INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
1.1.1 The role of listening comprehension and intonation in English learning
The English language serves as a vital tool for global development, significantly impacting areas such as business, education, and politics (Johnson, 2009) As a result, an increasing number of individuals are eager to learn English to improve their lives To achieve fluency, learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) must practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills equally Research indicates that listening skills are crucial for effective communication, as misunderstandings can hinder interaction (Taylor, 1981; Rost, 2002, as cited in Gao, 2014; Ahmadian and Matour, 2014) Despite this, listening skills have often been overlooked in research (Gilbert, 1995; Vandergriff, 2007; Gao, 2014) Observations reveal that many learners struggle with listening comprehension in daily communication, prompting the need for strategies to enhance this essential skill.
Learners often face difficulties in listening, with intonation identified as a significant factor (Richards, 1990; Dunkel, 1991; Brown, 1994) Intonation refers to the variation in pitch during speech, which helps listeners discern speakers' emotions and implied meanings For instance, a falling tone on "Yes" indicates affirmation, while a rising tone suggests uncertainty.
Speakers convey their emotions through tone and pitch; for instance, a falling tone with a level pitch when saying "I'm happy" indicates genuine happiness Conversely, a lower pitch while expressing the same sentiment may suggest the opposite feeling.
Vietnamese learners of English often overlook the significant impact of intonation on their language skills (Tran, 2011, p 11) To enhance listening comprehension, it is crucial to teach the relationship between intonation and understanding spoken language However, there is limited research on the effectiveness of intonation instruction in improving listening skills This study aims to explore the effects of teaching intonation on learners' listening comprehension.
1.1.2 Courses of Listening skills at the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature (EF)
The Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature (EF) offers four levels of listening and speaking skills courses (LS) for first- and second-year English majors, aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), ranging from A2 to C1 Each course comprises twelve 5-period class meetings, designed to equip students with essential listening techniques and speaking practice for academic and professional contexts At the conclusion of each course, students must complete a final exam that includes a listening test and a face-to-face speaking assessment with an examiner.
Learners enhance their listening skills through lectures and conversations on various topics, focusing on understanding main ideas, details, and implications They practice essential listening techniques, including listening for gist, details, and inferences The primary resource used is the five-level series "Inside Listening and Speaking" from Oxford University Press, which features ten units per level, each containing two listening tasks with comprehension questions in multiple formats such as multiple choice, true or false, gap filling, and short answers Additionally, each unit concludes with phonological aspects that teachers can utilize to further improve students' listening and speaking abilities.
The relationship between intonation and listening comprehension is often overlooked in educational materials, leaving learners without guidance on how to utilize intonation for understanding spoken texts Research indicates that students' vocabulary and grammar knowledge may be inadequate for interpreting speakers' inferences, such as attitudes and agreement Intonation can provide valuable cues for these interpretations, highlighting the importance of integrating intonation instruction into listening skills classes In Vietnam, there is a lack of research on the effects of teaching intonation on listening skills, prompting the need for a study to explore whether intonation instruction can enhance learners' listening abilities.
Aims of the study
This study aimed to explore the impact of incorporating intonation instruction into listening skills lessons on enhancing learners' listening comprehension Additionally, the researcher gathered feedback from the experimental group regarding this integration and classroom activities, with the goal of designing more effective and logically structured listening lessons in the future.
Research questions
With the above-mentioned aims of the study, two following research questions were raised
1 To what extent does the teaching of intonation improve learners’ listening comprehension?
2 What are the learners’ attitudes towards the teaching of intonation in listening lessons?
Significance of the study
This study investigates the impact of teaching intonation on learners' listening skills, addressing a gap in existing research It demonstrates that understanding phonological features, particularly intonation, can enhance comprehension of spoken texts Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the research analyzes how intonation instruction affects listening abilities and explores learners' attitudes towards its integration in lessons The findings offer valuable insights for future lesson design, emphasizing the importance of incorporating intonation to improve listening comprehension and providing learners' perspectives on teaching methods used in the study.
Scope of the study
The study aimed to explore the impact of intonation teaching on EFL learners' listening comprehension at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities during the 2017-2018 academic year Focusing on the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature, it specifically assessed the effectiveness of intonation instruction within the Advanced Listening and Speaking Course The research quantitatively analyzed learners' test scores to evaluate the success of intonation teaching.
The researcher conducted a study that involved analyzing learners' test scores and administering questionnaires to gather their opinions on intonation teaching in listening lessons The responses from the questionnaires were quantitatively analyzed Based on the findings from both the test scores and learners' feedback on teaching techniques, several recommendations were proposed for English teachers and course designers focused on listening skills at EF.
The structure of the study
The thesis comprises five chapters, beginning with Chapter 1, which outlines the study's background, theoretical issues regarding intonation and listening comprehension, and the research aims and questions Chapter 2 delves into the theoretical aspects of listening comprehension and English intonation, reviewing previous studies on listening skills and intonation teaching, while addressing challenges in listening and proposing effective teaching strategies It also defines intonation, discusses its components and communicative functions, and summarizes the relationship between intonation and listening comprehension based on prior research findings Chapter 3 details the study's methodology, including participant recruitment, pretests, posttests, and data analysis procedures Chapter 4 presents the findings from the learners' test results and questionnaire responses, discussing how to effectively integrate intonation knowledge into listening lessons Finally, Chapter 5 concludes by evaluating the impact of teaching intonation on learners' listening comprehension and offers recommendations for future research.
LITERATURE REVIEW…
Theoretical issues on listening comprehension
Listening is often regarded as the most challenging skill for language learners It wasn't until the 1970s that significant attention was given to listening comprehension (Osada, 2004) Various linguists and researchers have provided definitions of listening comprehension, with Lundsteen (1979, p 1) describing it as a process where "the spoken language is converted to meaning in the mind." However, this definition does not distinguish between 'hearing' and 'listening,' as both can lead to meaning being derived from spoken language, even when it is merely heard accidentally.
‘listening’ was clarified in the definition stated by Underwood (1989, p 1) that listening is “the activity of paying attention to and trying to get meaning from something we hear”
Understanding utterances involves both literal and implied meanings Literal meanings are derived from vocabulary and grammar, while implied meanings require listeners to interpret cues such as body language and tone of voice Listening comprehension encompasses not just the literal interpretation but also the inference of implied meanings, which reflect the speaker's feelings, attitudes, and intentions This duality highlights the complexity of communication, as individual words and grammatical structures alone do not convey the full message.
Effective communication requires that listeners grasp the speakers' messages, which should be interpreted alongside contextual clues and the speakers' attitudes Therefore, the researcher, drawing on Brown's (2001) definition, guides learners to understand both the literal and implied meanings of spoken texts.
Before exploring techniques to improve learners' listening skills, it is essential to identify the reasons behind their difficulties Underwood (1989) highlights that many English language learners struggle with listening comprehension due to the inability to control the speed of speech and the lack of opportunities to replay audio Additionally, limited vocabulary hampers their understanding, while unawareness of verbal cues, such as pauses and tone changes, complicates following the conversation Furthermore, a lack of background knowledge on the topic can lead to fatigue and disengagement Other contributing factors include short attention spans and the tendency to focus on every word In summary, Underwood identifies linguistic knowledge, topic familiarity, speech pace, concentration, and listening strategies as key obstacles to effective listening comprehension.
Brown (1994) identified several factors affecting listening comprehension, such as the use of colloquial language, slang, reduced forms, and suprasegmental features His research revealed that over 75% of participants attributed their difficulties in understanding speech to intonation patterns Similarly, Dunkel (1991) and Richards (1990) explored obstacles to listening comprehension, highlighting issues like clustering, redundancy, reduced forms, and performance factors.
Effective communication involves eight key variables, including colloquial language, delivery rate, stress, and intonation A significant challenge for learners is their inability to differentiate between various intonation patterns, which hinders their understanding of speakers' attitudes and the distinction between questions and statements.
In conclusion, intonation significantly complicates listening skills for EFL learners, as agreed upon by many linguists and researchers It is essential for educators to teach intonation theories to enhance learners' awareness of its impact on listening comprehension Consequently, this study concentrated on the role of intonation and investigated how teaching it affects learners' listening competence.
Listening comprehension involves a three-stage process, as outlined by Anderson (1985) The initial stage, known as "Perception," requires listeners to break down continuous speech into manageable segments This segmentation is crucial for avoiding ambiguity and enhancing understanding For instance, in the sentence “a man was approaching the house Quickly, the owner recognized him and called the policemen,” misplacing the adverb can lead to misunderstandings of the intended meaning.
The adverb "quickly" can significantly alter the meaning of a sentence, leading to potential misunderstandings, such as interpreting it to mean "a man was approaching the house quickly." To enhance listener engagement, breaking long speeches into smaller units is crucial, as it prevents fatigue and confusion The "Perception" phase, as described by Anderson (1985), plays a vital role for listeners In the subsequent "Parsing" phase, listeners interpret utterances using linguistic cues, including syntax, lexis, and phonology Phonology encompasses both segmental and suprasegmental features, which will be explored further in later sections During this phase, listeners create a mental representation of the speech's meaning.
9 and store it in their short-term memory The final phase proposed by Anderson
In 1985, the concept of "Utilization" was introduced, highlighting how listeners align their mental representations with real-world knowledge, or schemata, to interpret speech meaningfully The three stages of listening—linguistic understanding, schematic knowledge, and decision-making—can occur simultaneously and are vital for enhancing learners' listening comprehension Ultimately, full comprehension of speech relies on both linguistic and schematic knowledge.
Another framework of listening process was proposed by Rost (1990) According to Rost’s (1990) framework, the listening process occurs in five stages including “Hearing”, “Understanding”, “Remembering”, “Evaluating”, and
“Responding” In comparison between Anderson’s (1985) and Rost’s (1990) frameworks of listening, Rost’s (1990) “Hearing” stage is similar to Anderson’s
(1985) “Perception” phase in which listeners recognize and discriminate the sounds or parts of spoken texts Rost’s (1990) “Understanding” and
The "Remembering" stages align with Anderson's (1985) "Parsing" stage, where linguistic elements are analyzed and stored in memory Rost's (1990) "Evaluating" and "Responding" stages correspond to Anderson's "Utilization" stage, as listeners assess information based on context and background knowledge to draw conclusions and answer comprehension questions Regardless of how listening phases are classified, researchers unanimously agree on the essential role of linguistic features in the listening process, emphasizing the need for targeted instruction.
In EFL classrooms, the "bottom-up" and "top-down" processing methods are widely recognized for designing listening lessons Oh and Lee (2014) describe these approaches as essential psycholinguistic processes that must work together for effective speech comprehension Nunan (2010) notes that teachers emphasizing linguistic elements tend to favor the bottom-up approach, while those prioritizing learners' cognitive skills lean towards the top-down method.
In the bottom-up processing described by Harmer (2001), listeners focus on individual words and phrases to construct overall understanding Grammar is crucial in this process, as different syntactic structures can alter meaning Richards (2008) suggested that exercises targeting bottom-up processing can aid learners in identifying word and clause divisions, recognizing key words and transitions in discourse, understanding grammatical relationships between sentence elements, and using intonation to discern word and sentence functions.
Listeners can leverage their background knowledge to comprehend messages, as noted by Van Duzer (1997) This background knowledge encompasses the context, discourse, and the relationships among participants For instance, the utterance
The phrase "good luck" carries various meanings depending on the context, such as when someone is heading to a casino, visiting the dentist, or attending a job interview Through top-down processing, learners can develop a schema for discourse, allowing them to infer the setting, understand the roles of participants, deduce implicit details, and anticipate relevant questions about the topic.
Theoretical issues on English intonation
Several definitions of intonation were proclaimed, and it is impossible to make a decision which one is the best According to Roach (2002, p 150),
Intonation involves variations in the pitch of a speaker's voice to convey or modify meaning Pitch, the sole component of intonation mentioned, refers to the height of the voice, which can be adjusted higher or lower during speech However, the definition lacks clarity on how these changes occur—whether intonation involves a continuous shift across syllables or is analyzed syllable by syllable with distinct pitch heights Tench's (1996) definition aligns closely with Roach's, further emphasizing the need for a more detailed exploration of intonation's mechanics.
Intonation is defined as the use of pitch in utterances, with Bradford (1988) clarifying that it involves the continuous change of a speaker's voice pitch to convey meaning This continuous stream of intonation creates a dynamic movement in voice pitch, which can be visually represented through line drawing Such representation reveals whether the pitch is low or high and indicates whether it is rising or falling between syllables Pike (1945) further illustrated these pitch movements, emphasizing the importance of intonation in communication.
Figure 2.2: The description of pitch movements by Pike (1945)
Higuchi (2000) defines intonation as systematic variations in pitch level, pitch movement, and prominence, where pitch level indicates high or low tones, and pitch movement denotes rising or falling patterns This aligns with Brazil’s (1997) definition, which also encompasses prominence, tone, and pitch.
In Brazil’s (1997) definition, the term “tone” relates to the pitch movement of the voice, and pitch indicates specifically its lowness and highness Both Brazil
In their definitions, Higuchi (2000) and Brazil (1997) emphasized prominence as a key element of intonation, which aids listeners in identifying the most important syllables in speech Chun (2002) further noted that prominent syllables can be recognized by their increased loudness and length It is important to distinguish prominence from stress, as they are not synonymous; for instance, in the phrase "she sings this song beautifully," the prominence of certain syllables plays a crucial role in conveying meaning.
In spoken language, the words ‘sing’, ‘song’, and the syllable ‘beau-’ can be stressed differently, with variations in loudness to convey emphasis For instance, if a speaker wants to highlight the beauty of how they sing the song, the syllable ‘beau-’ is pronounced more loudly, making it more prominent Brazil (1997) and Higuchi (2000) provided a detailed definition of intonation, identifying its key components: pitch variations, movement patterns (falling or rising), and prominent syllables, which are foundational to this study Different linguistic systems and terminology have been used to describe the construction of intonation, and the next section will explore these components in greater detail.
Halliday (1967) stated that intonation consists of three elements coined
Tench (1996) highlights Halliday's system, which emphasizes the phonological aspects of intonation and its informational role Tonality is crucial for segmenting spoken discourse into distinct tone groups, which serve as units of information Other researchers, like Brazil (1997), refer to these as "tonic segments."
14 units” (Richards et al, 1993), and “intonation units” (Celce-Murcia et al, 2002)
Different ways of dividing a speech may change its meanings, so tonality is a useful clue for listeners to recognize speakers’ implications Some examples were mentioned by Dang (2012, p.24) as follows:
(1) a My brother who lives in Nairobi b My brother / who lives in Nairobi
The distinction between the sentences can be understood through their tonal segmentation In sentence (1a), the speaker indicates having multiple brothers and highlights the one residing in Nairobi, presenting the entire statement as a single tone unit Conversely, sentence (1b) suggests the speaker has only one brother, with the additional detail of his location presented in a separate tone unit This segmentation illustrates how tonality influences the syntactic structure, emphasizing the primary information in the first tone unit and supplementary information in the second.
(2) a She washed and brushed her hair b She washed / and brushed her hair
In example (2a), "hair" serves as a direct object for both the verbs "washed" and "brushed," indicating a clear action on the hair In contrast, in example (2b), "hair" is only the direct object of "brushed," suggesting that the subject may wash her face or other items instead of her hair This distinction leads to different interpretations of the actions in each example.
Another component of intonation is “tonicity” It describes the process of emphasizing important information in each tone unit Celce-Murcia et al (2002, p
Prominence refers to the emphasis a speaker places on specific words or syllables in their speech, which reflects their intentions and meanings For instance, in the example provided by Dang (2012, p 28), the underlined syllable illustrates the concept of prominence effectively.
(3) A: I’d love to attend the next one
B: You’d love to attend the next one!?
In the third example, B put a stress on “next” while it is given information from
A since B wished to express disbelief or surprise, or check again whether the information is misunderstood or misheard
(4) A: Why have you invited the Robinsons?
In this instance, B emphasizes the function word "haven't" rather than the typical focus on the verb "invited." This choice highlights B's intention to clarify and assert that A's presupposition is incorrect.
As mentioned above, the focus on the crucial information is also called
In the context of linguistics, "prominence" and "stress" are often used interchangeably, as noted by Brazil (1994) However, Richards et al (1993) clarify that prominence refers to the heightened emphasis on specific words or syllables that speakers wish to highlight Specifically, word stress pertains to the emphasis placed on a single syllable within individual words, while prominence encompasses the emphasis on syllables across one or more words in an utterance This distinction is illustrated by an example from Allen (1971), as cited in Lai (2010).
X: Yes A lady’s umbrella with stars on it Green stars
In X's initial statement, the term 'umbrella' is highlighted, signifying its importance However, in A's reply, the focus shifts from 'umbrella' to 'lady', indicating a change in the key information being conveyed.
In this study, the term "prominence" refers to the emphasis placed on specific words, while "stress" denotes the emphasis on syllables For instance, in X's last utterance, the focus is on "stars" and "green," overshadowing "umbrella" and "lady." Despite this, the syllable "-bre-" in "umbrella" remains stressed in both A's and X's utterances, adhering to pronunciation rules This distinction highlights that prominence and word stress are not synonymous, necessitating clarification in their usage.
The final element of intonation is "tone," which pertains to the variations in pitch within tone units Various English intonation resources present differing numbers of tones, reflecting the unique approaches of their authors in explaining and teaching the language (Halliday, 1970, p 8), as illustrated in Table 2.1.
Table 2.1: Summary of categorization of tones
Crystal (1969) fall, rise-fall, rise, and fall-rise
Ladefoged (1982) fall, rise-fall, rise, and fall-rise
Brazil (1997) fall, rise, rise-fall, fall-rise, and level
Roach (1983) fall, rise, rise-fall, fall-rise, and level
Halliday (1970) falling, high rising, low rising, falling-rising, rising-falling Cruttenden (1986) high fall, low fall, high rise, low rise, fall-rise, rise-fall, and mid-level
Most authors agree on four primary intonation tones: "falling," "rising," "fall-rise," and "rise-fall." These tones help speakers convey the completeness of their utterances For instance, the statement "I usually go to school by bus" delivered with a falling tone indicates completeness, while a rising tone suggests that more information will follow, such as "I usually go to school by bus because I don’t have a bike." This distinction is crucial in classroom instruction, as highlighted by Roach (2000).
Review of previous studies
Goh (1994) conducted an experimental study in Malaysia involving two groups of secondary-school students to investigate the impact of systematic intonation teaching based on Brazil’s (1997) Discourse Approach on students' speaking skills The study assessed the students' ability to recognize and produce intonation patterns After a 10-week course, results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in both recognizing and producing intonation patterns Goh concluded that “intonation can be systematically taught in secondary schools” (p 16).
Pham (2007) explored the teaching of intonation to General English learners in Ho Chi Minh City using the Discourse Approach, building on Goh's (1994) work The study focused on three key areas: the current state of intonation instruction, challenges faced in teaching intonation, and the integration of Brazil's (1997) Discourse Approach to improve teaching methods Data was gathered through textbook reviews and questionnaires.
In a study involving two groups of thirty-three second-year learners, one group was taught intonation using the Grammatical Approach, while the other utilized the Discourse Approach over a two-week period After the instruction, participants took a test requiring them to select appropriate tones for six utterances The findings indicated that the Discourse Approach is effective for teaching intonation and should be considered alongside the Grammatical Approach.
Numerous studies have investigated the impact of teaching intonation on language skills, particularly speaking abilities Lai (2010) examined the intonation of yes/no and wh-questions in an eight-week experiment at Van Hien University, revealing that students in the experimental group communicated their ideas more clearly than those in the control group Similarly, research by Nguyen (2009) and Dang (2012) at various universities highlighted the influence of intonation on students' oral skills Overall, these studies primarily concentrated on the teaching of intonation and its effects on speaking, rather than on listening skills.
Doan (2012) conducted an experimental study to explore the impact of activating linguistic knowledge—encompassing vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation—on students' listening comprehension Participants were divided into two groups and underwent a two-month listening skills course Upon completion, a listening test revealed that the experimental group, which received instruction on linguistic knowledge, significantly outperformed the control group This study highlights the crucial role of linguistic knowledge in enhancing learners' listening comprehension, although it noted that only one of the six lessons focused on intonation.
25 learners Therefore, whether the knowledge of intonation could improve the learners’ listening comprehension was still unexplored
Duong (2012) explored the impact of teaching prosody—stress, rhythm, and intonation—on freshmen's listening skills, revealing that prosodic instruction improved listening comprehension However, the study did not clarify whether all three elements contributed to this improvement or if it was due to just one or two factors Notably, intonation was taught in only four twenty-minute sessions, focusing on speaking activities rather than listening, raising questions about learners' ability to connect intonation with listening comprehension in longer conversations The instructional activities were limited to short utterances, leaving the effects of intonation on understanding extended speech unexamined Additionally, critical functions of intonation, such as "chunking" and "syntax disambiguation," were overlooked, and the rules for tone usage were deemed inconsistent Consequently, the current study aims to investigate whether teaching intonation with its primary functions can enhance learners' listening comprehension The following section outlines the study's Conceptual Framework.
Conceptual framework of the study
The Conceptual Framework of the current study (CF) was adapted from the Speech Reception Framework proposed by Celce-Murcia and Olshtain (2010, p
The article discusses the factors influencing listeners' processes in an interactive approach that combines bottom-up and top-down processing Specifically, top-down processing involves schematic and contextual knowledge, while bottom-up processing emphasizes phonology, vocabulary, grammar, and discourse According to the Speech Reception Framework (Celce-Murcia & Olshtain, 2001), phonology encompasses various features, including reduced forms and connected speech However, due to time constraints in listening lessons, it is challenging to cover all phonological features Consequently, the current study primarily focuses on intonation as a key element.
The study did not incorporate 'phonology' in the corrective feedback (CF), but it did include intonation instruction along with vocabulary, grammar, and discourse to enhance comprehension of spoken texts for both groups Celce-Murcia & Olshtain (2001) emphasized the importance of the interaction between top-down and bottom-up processing, which led to the inclusion of schematic and contextual knowledge in the CF.
The current study aimed to explore how teaching intonation impacts learners' listening comprehension, highlighting the essential connection between intonation and the listening process According to Roach (2000), intonation serves four primary functions, one of which is the "Accentual" function.
“Grammatical” function, “Discourse” function and “Attitudinal” function
The "accentual" function of intonation helps listeners identify key words in speech, highlighting its connection to vocabulary in the communicative framework (CF) Additionally, grammar plays a crucial role in enhancing learners' listening skills, as intonation serves as a valuable indicator of grammatical structures in spoken language Thus, the "grammatical" function of intonation is closely associated with the grammar component of the CF.
Learners should be taught to recognize the relationship between utterances within a discourse context rather than interpreting them in isolation Intonation serves as a valuable discourse clue for listeners, particularly for advanced learners who need to analyze lexico-grammatical features, discourse structures, and speakers' attitudes in spoken texts The "Attitudinal" function of intonation is crucial, as it helps listeners discern the speakers' attitudes This concept is illustrated in the Conceptual Framework of the current study.
Figure 2.3: The Conceptual Framework of the study
Summary of the chapter
This chapter discusses theoretical aspects of listening comprehension and intonation, highlighting various definitions provided by researchers and linguists It also examines the potential causes of listening difficulties faced by learners, with a particular focus on intonation as a significant factor contributing to these challenges Examples illustrating these concepts are included to enhance understanding.
The article discusses 28 explanations aimed at helping learners understand speakers' messages through intonation It highlights how learners can use their knowledge of intonation to break down lengthy speeches into manageable tone units, facilitating comprehension and reducing syntactic or semantic ambiguity Additionally, it emphasizes that understanding intonation allows learners to grasp speakers' emotions and anticipate the information being conveyed The article also reviews previous studies on intonation and listening comprehension, noting a lack of research on the impact of teaching intonation to EFL learners This gap in research serves as the motivation for the current study, which will be detailed in the following chapter.
METHODOLOGY
Context of the study
The research was conducted at the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature (EF) at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, which offers various training programs, including full-time, transfer, and in-service options Full-time students attend classes during the day, while evening classes are designated for transfer and in-service students The study focused on two evening classes: one from the in-service program and the other from the transfer program Despite the differences in their training paths, all learners participated in the same level listening course using identical materials, making them suitable candidates for the study.
The listening course is essential for developing learners' language skills, significantly impacting their academic and career success This study focuses on C1 level classes as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), where learners are expected to understand both literal and implied meanings Consequently, the research aims to explore how teaching intonation affects learners' listening comprehension.
Before enrolling in the C1 Listening and Speaking skills course, learners must complete courses from levels A2 to B2, along with a Pronunciation course As a result, EF learners, including those in the current study, possess foundational knowledge of phonology, particularly intonation, prior to starting the advanced listening classes.
Intonation is primarily taught through speaking activities, focusing on enhancing speaking skills rather than listening abilities As a result, learners often overlook the connection between intonation and listening comprehension, missing out on how intonation can serve as a key to understanding speakers' messages more deeply This study aims to investigate whether incorporating intonation instruction into listening lessons can improve learners' listening comprehension.
Classes are held from 6 pm to 8:30 pm, focusing on activities that enhance listening and speaking skills Students are expected to comprehend conversations and academic lectures on various topics, including technology, science, and campus life Assessment includes multiple-choice, true/false, gap-filling, and short-answer questions, covering main ideas, specific information, and inferences about speakers' viewpoints and attitudes.
Research design
This study investigates two primary research questions: first, it examines how the incorporation of intonation in listening lessons can improve learners' listening comprehension Second, it explores learners' perceptions of the effectiveness of integrating intonation into these lessons.
The study employed a quasi-experimental design over a three-month period from April to June 2018, utilizing questionnaires at the course's conclusion Classes met weekly for sessions lasting two hours and thirty minutes, with two classes selected through convenience sampling at the start of the course.
In a study conducted at the Faculty, researchers randomly assigned two classes, designating one as the control group and the other as the experimental group The experimental group received instruction that integrated intonation into listening lessons, while the control group did not receive any guidance on the functions of intonation.
Before the experiment, both groups underwent a C1-level listening comprehension test, which included multiple-choice, true/false, gap-filling, and short-answer questions, adhering to the Faculty's test format The pretest results indicated no significant difference in listening comprehension abilities between the two groups, with a significance value of 0.346, which will be further analyzed in Chapter 4.
In each lesson, learners from two groups were taught to listen, take notes, and interpret speakers' utterances using both bottom-up and top-down approaches The bottom-up approach emphasized linguistic features such as lexis, syntax, and discourse, while the top-down approach concentrated on learners' prior knowledge related to the listening topics Additionally, students were guided to analyze speakers' attitudes, with lesson activities designed to enhance both listening and speaking skills.
Each lesson is structured into three key stages: 'pre-listening', 'while-listening', and 'post-listening' The activities within these stages are developed in accordance with the Conceptual Framework outlined in the current study, as detailed in Chapter.
2 Firstly, the learners were introduced a topic which was related to the listening text This activity was based on the top-down process They were asked to answer some discussion questions about the topic This activity aimed at activating their existing knowledge of the topic, and helped them get more familiar with it Further, in this activity, key vocabulary and grammatical points were also provided through the discussion, which assisted them to predict what they were going to
32 hear from the listening text After the ‘pre-listening’ stage, they were guided to listen to the listening text in the ‘while-listening’ stage
During the 'while-listening' stage, both groups of learners listened to audio recordings three times The control group focused on taking notes about main ideas using recognizable key vocabulary, while the experimental group was introduced to examples of the "Accentual" function of intonation to help them identify important words for understanding the main ideas Following the initial listening, the researcher facilitated a discussion with both groups to explore the main themes of the text.
During the second listening session, learners from both groups took notes on detailed ideas from the text based on their understanding The control group relied on their vocabulary and grammar knowledge to interpret the spoken messages, while the experimental group was introduced to the "Grammatical" function of intonation before their second listening Afterward, both groups shared their ideas, and the teacher provided feedback on their notes.
In the third listening exercise, learners were tasked with interpreting the speakers' implicit purposes and attitudes based on the context of the text The control group relied on their vocabulary, grammar, discourse knowledge, and contextual understanding, while the experimental group received examples of the "Discourse" and "Attitudinal" functions prior to the listening activity After completing the task, both groups engaged in discussions to evaluate their comprehension of the listening texts and used their notes to respond to the teacher's comprehension questions.
The post-listening stage follows the while-listening phase, where learners from both groups engage in discussions about new vocabulary and grammatical structures they can acquire from the text.
The speaking practice involved an activity connected to the text's topic, aimed at personalizing the content for learners This approach encouraged students to relate the topic to their own lives and engage in discussions that enhanced both their speaking skills and understanding of the subject matter In the final phase of the lesson, learners were prompted to utilize vocabulary and grammar from the text during their speaking exercises The lesson procedures for both groups are summarized in Tables 3.1 and 3.2.
Table 3.1: Summary of the experimental group’s lesson procedure
Stages Focus Functions of intonation Purposes
Students get familiar with the topic
Examples of interpreting speakers’ focus through recognizing word stress and sentence stress
Students apply them to get main ideas
Examples of interpreting speakers’ messages through the grammatical structures of utterances are presented Students listen for detailed information
Examples of interpreting speakers’ intentions through intonation such as offering new information, confirming old information, and organizing speech are presented
Students listen for speakers’ purposes of speaking
Examples of interpreting speakers’ attitudes through intonation are presented
Students listen to the recording and analyze the speakers’ attitudes
Vocabulary and grammar review Personalization
Review listening-text-related linguistic knowledge
Personalize the topic and practice speaking
Table 3.2: Summary of the control group’s lesson procedure
Pre- listening Schemata Context Students get familiar with the topic
Lexical Students listen for main ideas
Syntactic Students listen for detailed information
Discourse Students analyze speakers’ implications about their purposes of speaking
Speakers’ attitudes Students listen to the recording and analyze speakers’ attitudes
Vocabulary and grammar review Personalization
Review vocabulary and grammar learnt from the listening text
Personalize the topic and practice speaking
After a 12-week course, both groups completed a C1 level listening comprehension test, mirroring the pretest format Following the test, a questionnaire was administered to the experimental group to gather insights on their opinions regarding intonation teaching in listening lessons at EF As noted by Griffee (2012), surveys utilize various data collection methods to explore constructs through questions of fact or opinion Due to time constraints, only the questionnaire was used in this study, limiting the ability to delve deeper into learners' responses through interviews Nonetheless, the questionnaire data provided valuable insights into whether learners had a positive or negative perception of the teaching methods employed.
35 viewpoints about the teaching techniques of the study This also offered suggestions for future lesson and course design.
Piloting study
In preparation for the main study, a pilot study was conducted with an Advanced Listening and Speaking (C1) class of twenty-five students from July to September 2017 The students, randomly assigned by the Faculty, completed a pretest at the course's start and a posttest at its conclusion, with the treatment spanning twelve weeks This pilot aimed to identify and address potential issues in lesson planning and test design, allowing for necessary adjustments before the main study After integrating intonation teaching into the listening lessons, the pretest and posttest scores were collected and analyzed, as detailed in Tables 3.3 and 3.4.
Table 3.3: Piloting group’s pretest and posttest mean scores
Table 3.4: Comparison between pretest and posttest mean scores of piloting group
3.775 24 1.1357 2318 pretest score of pilot group posttest score of pilot group
-.4917 5695 0.000 pretest score of pilot group - postt est score of pilot group
Mean Std Dev iat ion Paired Dif f erences
The learners' mean scores in the pretest and posttest were 3.283 and 3.775, respectively, indicating a significant improvement in their listening comprehension after the treatment focused on intonation The Sig (2-tailed) value of 0.000, which is well below the 0.05 threshold, confirms that the differences between the pretest and posttest results are statistically significant This positive outcome motivated the researcher to pursue an official study to further explore the relationship between intonation and listening comprehension, as discussed in the subsequent sections.
At the conclusion of the course, the researcher facilitated a discussion to gather learners' feedback on the lesson design Overall, students reported no difficulties in engaging with the lessons and activities Learners expressed that the researcher clearly instructed them on applying vocabulary, grammar, and intonation to understand the listening texts Consequently, the lesson design was effectively utilized in the main experiment.
The piloting study aimed to assess the appropriateness of test questions for learners' proficiency levels and identify any design issues that could confuse test-takers Initially, the listening test featured multiple-choice and gap-filling items Following the posttest, a discussion revealed that while learners found the spoken texts to be advanced, some answered correctly through guessing rather than comprehension This insight led to modifications in the test format for the main study, incorporating multiple-choice, gap-filling, true/false, and short-answer items Aligning the test design with the Faculty's previous courses, which included these question types, is expected to better prepare students for the official final examination.
The researcher re-designed the listening tests to align with the Faculty's format for two primary reasons: to benefit learners during their final examinations and to minimize results influenced by chance Following the modifications, two classes were selected to participate in the main experiment, which will be detailed in the next section regarding participant recruitment.
Participants
In the main study, convenience sampling was used to select two groups of second-year English students at EF's evening classes, aged 18 to 30 The control group comprised 24 students, while the experimental group included 25 students, both at an intermediate level of English The participants aimed to advance their language skills for academic success and future career development.
Research instruments
To assess learners' listening comprehension, two tests were administered: a pretest and a posttest The pretest was conducted during the first class session, lasting thirty minutes, while the posttest took place in the final session, also lasting thirty minutes Both tests maintained consistency in language proficiency levels, question types, number of questions, and audio genres, which included conversations and talks.
There were four sections in the test In section one, the learners had to answer six multiple-choice questions after listening to a conversation In each question,
The assessment consisted of four sections designed to evaluate learners' comprehension In the first section, participants chose the most appropriate answer from four options The second section featured seven gap-filling questions where learners filled in blanks with one or two words The third section required learners to determine the truthfulness of six statements based on a conversation Finally, the fourth section asked learners to respond to six questions in their own words, drawing on information from the talk.
Each audio recording was played twice, sourced from CAE practice test textbooks to ensure an advanced level of difficulty To maintain consistency in the difficulty of the tests, three EF students from different classes were invited to participate in both tests Their results are detailed in Tables 3.5 and 3.6.
Table 3.5: Mean score of pretest and posttest of 3 students
Table 3.6: Comparison between pretest and posttest mean score of 3 students
The pretest mean score was 5.5, while the posttest mean score slightly decreased to 5.433 The significance value of 0.742 indicates that there was no significant difference between the results of the two tests.
Mean St d Dev iation Paired Dif f erences
To investigate participants' views on incorporating intonation into listening lessons, questionnaires were distributed to the experimental group The findings revealed diverse perspectives among student participants, providing insights into the impact of intonation instruction on listening comprehension Utilizing a 5-point Likert scale, the questionnaire focused on gathering information regarding the perceived usefulness of various intonation functions, including the "Accentual" function.
“Grammatical” function, “Discourse” function and “Attitudinal” function on their listening process Further, it also investigated their attitudes towards the lesson procedure and activities
The study utilized a 5-point Likert scale to address four primary questions, alongside one open-ended question The first question featured nine items focused on the significance of intonation knowledge in enhancing learners' listening skills These sub-items were crafted based on nine specific functions taught during the course, which included using intonation to identify key words, mark clauses as punctuation, differentiate between questions and statements, clarify grammatically ambiguous structures, interpret speakers' attitudes, recognize new versus old information, anticipate speakers' forthcoming statements, and convey speakers' intentions.
The second question addressed the duration required for teaching intonation functions As previously noted, the time allocated for instruction varied based on the relevance of these functions to enhancing learners' listening skills Additionally, there were nine items that mirrored the first question.
The researcher aimed to explore learners' perspectives on the effectiveness of incorporating intonation in listening lessons, while also seeking feedback on lesson design and comparing the role of intonation in the learning process.
The third question focused on the overall lesson procedure, encompassing seven items that correspond to eight sub-stages in the listening lessons These sub-stages include essential elements such as 'background knowledge of the topics', 'intonation', 'vocabulary', 'grammar', and 'discourse'.
‘linguistic features review’, and ‘personalization’
The fourth question examined the effectiveness of macro listening skills and various question types It highlighted three key listening skills: 'listening for main ideas', 'listening for details', and
‘listening for implications’ In the domain of question types, there were four items such as ‘answering multiple-choice questions’, ‘answering true/false questions’,
Assessing listening comprehension through gap-filling and short-answer questions is crucial, as the method of assessment significantly impacts the learning process The learners' responses to the fourth question can provide valuable insights for designing future tests.
The questionnaire included four main questions rated on a 5-point scale, along with an open-ended question encouraging learners to provide suggestions for improving future lessons The functions of each item in the questionnaire are detailed in Tables 3.7 and 3.8.
Table 3.7: Summary of functions of items of questions 1 and 2
Table 3.8: Summary of functions of items of questions 3 and 4
Data collection procedure
In the initial session of the course, a pre-test of listening was administered to participants from both groups, with answer sheets from forty-eight students collected and graded by the researcher Following the course, a post-test of listening was conducted, and the papers were similarly collected and graded Additionally, questionnaires were given exclusively to the experimental group after they completed the final test, involving twenty-three students To facilitate data analysis, the researcher encoded participants' names into numbers before incorporating them into the data tables.
Data analysis procedure
The study utilized the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to assess the impact of intonation treatment on participants By calculating and comparing the mean scores of both the experimental and control groups in pretests and posttests, the Paired Samples T-test was employed to determine if there was a significant improvement in listening test scores for both groups.
The posttest scores of the two groups were analyzed using Independent samples T-tests to determine if there was a significant difference in their listening comprehension abilities This analysis allowed the researcher to assess the impact of intonation teaching on listening skills.
42 lessons assisted the learners in the experimental group to receive much higher test results than those in the control group
The study utilized SPSS to analyze questionnaire responses, assessing how learners perceived the effectiveness of intonation teaching and listening lesson activities in enhancing their listening comprehension Custom tables in SPSS were employed to compare the perceived usefulness of various intonation functions and classroom activities, presented through percentage metrics.
Summary of the chapter
This chapter outlines the study's methodology aimed at examining the impact of teaching intonation on EFL learners' listening comprehension and their attitudes towards its integration in listening lessons It details the recruitment process and selection of participants for the experimental and control groups The investigation relied on data gathered from listening test scores and questionnaire responses, with a comprehensive discussion of the results to follow in the next chapter.