Efficacy of Computer-based Efficacy of Computer-based Phonetic Training on Students’ Phonetic Training on Students’

Boundary ToneBoundary Tone

Zhang Yan, Nanjing UniversityZhang Yan, Nanjing University

OutlineOutline Part One IntonationPart One Intonation

Functions of IntonationFunctions of Intonation Approaches of Teaching IntonationApproaches of Teaching Intonation Computer-based Training of IntonationComputer-based Training of Intonation

Part Two ExperimentPart Two Experiment Boundary ToneBoundary Tone MethodologyMethodology FindingsFindings

Part Three ConclusionPart Three Conclusion

IntonationIntonation

Functions of IntonationFunctions of Intonation expressing a wide range of attitudinal expressing a wide range of attitudinal

meaningsmeanings marking grammatical contrastsmarking grammatical contrasts distinguishing the new information from the distinguishing the new information from the

oldold illustrating prosodic coherenceillustrating prosodic coherence organizing language that are more easily organizing language that are more easily

perceived and memorizedperceived and memorized identifying people as belonging to different identifying people as belonging to different

social groups and occupations (David Crystal, social groups and occupations (David Crystal, 1997)1997)

Neglect of Intonation TeachingNeglect of Intonation Teaching

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

IntonationIntonation

Hurley (1992) showed how differences in iHurley (1992) showed how differences in i

ntonation can cause sociocultural misundntonation can cause sociocultural misunderstanding. He found that while drops in lerstanding. He found that while drops in loudness and pitch are turn-relinquishing soudness and pitch are turn-relinquishing signals in English, Arabic speakers of Engliignals in English, Arabic speakers of English often use non-native like loudness instesh often use non-native like loudness instead. This could be misinterpreted by Englisad. This could be misinterpreted by English speakers as an effort to hold the floor.h speakers as an effort to hold the floor.

IntonationIntonation

Approaches of Teaching IntonationApproaches of Teaching Intonation

Intuitive-imitative approachIntuitive-imitative approach

Analytic-linguistic approachAnalytic-linguistic approach

(M. Celce-Murcia, 1996)(M. Celce-Murcia, 1996)

IntonationIntonation

IntonationIntonation

Intuitive-imitative approachIntuitive-imitative approach It depends on the learner's intuition to listen to It depends on the learner's intuition to listen to

and imitate the intonation of the L2 and imitate the intonation of the L2

students imitate a model - the teacher or a students imitate a model - the teacher or a recording - and do their best to approximate the recording - and do their best to approximate the model through imitation and repetitionmodel through imitation and repetition

It presupposes the availability of good models to It presupposes the availability of good models to listen to (Johnson, 2001)listen to (Johnson, 2001)

IntonationIntonation

Analytic-linguistic approachAnalytic-linguistic approach It emphasizes the importance of an explicit It emphasizes the importance of an explicit

intervention of pronunciation pedagogy in intervention of pronunciation pedagogy in language acquisition.language acquisition.

The learner is provided with explicit, The learner is provided with explicit, structured teaching of speech featuresstructured teaching of speech features

Communicative approachCommunicative approach Pronunciation is viewed as an integral componePronunciation is viewed as an integral compone

nt of communication, rather than an isolated drill.nt of communication, rather than an isolated drill. Pronunciation is practiced within meaningful tasPronunciation is practiced within meaningful tas

k-based activities.k-based activities.

Students should not only develop their phonetic-Students should not only develop their phonetic-phonological competence but also develop discophonological competence but also develop discourse, sociolinguistic and strategic competence burse, sociolinguistic and strategic competence by using the language for communicative purposey using the language for communicative purposes. (Morely, 1994)s. (Morely, 1994)

IntonationIntonation

Computer-based training of intonationComputer-based training of intonation

Experiencing English Experiencing English

New Horizon College EnglishNew Horizon College English

New Era Interactive English (released by Publishing New Era Interactive English (released by Publishing House of Qinghua University)House of Qinghua University)

New Perspective English(issued by Shanghai ForeigNew Perspective English(issued by Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press ) n Language Education Press )

Talk to Me Talk to Me

Tell Me MoreTell Me More

Lead-in

Drill tips

How do you usually plan your holidays?

Well, I usually spend holidays with…

There tend to be quite a few options…

…the places we have not visited before…

make full preparations for our trips

ExperimentExperiment

Boundary tone Boundary tone

The idea of boundary tone was first raised by PiThe idea of boundary tone was first raised by Pi

errehumbert in her doctorial dissertation in 1980. errehumbert in her doctorial dissertation in 1980. She built a model which was later named AutoseShe built a model which was later named Autosegmental-Metrical (AM) model. gmental-Metrical (AM) model.

(Gussenhoven, 2002)(Gussenhoven, 2002)

Pierrehumbert isolates a further tonal Pierrehumbert isolates a further tonal entity, theentity, the boundary tone boundary tone, which is pos, which is positioned at the edge of a intonational phitioned at the edge of a intonational phrase and marked by H% or L%, indicatrase and marked by H% or L%, indicatiningg an onset and offset pitch of an into an onset and offset pitch of an intonational phrase. (Selkirk, 2000) national phrase. (Selkirk, 2000)

ExperimentExperiment

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

ExperimentExperiment

MethodologyMethodology

SubjectsSubjects

Data Collection Data Collection

Data AnalysisData Analysis

Participants of this experiment were 20 first-Participants of this experiment were 20 first-year non-English majors from Nanjing year non-English majors from Nanjing University. They were randomly selected from University. They were randomly selected from two Band-Two English classes A and B. These two Band-Two English classes A and B. These two classes were taught by the same English two classes were taught by the same English teacher. teacher.

10 students from Class A were experimental 10 students from Class A were experimental group. They received a four-month training of group. They received a four-month training of Experiencing English. The other 10 students Experiencing English. The other 10 students from Class B were control group. They didn’t from Class B were control group. They didn’t use Experiencing English. use Experiencing English.

In the pretest, subjects were asked to In the pretest, subjects were asked to read aloud 5 dialogues and 1 passage read aloud 5 dialogues and 1 passage excerpted from the listening materials excerpted from the listening materials of College English Test, Band 4, 2003. of College English Test, Band 4, 2003. There were 29 sentences (15 in the There were 29 sentences (15 in the dialogues and 14 in the passage). dialogues and 14 in the passage).

Students were given 5 minutes to get Students were given 5 minutes to get familiar with the material. In the familiar with the material. In the posttest, four months later, they were posttest, four months later, they were asked to read the same material. In asked to read the same material. In both tests their voices were recorded.both tests their voices were recorded.

First we divided the utterance into intFirst we divided the utterance into intonation units. We resorted to Croft’sonation units. We resorted to Croft’s （（ 11995995 ）） grammatical principles and Cruttengrammatical principles and Cruttenden’s (2002) external and internal criteria den’s (2002) external and internal criteria of boundary marker and divided the 29 senof boundary marker and divided the 29 sentences into 69 intonation units. tences into 69 intonation units.

And then we used the audio analyzing And then we used the audio analyzing software Praat to label both the students’ software Praat to label both the students’ and native speakers’ boundary tones. Latand native speakers’ boundary tones. Later the data of pretest and posttest were reser the data of pretest and posttest were respectively compared with the data of the napectively compared with the data of the native speakers’. The number of the correct tive speakers’. The number of the correct boundary tones was counted and accuracy boundary tones was counted and accuracy of the whole group was calculated. of the whole group was calculated.

FindingsFindings

In general, students in the experimental group did better thaIn general, students in the experimental group did better than students in the control group in the post test. n students in the control group in the post test.

Students in the experimental group, after 4-month training, tStudents in the experimental group, after 4-month training, tend to use more high tone at the end of intonation boundary end to use more high tone at the end of intonation boundary and they used these high tones correctly.and they used these high tones correctly.

Chinese students tend to replace high tones with low tones Chinese students tend to replace high tones with low tones at the end of the intonation units, especially when it’s at the at the end of the intonation units, especially when it’s at the end of the sentences. end of the sentences.

[Shall we have a beer][Shall we have a beer]

[ and forget the whole thing][ and forget the whole thing]

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

ConclusionConclusion

Computer-based training is effective in Computer-based training is effective in helping students improve pronunciation helping students improve pronunciation and intonation, because and intonation, because

Experiencing English is not as helpful as Experiencing English is not as helpful as we expect, because it doesn’t provide we expect, because it doesn’t provide enough feedback to students.enough feedback to students.

It’s communicativeIt’s communicative

It’s resourceful It’s resourceful

It’s individualizedIt’s individualized

ConclusionConclusion

Speech-visualizing technology may be added Speech-visualizing technology may be added to the upgraded version of Experiencing Engto the upgraded version of Experiencing English.lish.

A computer display, however, of pronunciatA computer display, however, of pronunciation comparing a native speaker‘s model wiion comparing a native speaker‘s model with students’ attempts to match it, can give sth students’ attempts to match it, can give students “objective information about the lotudents “objective information about the location, extent, type, and significance of the ecation, extent, type, and significance of the error, as well as the progress made in correctirror, as well as the progress made in correcting the error” ng the error” （（ Chun, 2002Chun, 2002））

ConclusionConclusion

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

THE ENDTHE END

Thank YouThank You