HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE AND TOURISM NGUYỄN THỊ LƯƠNG A STUDY ON CURRENT PRACTICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH INTONATION FOR SECOND-YEAR NON- ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS HANOI, [2024] HANOI UNIVERSITY OF INDUSTRY SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE AND TOURISM NGUYỄN THỊ LƯƠNG A STUDY ON CURRENT PRACTICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING ENGLISH INTONATION FOR SECOND-YEAR NON- ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT A UNIVERSITY IN VIETNAM Field: English Linguistics Code: 8220201 MASTER THESIS IN ENGLISH LINGUISTICS SUPERVISOR 1: Dr. Nguyễn Đức Đạo SUPERVISOR 2: Dr. Nguyễn Thị Hương HANOI- 2024 i DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR I declare that this thesis has not been previously submitted for recognition at this or any other academic institution. To the best of my knowledge, and excluding properly referenced sources, the content of this dissertation has not been published or authored by anyone else.
Date: ___________________ Author9s signature ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the individuals who played crucial roles in the completion of this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my principal supervisor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Dao, who gave me exceptional guidance and consistent support at every stage of my research journey. His insightful feedback, constructive criticism, and encouragement have not only shaped the content of this thesis but also enhanced my understanding of the subject matter.
He has been a mentor, a guide, and a source of inspiration, contributing to my academic and personal development, and for that, I am truly grateful. I also express my sincere appreciation to my second supervisor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong, for her valuable insights and consultations which helped improve the overall quality of the research. Besides, my thesis would not have been completed without the strong support from teachers and students at this university, who actively participated in my research.
Their collaboration has been prominent in the success of this study. Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to my family, my lover, and my best friend Nguyen Hai Linh whose encouragement and beliefs kept me dedicated and focused on my work. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR .i TABLE OF CONTENTS .vii LIST OF TABLES. viii LIST OF FIGURES.
ix LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. Aims of the study. Scope of the study. Significance of the study.
Structure of the thesis. Definition of intonation. System of intonation. Structure of intonation (Tone-Unit).
The falling tune/ glide-down. Rising intonation/ glide- up. Fall-rise intonation/ dive. Rise-fall intonation.
Significance of intonation. The nature of stress. Levels of stress. Teaching and learning intonation.
Problems with intonation practice. Solutions for intonation enhancement. 19 CHAPTER 2: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. Data collection instruments.
Data collection procedures. 29 CHAPTER 3: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION. Findings from the student questionnaire survey .1 Students9 perceptions towards intonation in English speaking skills. Students9 feedback on intonation teaching and materials in English class.
Students9 current problems with intonation. Students9 perceptions towards main techniques to practice intonation. Students9 expectations from their intonation practice sessions. Findings from the teacher questionnaire survey.
Teachers9 attitude towards intonation, current intonation teaching and intonation materials. Teachers9 perspectives about main challenges in teaching intonation. Teachers9 perspectives on solutions to address these challenges. Teachers9 opinion about intonation practice techniques.
Findings from class observations. Solutions to address these challenges .Limitations and suggestion for further studies. XIX vii ABSTRACT English intonation, a vital component of effective communication and speaking proficiency, poses various challenges for both teachers and students. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate the teaching and learning English of teachers and non- English major sophomores at a tertiary education in Vietnam which integrated Blended learning (BL) in their English programs.
The research employed questionnaires as the main data collecting instrument and supported by class observation. The results of the study show that despite recognizing the significance of intonation, both teachers and students face obstacles in teaching and learning intonation, such as time constraints and authentic material inadequacy and the lack of confidence in using appropriate intonation patterns in the teaching and learning process. Additionally, participants expressed their preferences for techniques that involve technology, shadowing, or face-to-face conversation with native speakers to enhance English intonation. This research endeavors to motivate educators, curriculum developers, and educational administrators to recognize and address the requirements of the students and teachers in learning and teaching English intonation, and from that develop a more active and effective learning environment for students to improve their intonation skills.
viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1: The structure of intonation Table 2.1: Summary of teachers9 characteristics for class observation Table 2.2: Data collection procedure Table 3.1: Students9 perceptions towards intonation in speaking skills Table 3.2: Students9 perceptions on intonation teaching and materials in English class Table 3.3: Students9 current problems with intonation Table 3.4: Students9 perception towards main techniques to improve English intonation Table 3.5: Teachers9 attitudes towards intonation, current intonation teaching and teaching materials Table 3.6: Teachers9 perspectives about main challenges in teaching intonation Table 3.7: Teachers9 perspectives on solutions to address problems in intonation teaching Table 3. Teachers9 opinion about intonation practice techniques Table 3.9: Observation checklist for teachers9 and student9s intonation practice ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. Students9 experience in learning English Figure 2. Students9 majors Figure 2.
Teachers9 experience in teaching English x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL: English as a Foreign Language BL: Blended learning CD: Completely Disagree D: Disagree N: Neutral A: Agree CA: Completely Agree 1 INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale In the modern era, English has been recognized as a universal language that is taught as a second language in many non-native countries. <English has been the world standard language, and there is no major threat to the language or to its global popularity= (The Economist, 1996). Crystal (1997) pointed out that no other language in the world spread as extensively as English, naming it truly an international language.
English has made a tremendous contribution to connecting people from different parts of the world, regardless of dissimilar cultures and different native tongues. As English proficiency continues to be in high demand, it is imperative for language learners to not only focus on vocabulary and grammar but also on the subtleties of pronunciation, including intonation. Intonation, the melodic pattern of pitch changes in spoken language, plays a crucial role in conveying meaning, emotions, and intentions during communication (Gussenhoven & Rietveld, 1992). By altering the pitch contour within a sentence, speakers can convey questions, statements, exclamations, and various emotions, contributing to more effective and nuanced interactions.
According to Pickering (2004) and Wennerstomi (2004; 1998), the comprehensibility of a non-native speaker's English can be enhanced if the individual is able to utilize appropriate intonation patterns. Misunderstandings caused by incorrect intonation can lead to communication breakdowns, hindering successful cross-cultural exchanges. While English learners often prioritize vocabulary and grammar, intonation is an aspect that deserves greater attention. Research has shown that the accurate use of intonation can significantly impact how messages are perceived and 2 understood (Bolinger, 1989).
Non-native speakers may face challenges in acquiring appropriate intonation patterns due to the influence of their native language's intonation, leading to potential misinterpretations and difficulties in achieving fluency (Liu, 2019). For Vietnamese students, acquiring correct English intonation can be particularly challenging. Vietnamese is a tonal language, where different tones alter the meaning of words. This tonal nature may lead Vietnamese learners to transfer their native intonation patterns to English, resulting in noticeable pronunciation differences that can affect intelligibility (Nolan, 2020).
Through the researcher9s initial observation, many students, especially non-English major students at a university have difficulty with English intonation when speaking English. Therefore, helping non-English major students understand the significance of intonation in spoken English and recognize the specific challenges which they are facing are crucial steps in enhancing language instruction and promoting effective communication skills. These facts are the inspiration for conducting a study on English intonation at a university, with the hope to shed light on the way to improve English intonation of non - English major students. Aims of the study The study aims to: [1] investigate the level of concerns, background knowledge and perceptions of non-English major students and teachers at a university towards English intonation learning, [2] figure out the problems regarding English intonation that students are facing and offer solutions to them.
In addition, the research is to raise the awareness of non- English major students about the importance of intonation and suggest some possible solutions for them to improve their own practice and thrive in their academic and professional 3 endeavors in today's globalized world. Ultimately, this study strives to contribute to the enhancement of English intonation learning strategies and, in turn, improve the overall English language proficiency of non-English major students. Research questions To achieve the above objectives, the study addresses the following research questions: 1. What are the perceptions of non- English major students and teachers towards English intonation? 2.
What are the specific problems faced by second year non-English major students while practicing English intonations? 4. Scope of the study This study was conducted on second-year non-English major students and teachers at a Vietnamese university. These students, though majoring in various disciplines, share the educational background of having undergone two prior semesters of English language instruction (English for Business 1 & 2). The teachers are the ones who are currently instructing them in this English semester.
Regarding its scope, the study aimed at investigating students and teachers9 perceptions and their main challenges when learning and teaching English intonation and identifying some effective solutions to handle them. However, it's crucial to clarify that this study has certain boundaries. The study might work well for only second- year non-English major students and teachers of English Business 3 of this university or for ones who are concerned. Moreover, due to time and experience limitation, the study only mentions favored intonation practicing techniques based on research findings and the actual implementation and assessment of these techniques for this objective are beyond 4 the scope of this thesis.
Significance of the study This study provides a significant insight into teaching and learning English intonation of non-English major students towards English intonation at a Vietnamese university. Furthermore, the study's findings would be used for curriculum development, optimizing language programs to prioritize intonation practice. It would be a useful reference for both students and teachers who are concerning about English intonation. Structure of the thesis This study consists of Introduction, Conclusion and three main chapters followed by a list of references and appendices.
Introduction gives an overview of the research with detailed information about rationale, aim and objectives of the research, the research questions, the scope, and structure of the research. Chapter 1 Literature Review presents a review of theoretical background about intonation, intonation learning and teaching and a review of previous studies related to the research. Chapter 2 Research Methodology provides information about participants, instruments used to collect the data, data collection procedures and data analysis. Chapter 3 Findings and Discussions gives a specific description of data analysis and a discussion of the findings of the study.
Finally, Conclusion summarizes the main points presented in the thesis. The limitations of the study and some recommendations for further research are also included. 5 CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE This chapter provides a review on related literature. It firstly reviews various aspects of intonation such as definition, intonation system, the structure of intonation, main types of intonation and its significance in English communication.
Then, some related factors are presented, including pitch, stress and rhythm. Moreover, the overview of teaching and learning intonation is also included in this part. The chapter also discusses common challenges regarding intonation and recommended solutions to enhance English intonation for EFL learners derived from previous studies. Finally, the author examines existing research to identify any gaps in this research field.