Design of the Study The study comprises of three parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion.
Part A: Introduction presents the rationale, aims, objectives, scope and design of the study. Part B: Development consists of 3 chapters: Chapter 1: Literature Review gives the theoretical background to Intonation and Intonation teaching as well as reviews the previous studies related to the research area of the thesis. Chapter 2: Methodology gives the details of governing orientations of the research and research methods of the study. Chapter 3: Findings and Discussion deals with the results and discusses the results.
Part C: Conclusion summarizes the main points presented in the thesis, proposes the limitations of the research, and makes suggestions for future research. 3 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT Chapter 1: Literature Review 1. Intonation Theory Intonation has been described as “the rising and falling of the voice to various pitch levels during the articulation of an utterance” (Celce-Murcia, et al. 184) or, “the pitch pattern in a sentence” (Ladefoged, 2006, p.
The role of intonation is central to human discourse on the grounds that it is important in conveying meaning. Each native speaker of a language can comprehend and use intonation to convey his or her message; however, non- native speakers are sometimes not able to utilize intonation as a part of ways that suit the planned message. According to Verdugo and Trillo (2005), native speakers impart successfully via naturally selecting the proper prosodic patterns, lexical and context oriented data. They do so due to their earlier learning and involvement in a specific connection.
On the other hand, non- native speakers may have less encounter, and therefore may have deficient information of the second language (L2), which implies they utilize wrong intonation patterns within specific connections. Spaai and Hermes (1993) clarified that language learners regularly superimpose the prosodic (features of rhythm, stress, and intonation) of their first language (L1) on the resonances of the language learned. This is on account of the suprasegmental peculiarities and patterns of the speakers’ L1 are profoundly established. Subsequently, language learners are regularly uninformed of contrasts in intonation between their first language and a second language, and of how diverse intonation patterns can influence importance in the second language.
4 TIEU LUAN MOI download : skknchat@gmail.com Ladd (1980) has shown the problems assuming that speakers choose intonation contours based on grammar alone. He [Ladd (1980)] also claimed that intonation patterns can be seen as in the same way as lexical words. Referring to Liberman, (1967, p.141) intonation contours contain “an abstract context-free element of meaning, which produces specific nuances in specific contexts”. Intonation contours, therefore, cannot be separated from their context without losing some of their meaning.
However, it is impossible to teach every nuance but the general and salient rules of intonation. Syntactically-defined contours are salient, and it is can be considered that syntax is the default determining function for intonation, although discourse functions may overrule it. Following the recommendations of Celce-Murcia et al. (1996), the author chose to focus on two syntactically-defined contours which were intonation contours of definite statements and yes/no questions.
Of the two intonation contours, a definite statement tends to have the final falling intonation and a yes/no question usually has the final rising intonation. This study focused only on the default contours of these two kinds of sentences. In order for language learners to take in these features it is necessary for them to perceive and reproduce them.