A Study On English - Majored Seniors' Perception And Production Of Stress And Intonation At An Giang University.pdf

Therefore, to explore how important stress and intonation are perceived and produced by undergraduates, this study was conducted to investigate the perception and production of English s

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY

AN GIANG UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

UNDERGRADUATE THESIS

A STUDY ON ENGLISH-MAJORED

SENIORS’ PERCEPTION AND PRODUCTION OF STRESS AND INTONATION AT AN GIANG UNIVERSITY

DO THI ANH XUAN

ID No DAV207402

ADVISOR: NGUYEN THI THUY DAO, PhD

AN GIANG, 5-2024

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Foremost, I extend my profound appreciation to An Giang University, particularly the Faculty of Foreign Languages, for providing me with the invaluable opportunity to undertake this study I am immensely grateful to all the volunteer students from class DH21AV, who enthusiastically participated

in the online survey, and to the 20 individuals who generously contributed their time to record phonetic test Their participation is crucial for understanding stress and intonation in English more deeply

Special acknowledgment must be made to my advisor, Ms Dao, whose kindness, wisdom, and generosity have guided me throughout this journey Her insightful feedback, support, and empathetic understanding of the challenges I encountered during the research have been profoundly impactful She gave me

a freedom to pursue the research that I’m passionate about, guiding me in broadening my thesis idea I am truly thankful for her guidance and presence in

my academic journey

My gratitude extends to Ms Truc, whose meticulous attention to detail and perceptive feedback have opened new avenues of research for me Her contributions have been instrumental in refining my work of which I am deeply appreciative

I am indebted to Ms Trang for her encouragement during the research workshop day and marked the beginning of my belief in my ability to contribute the research

I wish to express my gratitude to respectable lecturers, Ms Truc, Ms Huyen, and Mr Hanh for evaluating my questionnaire Their thorough evaluation and insightful feedback are highly appreciated and will significantly contribute to the successful completion of my study I sincerely value the time and effort they dedicated to reviewing and providing feedback on this form Their input is instrumental in advancing the quality and integrity of my research

Lastly, Iam incredibly grateful to my parents for their constant love, support, encouragement, and the right amount of good-humoured teasing that kept me grounded and motivated Their belief in me has been the foundation upon which Ihave built my aspirations and achievements

Thesis Title: A STUDY ON ENGLISH-MAJORED SENIORS’ PERCEPTION AND PRODUCTION OF STRESS AND INTONATION AT AN GIANG

UNIVERSITY

By: DO THI ANH XUAN

Field of Study: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS

Advisor: NGUYEN THI THUY DAO, Ph.D

Accepted by the Faculty of Foreign Languages, An Giang University in

May, 2024

LÝ THỊ THANH TRÚC, Ph.D NGUYÊN THỊ DUNG, Ph.D

Advisor

NGUYEN THI THUY DAO, Ph.D

Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages

PHAN THI THANH HUYEN, Ph.D

iii

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the thesis entitled "A Study on English-majored Seniors’ Perception and Production of Stress and Intonation at An Giang University" is entirely my own work It has not been previously submitted for any degree or examination at any other university or institution

May, 2024

1V

ABSTRACT

Although studies on English pronunciation are prevalent in the field of research

on English linguistics, most bring about results with a central focus on individual sound errors in English rather than stress and intonation In English learning, scientists

claim that one of the most significant factors leading to effective communication is the

learners' knowledge and competence in stress and intonation Therefore, to explore how important stress and intonation are perceived and produced by undergraduates, this study was conducted to investigate the perception and production of English stress and intonation by English-majored seniors majoring in English Language Teacher

Education at An Giang University, providing implications for the learning and teaching of English pronunciation in university settings Using a mixed-methods

design, the researcher employed sequential explanatory research within two phases: the first phase was undertaken with 74 seniors through a survey on their perceptions

of English segmental elements, and the second phase was administered with 20 seniors classified into two groups based on their high and low perceived understanding of stress and intonation, analyzed through production tests of stress and intonation tendency

The findings indicated that while seniors showed moderate confidence in their stress placement and intonation, they recognized a significant gap between their theoretical understanding and practical application, especially outside the classroom Although they believed in the importance of speaking fluently like native speakers, they were concerned about the influence of their mother tongue

on their ability to correctly use stress and intonation The study highlighted common errors, such as rhythmic errors (Type A), incorrect placement of stress (Type B), intonation pattern errors (Type C), and tonic syllable identification errors (Type D) Based on its findings, this research provides crucial insights for lecturers in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at An Giang University It emphasizes the need for enhanced pronunciation practices within the English Listening and Speaking skills courses and also recommends integrating technological tools, such as Praat software, into teaching pronunciation These tools offer visual and auditory feedback, enabling students to visualize and refine their pronunciation in real time, thus helping them see and correct the pitch contours and stress placement in their speech

Key terms: English Pronunciation, Stress, Intonation, Praat, Stressed- time, Syllable-timed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

10.9 9).405960/0 70100055 ii

I)» 0 0.).ÿ2.V0019))01151557 11

ABSTRACT uo iv

I9) 09/6031 vii

I9) vill LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .cccececceesceeceteeeeteeeeeeeeees ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION - HH HH He, 1 1.1 Background of the Research ec ceeceesceesseeeseceseecereeeaeeeseeceseeceeeeeaeeeas 1 1.2 Rationale of the Research eee eesseceeseessecssecsecseesseeseesseesseesaeeneesaeenaes 2 1.3 Research ODJectives eeeescessceseeceseeceseeeseeeseeceseeceeecsaeeesaecesaeeeeeceaeesas 4 1.4 Research Questions .ccccccccccsessssceccceeesseeececeessseeeceeeessseeeeceseessseeeesesentaees 4 1.5 The Significance of the Research + s + + vsseseeersreereesee 4 1.6 Organization of the ResearCh + + 113321113 51 1 111v rrriep 5 CHAPTER 2 LITERA TURE REVIEẨW Q LHH HH HH, 7 2.1 Overview of English prOnunC1atÏOI - :- «se ssssesssrskrskrrke 7 2.1.1 Supraseemenftal Aspect oƒ PYOHHHCIfÏOH 52-5 scS< + sssess 8 , ý» c ôn - 4 13

PIN (À0 200) 1000 01 .Ả 15

2.3.1 Learners’ Perception oƒ Suprasegmental FeqfMr€S ‹ 15

2.3.2 Learners’ Production of Suprasegmental FeqfUr€S -.-~- 16

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY LH ng HH re 18 K0 n9 18

KÝ AYzZu 6i 7 ae 19

SN nố6ốe.e ố ố 19

3.2.2 Quesfionndir€ DATIÍCÏDHIES ok ngư 20 3.2.3 TeSt PAVTICIPANES ae 20

3.3 Research ÏnSfTUIT€TIS <6 E93 19119101 9030 19 ngư 21

3.3.1 The (QU€SFÍOTHÌY SG 3313113010931 19 v1 11kg vn 21

3.3.2 Phonetic Test on Stress and ÏHIOHfiOH ecẶ S5 SSS< + s+sss 25

3.4 Instrument Validity and ReliabiÏ1ty .- - 5 + +kssseeeseessee 25

3.6.2 Phonetic Test on Stress ANd ÏHIOHQfiOH c7 S5 Sex 28

3.6.3 Theoretical framworks for data ANALYSIS .cccccccsccctessseeesteeeeesseenes 34

4.2.1 Seniors' perception of the importance of learning stress placement ANA iNTONATION PALLCTNS eccccescccssccesceessceseeeseeeeseeseseeesseeeseeseseeeeaeeesaeeeseeees 67 4.2.2 Seniors’ production of stress placement and intonation patterns 70

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS Q caro 72

5.2 Implications of the rS€aTCh - G11 191193 911 911 01 211g ng gi rưy 73

5.3 Limifations and recommenÌatIONn .- - - 5+ + + + **+**‡EE+xeeersseeeerees 74

Appendix 3: Phonetic Test on Stress And InlondfiOII « 97

Appendix 4: Raw Calculafions oƒ Quesfionnaire Dafq 99

Vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Features of English pronunciation according to Gilakjani (2012) 8 Figure 2: The basic sound ©dIfOT - -. << + + k ke 13 Figure 3: The sound editor with display of spectrogram, pitch, intensity, formants and pulses cceccescccesecesseeessecescecssceesaecececeaeeceaeeesaeceeeceeeseeeeeaees 14 Figure 4: Explanatory sequential design proceduTes - -‹ ««+-««++ 19 Figure 5: Intensity analysis for the word "chorale" by an RP speaket 29 Figure 6: Pitch analysis for ‘Will you mail me my money?' by an RP speaker 30 Figure 7: Pitch Contour of the simple yes/no question (Ladefoged, 2014, p 130)

Figure 8: Pitch Contour of the simple sentence (Ladefoged, 2014, p 127) 33 Figure 9: Pitch Contour of the Wh-question (Ladefoged, 2014, p 130) 33 Figure 10: Pitch Contour of two clauses (Ladefoged, 2014, p 131) 33 Figure I1: Time SchedulÌe - << 2+ 1311991 99111911 9v vn kg cư, 35 Figure 12: Gender Distribution of Questionnaire Participants 36 Figure 13: The hertz difference between the 2 syllable peaks of the word

“chorale” between RP and H21-S5, S9, Š1Ũ HH ng 54

Figure 14: The hertz difference between the 2 syllable peaks of the word

“chorale” between RP and L21-S14, S16, S20 wo eee eeceeeeceseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 57

Figure 15: Analysis of Stress Placement Mistakes in Low & High Perception

Figure 16: Pitch Contour of H-21 Group Members Intonation Mistakes 61 Figure 17: Stress Placement in the Tonic Syllable 'mail' by H21-S8 63 Figure 18: Pitch Contour of L-21 Group Participants Intonation Mistakes 65

vill

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Comparison of the English and Vietnamese Rhythmic Patterns 12 Table 2: The demographics of the Questionnalire Participants 20 Table 3: Distribution of Test Participants ccceeseesseceseeeeneeeseeceseeeeteeeseees 21

Table 4: Sources for Questionnaire Statemen(§ -‹+++++<<<+++<xs+2 22 Table 5: Distribution of the Questionnaire Items into Four Themes 24

Table 6: Reliability Statistics of the Pilot Study on English Major Seniors’

Perceptions of the Importance of Learning Stress and Intonation 27

Table 7: Overview of Students’ Perceptions .:cccccescesseesseeseeeteesseessesseeeees 37

Table 8: Independent samples t-test for gender difference in terms of students’ perceptions of the Importance of learning stress and Intonation 38 Table 9: Perceptions of Stress and Intonation Competence and Awareness 39 Table 10: Descriptive data of the competence and awareness 42 Table 11: Perceptions of the Application of Stress and Intonation Patterns 44 Table 12: Descriptive data on the Application of Stress and Intonation 45 Table 13: Perceptions of Discouraging Factors ecsecceseeseeeceteeeeteeeeeees 47 Table 14: Descriptive data on Discouraging FacfOTS «<< <<+<c<+ 49 Table 15: Perceptions of Negative AtfIfUđ€S SĂcSsSssssseieeeree 50 Table 16: Descriptive data on perceptions of negafive attitudes 51

Table 17: Mean dB Intensity Difference between the Two Syllable Peaks of the word Chorale Between RP and H-2] Group - - -+-s+++<ss*+sessseessss 33

Table 18: Mean dB Intensity Difference between the Two Syllable Peaks of the Word 'Chorale' Between RP and L-2l GTOup - «555cc ssssesseeres 55

Table 19: Mean- dB Intensity and Pitch Difference Between the Tonic Syllable mail and Final Syllable money Between RP and H-2I Group 59

Table 20: Tonic Syllable Stress Placement and Intensity Differences in the Tonic Syllable zmai! Across RP and H-2l Group - ‹ 5s <+<x++xss 62

Table 21: Mean-dB Intensity and Pitch Difference Between the Tonic Syllable mail and Final Syllable money Between RP and L-21 Group - 64 Table 22: Tonic Syllable Stress Placement and Intensity Differences in the Tonic Syllable zmail Across RP and L-21 TOUp 55555 << ++ecss 65

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

There are six sections in this chapter: (1) Background of the Research, (2) rationale of the research, (3) Research Objectives, (4) Research Questions, (5)

The Significance of the Research, (6) Organization of the Research

1.1 Background of the Research

According to Ha (2005), most foreigners observed that although a significant number of Vietnamese individuals were capable of speaking English, only a minority of them could have intelligible English pronunciation to be understood by foreigners in direct conversations Mispronunciations have a negative impact on comprehensibility, intelligibility, and accentuation, as

indicated by research conducted by Derwing and Munro (1997) Field (2005) emphasizes the challenge of determining the particular elements of pronunciation that should be given priority, considering their impact on a learner's intelligibility Intelligibility refers to the degree to which a person who speaks a language as their first language can understand the speech of someone who speaks it as a second language (Derwing and Munro, 2005) The ongoing discourse revolves around the relative impact of segmental features, such as individual sounds, versus suprasegmental features, which encompass word stress, rhythm, and intonation (commonly known as prosody) Derwing and Munro (2005) contend that segmental features, specifically individual sounds, hold greater significance in terms of intelligibility Their belief is that non- native speakers (NNS) who can accurately articulate the phonetics of a language will be readily comprehensible to native speakers On the other hand, some individuals contend that suprasegmental characteristics, such as emphasis on certain syllables and variations in pitch, have a more significant impact on

comprehensibility (Field, 2005)

Even though suprasegmental features make a significant contribution to pronunciation, there seems to be a lack of enthusiasm for this aspect of language

(Cardinali and Barbeito, 2018) While extensive previous research has focused

on individual speech sounds, particularly vowels and consonants, at various stages of language learning and the effect this might have on pronouncing specific words (Zampini and Edwards, 2008), a comprehensive understanding

of pronunciation requires a broader perspective Elements such as rhythm, intonation, and how they interact with syllable structure in L2 (second language) learning are undeniably important but have not received sufficient attention

(Derwing & Munro, 2005) Chun (2002) noted that between 1980 and 2000,

only twenty-six articles related to pronunciation were published, with just seven addressing intonation or suprasegmentals Recent handbooks during that period also only partially covered stress and intonation (p 112), with inadequate in- depth discussion (Toivanen, 2003) This lack of emphasis is also evident in the classroom, where suprasegmental features play a minor role (Gut et al., 2007)

Fortunately, there has been a resurgence in research on intonation in recent years (Cardinali & Barbeito, 2018) Advances in technology, including the development of cost-effective (or even free) real-time Fundamental Frequency

(FO) detection software, extensive databases of recorded speech, and innovative

video techniques, have renewed interest in exploring and incorporating intonation into language teaching (Vaissiére, 2008) This renewed focus has opened up new avenues of study, delving into the intricate interactions and practical uses of suprasegmental features within language

Tran (2015) and Ladefoged (2014) highlight the importance of stress in

creating rhythmic differences between languages, such as English and Vietnamese McMahon (2002) confirms English as stress-timed with rhythmic patterns depends on the regular occurrence of stressed syllables, contrasting with the syllable-timed rhythm of Vietnamese where each syllable with equal emphasis This difference poses challenges for Vietnamese learners in mastering English pronunciation (Tran, 2017) However, a significant research gap exists regarding how Vietnamese learners, particularly in academic contexts, perceive and adapt to these differences in stress and intonation As a result, it is paramount to explore how Vietnamese learners, perceive and produce stress and

intonation in English

1.2 Rationale of the Research

As stated by Dang (2020), the economic reforms in Vietnam have achieved significant progress in recent years Within the trend of global economic integration and globalization, Vietnam has signed around 80 bilateral and multilateral agreements Vietnam has successfully acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO), following a prolonged period of discussions lasting over ten years Following the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, Vietnam is confronted with the urgent need to develop

a strong and capable workforce According to Dang (2020), in a country like Vietnam that is rapidly expanding and has a large population, English has

become widely used as a common language and the prevailing foreign language There is an increasing demand for educational institutions, particularly colleges and universities, to enhance their English language curriculum programs This enhancement benefits not only future English teachers but also future generations of learners The progress in education is crucial for the cultivation and uniformity of English proficiency, hence enhancing the quality of the local workforce

The rationale for focusing on prosody, particularly stress and intonation,

is fundamentally linked to its significant impact on effective communication Prosody, which includes the suprasegmental aspects of pronunciation as tress, intonation, and rhythm, is integral to effective communication in English (Derwing & Munro, 2005) According to Hahn (2004), mastery of prosody significantly enhances both the intelligibility and comprehensibility of speech

for native speakers (NS) Field (2005) demonstrated that incorrect lexical stress

in native English speech can impair the ability of both native speakers and non- native speakers to understand connected speech Hahn (2004) further supports this by showing that correct sentence level stress not only aids listener comprehension but also enhances the recall of the content Misplaced or omitted

stress, conversely, leads to reduced understanding and retention For NNS,

mastering the intonation patterns of a target language significantly improves their intelligibility and interaction with native speakers (Jenkins, 2004)

At An Giang University, "English Pronunciation 1" and "English Pronunciation 2" are essential courses designed to prepare future English teachers The former course focuses on basic segmental features such as vowels and consonants, while the latter equips learners with suprasegmental features such as word stress and intonation However, many students neglect the importance of these prosodic features, which are critical for effective teaching Moreover, stress and intonation significantly influence students’ performance in standardized English language proficiency tests, which are a graduation requirement at An Giang University These tests typically assess listening and speaking skills, where accurate stress and intonation are critical for achieving higher scores Therefore, enhancing these aspects of pronunciation can directly contribute to students’ academic success and their future career From theoretical and practical demands, this is of significance to conduct this study, targeting exploring seniors’ perceptions and their production of stress and

intonation.

Additionally, the study aims to identify gaps in existing research and establish a foundation for more detailed investigations into the acoustic characteristics of English intonation and stress errors among Vietnamese learners In Vietnam, research has primarily focused on segmental features, particularly the negative transference from the first language (L1) to the second language (L2) Several researchers have explored the reasons behind Vietnamese learners’ mispronunciation of /d/ and /6/ (Dao, 2007; Ngo, 2009;

Dao, 2011; Le, 2011) However, there is a significant lack of emphasis on

suprasegmental features, which are crucial for effective communication Therefore, this study focuses on suprasegmental errors, specifically stress and intonation, to explore ELTE seniors' perceptions of learning stress and intonation in English and to investigate their production of these patterns

1.3 Research Objectives

The study aimed to explore ELTE seniors’ perceptions of learning stress and intonation in English and to investigate their production of English stress and intonation patterns

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions (RQs) were formulated:

RQ (1): What are ELTE seniors’ perceptions of learning stress and intonation

in English?

RQ (2): How do ELTE seniors produce the English stress and intonation

patterns?

1.5 The Significance of the Research

The findings of the study make some important contributions to the teaching and learning of English, which is described as follows:

Firstly, by emphasizing the importance of awareness of stress and intonation for ELTE learners, especially in identifying and adjusting challenging aspects of speech production, the findings of the study helps facilitate students’ self-correction and active modulation of pronunciation, which are critical for mastering the intonation patterns of a second language

Secondly, the study also recommends the integration of Praat, a software that assists learners in assessing their pronunciation skills, into the phonetics course Students can gain the ability to self-assess and improve their pronunciation by comparing their pronunciation with Received Pronunciation (RP) is the accent often recommended to foreign learners of British English and has long been regarded as a standard or model accent, according to Roach

(2009) This tool would offer real-time visual feedback, enabling students to

promptly assess the extent to which their stress and intonation patterns differ from those of RP It encourages students to be proactive learners and can lead

to a deeper understanding of aspects of pronunciation Learners of all ages and comfort levels with technology can quickly learn to see the details of speech using Praat's spectrogram display Consequently, Praat might be an easily accessible tool for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners at An Giang University Wilson (2008) concurs, noting that employing Praat for feedback in pronunciation classes enhances autonomous learning in a domain of language teaching that has traditionally depended on native speakers' judgments for

assessment

Thirdly, the result of the study may offer educators new methods and

guidelines for using Praat software to teach pronunciation and enhance students’

English pronunciation abilities Educators may also pinpoint the suprasegmental features to live up to the target students’ needs and provide them with more opportunities to practice pronunciation after class

Fourthly, the study identifies gaps in current research and establish a foundation for more comprehensive investigations into the acoustic characteristics of English intonation and stress errors made by Vietnamese

students Therefore, it is a valuable source for researchers who are interested in

this aspect

Finally, this research aims to shed light on future studies regarding the perception and production of English stress and intonation of Vietnamese learners This could significantly involve areas such as private speech therapy for voice disorders and enhance cross-linguistic studies designed to improve Vietnamese pronunciation, as well as that of other tonal languages

1.6 Organization of the Research

This undergraduate thesis is organized into five main chapters:

Chapter | sets the stage for the research by outlining the study's background, including its context and rationale, the research objectives, questions, and the significance of the study

Chapter 2 reviews both theoretical frameworks and empirical studies related

to the research

Chapter 3 describes the research methodology used in the study It includes the research design, a description of participants, the instruments used for data collection, the procedures followed for gathering data, and the methods of data analysis

Chapter 4 presents and discusses the findings It includes a detailed analysis

of the data collected and interprets these findings in the context of the existing literature

Chapter 5 discusses the limitations encountered, and provides recommendations for future research This chapter concludes the thesis by reflecting on the implications of the results for the field

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter comprises three primary sections The first section outlines

an overview of English pronunciation, highlighting its fundamental components

and their impact on spoken interactions It delves into suprasegmental aspects

of pronunciation, encompassing stress, intonation, pitch, and rhythm,

explaining their definitions and significance The second section introduces the Praat software as a tool for analyzing these features, detailing its functionalities

and applications in linguistic research Finally, the chapter reviews pertinent previous studies, examining learners’ perceptions and production of

suprasegmental features, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by

Vietnamese learners of English

2.1 Overview of English pronunciation

According to Merlin (2018), effective communication in speaking hinges

on five essential elements: pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, comprehension,

and fluency Pronunciation is highlighted as particularly critical, as it significantly improves the quality of interactions between the speaker and the listener Yates (2002) further explains that pronunciation refers to the production of sounds to convey messages It focuses on particular language sounds (segments) and elements beyond single sounds, such as intonation, stress, and rhythm, known as suprasegmental aspects, and how we project our voice (voice quality) Broadly, it also involves how gestures and facial expressions

accompany our speech

In the context of English language teaching (ELT), pronunciation is a crucial aspect of communicative competence (Morley, 1991) that affects the desire to use the language (Guiora, 1972), as well as the quantity and quality of both language input received and output produced (Fraser, 2002) Gilakjani

(2012) refers to these elements collectively as features of pronunciation, which

are illustrated in Figure | below:

Figure 1: Features of English pronunciation according to Gilakjani (2012)

2.1.1 Suprasegmental Aspect of Pronunciation

A well-known definition provided by an early leader in the field of phonetics and phonology suggests that speech can be divided into segments, which are vowels and consonants Together, they form the syllables that make

up utterances Superimposed on the syllables are other features known as suprasegmentals These suprasegmentals include variations in stress and pitch Length variations are also typically considered suprasegmental features, although they can affect individual segments as well as whole syllables (Ladefoged, 2014, p 24)

Kelly (2001) acknowledges that suprasegmentals are a feature of speech that generally applies to the group of intonations Intonation can be understood

as the melody of the language, representing how the voice rises and falls following the context and meaning of communication Similarly, Roach (2014)

emphasizes the importance of intonation; for example, if the word 'right’ is said

with a rising pitch, it is likely to be heard as a question or an invitation to continue speaking Conversely, a falling pitch is more likely to be heard as confirmation or agreement These examples demonstrate sound contrasts that extend over several segments, known as suprasegmentals Ladefoged (2010) further explains that suprasegmental features involve elements of speech

beyond single consonants or vowels The primary suprasegmental features

include stress, length, tone, and intonation

2.1.1.1 Stress

Yates (2002) suggests that many educators advocate that beginning with stress is a fundamental building block of teaching pronunciation Peter Ladefoged, a renowned phonetician, describes stress as a suprasegmental feature of utterances that applies not to individual vowels and consonants but to whole syllables The author defines a stressed syllable as one that is pronounced with more energy than its unstressed counterparts, making it more prominent in speech (Ladefoged, 2014,p 259) The Cambridge Dictionary further clarifies linguistic stress as the greater force used in the pronunciation of a word or syllable compared to others within the same sentence or word

Some linguists propose more specific parameters that play significant roles in the realization of stress Ladefoged (2003) suggests it is likely a

combination of pitch, length, and loudness that determines stress Similarly, Fry

(1955, 1958) indicated that the intensity across a syllable may serve as an acoustic correlate of stress differences Other linguists, such as Liberman and Prince (1977), argue that the presence of certain phonetic features, such as vowel quality or consonant voicing, can also contribute to the perception of

stress

To further investigate the production of English stress by English major learners at An Giang University, this research utilized parameters of intensity

to analyze stress patterns The comparison was between Received Pronunciation

(RP) as a standard or model accent, according to Roach (2009) and the recording samples drawn from the participants' speeches This analysis will be guided by the theoretical framework established by Fry (1955, 1958), which postulates that the intensity level over a syllable can serve as a potential acoustic indicator

of stress differences Moreover, Fry suggests that even a minimal pitch

difference of 5 dB (decibel) can be significant enough to denote a difference in stress

2.1.1.2 Intonation

According to Roach (2009), there is no satisfactory definition of intonation,

as this is a concept that is too complex to be completely defined In his explanation, the author includes the concept of pitch and makes a precision about it Pitch refers to the auditory sensation perceived by the hearer and not

10

to the movement of the vocal folds, as this vibration is defined as fundamental

frequency (F0)

Celce-Murcia et al (1996) associate the concept of intonation with pitch,

describing it as the relatively high or low movements of the voice Similarly,

Wei and Zhou (2002) define intonation as the variation in voice pitch

characterized by rising and falling patterns Additionally, several authors simplify the definition of intonation, describing it as the music or melody of language, which falls under the category of suprasegmental features of English pronunciation Prieto and Roseano (2018) adds that linguistic prosody has traditionally been referred to as “the music of speech.” The acoustic correlates

of prosody include the actual melody of speech (the so-called intonation), plus the rhythmic and durational patterns that typically characterize a given linguistic variety, as well as its intensity patterns

The concept of intonation has been broadly defined by several authors Gut et al (2007), and Levis (1999) include aspects such as tempo, voice quality,

loudness, tone, stress, intensity, and the duration of the fundamental frequency

(FO) in their definitions Vaissiére (2008) further explains that intonation involves variations in FO to convey information at various speech levels, from words and phrases to utterances, paragraphs, and discourses, each level playing

a unique role in intonation Valenzuela (2013) extends the discussion to the

pragmatic functions of intonation, linking it to emotional expressions and speech acts Thus, intonation can be defined depending on the interests of the authors and also taking into consideration the different functions that intonation may have

As stated by Luu (2010), intonation patterns in English convey differences

in the intention of the utterance without changing the fundamental meaning of the words used

Ladefoged (2003) identifies four basic intonation patterns: rise, fall-rise,

fall, and rise-fall Roach (2014) recognizes five types: level, fall, rise, fall-rise,

and rise-fall tone Cruttenden (1997) described seven types: low-fall, high-fall,

rise-fall, low-rise, high-rise, fall-rise, and mid-level This study will be based on

the theoretical framework proposed by Ladefoged (2003), which focuses on the four basic intonation patterns, focusing on five specific types of intonation patterns associated with yes/no questions, wh-questions, simple statements, and two clauses

11

2.1.1.3 Pitch

According to Ladefoged (2003), pitch is a manifestation of tone and intonation People cannot measure the pitch of a recorded sound, but they can measure the fundamental frequency (FO) of the sound wave, which is the acoustic correlate of pitch These pitch variations are linked to the rate of vibration of the vocal folds Because each opening and closing of the vocal folds causes a peak of air pressure in the sound wave, people can estimate the pitch

of a sound by observing the rate of occurrence of the peaks in the waveform The hertz, often abbreviated Hz, is the unit of measurement for frequency

Supporting this phonetic science perspective, Ashby and Maidment (2005,

p 154) assert that the vocal cord can vibrate at different rates The typical range

of vibration for an adult male speaker spans from approximately 80 Hz to 210

Hz On average, women have a smaller larynx and shorter vocal folds than men,

so the usual range for adult female speakers is from about 150 Hz to about 320

Hz The rate of vibration of the vocal folds determines the FO of the resulting speech sound The FO of a sound is intimately connected with the pitch we perceive Specifically, the higher FO corresponds to a higher perceived pitch

2.1.1.4 Rhythm

The study of language rhythm and stress patterns reveals distinct differences between English and Vietnamese, presenting challenges for Vietnamese learners of English Ladefoged (2014) notes that stress is also a crucial element that contributes to the distinct rhythm of a language Vilaplana (2006) defines rhythm in linguistic terms as the pattern of beats or prominence peaks within speech In English and other Germanic languages, the rhythm is characterized

as stress-timed, with variable word stress being a dominant feature of its

rhythmic timing In contrast, Kirby (2010) identifies Vietnamese as a tone language where syllables can carry various pitch patterns with contrasting meanings In the standard Northern variety, a syllable can theoretically have six

or eight tones, while the Central and Southern Vietnamese each have one tone

less because of the fourth and fifth tones Additionally, McMahon (2002)

categorizes English as a stress-timed language, where rhythm is determined by the regular repetition of stress on certain syllables tones Brunelle (2017) shows that there is a lack of evidence for the existence of word stress in Southern Vietnamese Nguyen (2017) adds that Vietnamese speakers learning English often encounter difficulties with both perception and production of English

(1967), and Thompson (1987), also noted that Vietnamese is typically

characterized as an isolating language, predominantly composed of monosyllabic words It is often referred to as a "syllable-timed" language, implying that each syllable tends to receive more or less equal prominence Nguyen’s (2017) paper, "Some English Stress Mistakes and Solutions: A Phonetic Experimental Research on Vietnamese Students," presumably provides a detailed comparison between English and Vietnamese rhythmic

patterns, as outlined in Table 1:

Table 1: Comparison of the English and Vietnamese Rhythmic Patterns according

to Nguyen (2017)

Type of Stress-timed language, witha Syllable-timed language, with the

language rhythmic pattern based on the _ syllables having equal intensity

regular repetition of the stressed syllables

*Note: S: Strong = Heavy syllable = stressed syllable

W: Weak = Light syllable = unstressed syllable

Nguyen (2017) concludes that the aforementioned difference presents a significant challenge for Vietnamese students in mastering suprasegmental

features, such as stress and intonation, which are crucial for the natural rhythm

and melody of spoken English According to McMahon (2002), although these students may pronounce individual English sounds accurately, their speech may not resemble that of a native English speaker because they struggle with the application of 'strong' and 'weak' stress patterns to form the rhythm with the pitch contour as melody

13

2.2 Praat

Boersma (2001) states that the Praat acoustics program is a powerful and widely utilized freeware among behavioral scientists working with digital sound Weenink (2018), one of the co-creators, confirms that Praat was jointly developed by himself and Paul Boersma at the Phonetics Institute of the University of Amsterdam The program is used worldwide and is extensively employed by phoneticians, phonologists, and speech researchers due to its comprehensive features and capabilities in analyzing and processing speech sounds According to Le & Brook (2011), Praat can aid learners in improving their pronunciation by enabling them to analyze the visual patterns of their own speech This helps them understand how their pronunciation differs from the target pronunciation Simultaneously, teachers can also utilize the program to analyze and evaluate their students’ speech patterns for assessment or diagnostic purposes Moreover, Bussmann et al (2006) demonstrates that Praat works similarly to a spectrograph, which features electric filters for acoustical analysis

of speech sounds for frequency, intensity, and quantity The most important parts of the editor have been numbered in Figure 2:

Figure 2: The basic sound editor

Figure 2 displays the sound editor window that appears when the Edit command of a selected sound is clicked The sound editor shows vertically the sound amplitude as a function of time, which is displayed horizontally The most important parts of the editor are labeled in Figure 1 which is written by Weenick (2023):

The title bar (1) displays a sequence of information from left to right: the unique identifier of the sound and the category of the sound

14

object being edited In the menu bar (2), one can choose to view different

characteristics of the sound, such as its frequency spectrum, pitch,

intensity, formants, and pulses The main area where the sound is displayed (3) visually represents the sample “amplitudes” as a function

of time There are also rows of rectangles (4) that depict segments of the sound with their durations With the global selection option (5), pressing the "all" button reveals the entire sound wave in the display area The zooming buttons "in" and "out" allow for a closer or broader view of the sound wave The cursor (6) is shown as a vertical red dashed line, and its

corresponding time is noted above the display area A horizontal scrollbar (7) is available to navigate through different sections of the sound A grouping function (8) that comes into play when multiple time-

based editors for the same sound are in use (p.20)

runs vertically The blackness of each cell indicates the strength of a frequency

at that time and pitch; black means strong, white means weak The spectrogram shows the highest and lowest frequencies, 0 Hz and 6000 Hz respectively, on the left side Pitch appears as a blue dotted line, and Formant frequencies show

up as red dots Intensity is a solid yellow line in the same area, the minimum and maximum values of the scale are in dB’s and shown with a green colour on

of syllables in decibels (dB)

2.3 Relevant Previous Study

2.3.1 Learners’ Perception of Suprasegmental Features

Several studies have examined the presence and perception of foreign accents across different forms of speech Barreiro et al (2005) contributed significantly to this area of research by analyzing the degree of perceived foreign accent in spontaneous speech, singing, and reciting Their study involved four Spanish students of English, whose speech samples were evaluated by twenty native English speakers Three samples of Spanish speakers of English were judged by twenty native English speakers They concluded that, in singing and reciting, Spanish speakers of English sounded less foreign than when spontaneously speaking All speakers were found to have similar phonemic errors in the three samples of speech analyzed by acoustics (vowels and consonants) This indicated that the perception of a better accent in singing and reciting does not depend on segmental differences but rather on well-established rhythmic patterns This insight emphasizes the influence of suprasegmental features, such as rhythm and intonation, on accent perception The findings suggest suprasegmental features of language, such as intonation, stress, and rhythm, are crucial in the perception of a non-native accent

Similarly, Alduais and Al-Shamiry (2013) conducted a significant study focusing on the perceptions of Yemeni English language learners regarding the importance of teaching and learning stress and intonation, which are critical suprasegmental features of speech often overlooked in communication The study utilized a random sampling method to select 140 English-major seniors who participated by responding to a researcher-designed questionnaire, which comprised 23 items divided into six clusters The findings highlighted varied attitudes towards these linguistic features: some students recognized their importance, while others displayed negative attitudes and a lack of knowledge Several factors contributing to this incompetence were identified, including

educational systems, personal, and social influences, with the inherent difficulty

16

of these features cited as a primary discouragement The study also revealed that over 50% of the students harbored negative attitudes towards the use of suprasegmental features Less than 50% of participants demonstrated an incompetent level and/or limited knowledge regarding the functions of these features the application of these features is limited to the classroom activities The primary reasons for neglecting these features, in order of significance, were

the educational system, students, teachers, and the social context Personal and

social reasons were the most significant discouraging factors against applying these speech features Encouraging factors for better application and practice included frequent evaluation, utilization of university labs, interactions with

teachers and classmates, and broader social interactions

Additionally, as evidenced by Lord's (2008) research, this article explores

a pod-casting project conducted in an undergraduate Spanish phonetics class Participants included 19 students who engaged in small-group activities centered on creating and maintaining a podcast channel Their recordings, which consisted of tongue twisters, short readings, and personal reflections on their pronunciation, were uploaded for peer feedback The participants have a very positive attitude towards proper pronunciation and their ability to achieve accurate pronunciation

Although stress and intonation were crucial speech abilities for EFL learners, the majority of studies were conducted in foreign contexts with minimal emphasis on Vietnamese learners of English Consequently, their knowledge and competence in English pronunciation may be neglected, limiting their ability to communicate effectively a globalized environment As a result, the current study highlights the necessity of understanding senior students’ perceptions and the need for a more conductive learning environment It also proposes the application of technology to encourage the appropriate use of stress and intonation in English language learning

2.3.2 Learners’ Production of Suprasegmental Features

In the realm of research on common suprasegmental errors in comparison

to RP, two notable experimental studies have emerged:

The Ph.D thesis by Nguyen (2004), titled “English Intonation by the

Vietnamese and the English: A Contrastive Perspective,” analyzed the English

intonation of students from the Hanoi College of Education and suggested several corrective strategies In addition to conventional methods such as direct instruction, observation, and the descriptive approach, this thesis also

17

incorporated experimental research methods supported by'remedial teaching aids.’ The author identified three levels of English pronunciation among

Vietnamese speakers: (1) the ideal level, in line with Standard English (SE); (2)

the actual level, representing the English intonation deemed acceptable

(Vietnamese English, VE); and (3) the level with intonation errors that do not

meet the standard

The Ph.D thesis by Tran (2013) addresses the challenges Vietnamese students face with English intonation and stress patterns, a result of the differences between Vietnamese, which treats syllables equally, and English, which is stress-timed The study spanned 24 weeks from January to June 2012, involving preparatory work, a phonetic experiment, and data analysis It employed comparative prosodic analysis and a combination of quantitative and experimental phonetic methods to identify students’ stress errors and solutions The population involved 90 Vietnamese students sourced from two educational

institutions: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, where students were

enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program in English, and the Ho Chi Minh City Open University These participants were collectively referred to as the

"population" for the study The author used stratified random sampling to narrow down the population Two classes from different sources were used to select 30 students with the lowest intonation test scores using stratified random sampling They were split into control and experimental groups of 15 each to compare teaching strategies The data were analyzed using tools like Speech Analyzer and Praat software The result showed seven common intonation errors among Vietnamese students speaking English These include errors in (1)

Mistake of Rhythmic Pattern, (2) Mistakes of Tonic Syllable Identification, (3)

Mistakes in Rhythm and Tonic Syllable Identification, (4) Mistakes in

Intonation Pattern, (5) Mistakes in Rhythmic and Intonation Pattern, (6)

Mistakes of Tonic Syllable Identification and Intonation Pattern, and (7)

Mistake of Rhythm, Tonic Syllable Identification, and Intonation Pattern

These two studies are invaluable in shedding light on the field of contrastive linguistics and providing a comprehensive understanding of the suprasegmental errors frequently faced by English language learners, particularly those with a Vietnamese background This also leads to the necessity of the current study to investigate the perceptions and production of

English stress and intonation of EFL learners, thus highlighting the importance

of raising awareness among EFL learners and promoting lecturers’ teaching activities of English pronunciation in the university setting

18

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

Chapter 3 describes the methodology of this research This chapter first presents the overall design of the study and then describes the research design, participants, research instruments, instrument validity and reliability, data

collection procedures, data analysis procedures, ethical considerations, and

time schedule

3.1 The Research Design

To address the first question of this research, quantitative research was conducted Fraenkel et al (2011) highlight the utility of the quantitative approach in facilitating the objective measurement of data, particularly through the use of questionnaires Creswell (2014) reinforces this point, emphasizing that by employing a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, researchers are able

to gather responses that are not only precise but also measurable These responses can then be quantified, allowing for statistical analysis, which can contribute to the reliability and validity of the research findings In the context

of this study, survey data was analyzed to identify the perception of stress and intonation

To address the second question of this research, qualitative research was conducted, especially in the descriptive method According to Malterud (2001), qualitative research is defined as the systematic collection, organization, and interpretation of textual material originating primarily from talk or conversation

It is utilized in exploring the meanings of social phenomena as experienced by individuals themselves, within their natural contexts This type of research can utilize various methods, including spoken conversations during interviews or focus groups, written forms like journals or letters, and even visual representations such as drawings and photographs According to Moleong (2000), qualitative research can incorporate quantitative data; even though a qualitative method is the primary approach, quantitative data is also utilized, specifically in the form of numerical information In this study, the quantitative data is employed to describe specific aspects like the pitch and intensity of stress and intonation For instance, by measuring and comparing the pitch and intensity of stress and intonation in a sample with those of RP,

This blend of qualitative and quantitative methods is supported by the

concept of mixed-methods research According to Creswell and Clark (2007),

mixed-methods research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches in a single study to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the research

19

problem Furthermore, as Ahmad et al (2019) suggest, the convergence of

quantitative and qualitative data can enhance the validity of the research

findings Utilizing quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the study aims to investigate how English major seniors perceive the importance of learning stress and intonation, and how they produce these patterns in English using PRAAT

software

Quantitative Qualitative

data _ : Data Ẫ Determine what quantitative

collection Collection results need furthur explanation

in their extensive exposure to phonetic knowledge gained from courses like

“English Pronunciation 1, 2” and “Phonetics and Phonology” This educational background has provided them with a profound understanding of stress and intonation, which are vital for effective English pronunciation As they prepare for Practicum 2, where they may be tasked with teaching pronunciation sections from the "Global Success" and “Bright” textbook, their mastery of these phonetic principles becomes crucial This proficiency is essential not only for their immediate success in the practicum but also for their long-term careers as

impartial nature (Fink, 2003; Sharma, 2017) Thomas (2020) defines simple

random sampling as a method in which each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected as a participant As advised by Arikunto (2010), when dealing with a population exceeding 100, a sample constituting 10%—25%

is deemed adequate However, for this study, with a population of 90 seniors, a 5% margin of error was chosen to refine the sample size calculation, ensuring precision in the representation of the population’s characteristics

Using the Slovin formula:

The calculation was applied as follows: for a population (N) of 90 seniors

and a margin of error (e) of 0.05, the formula produced a sample size (n) of

approximately 74 The table below summarized the demographics of the participants chosen for the study:

Table 2: The demographics of the Questionnaire Participants

21

attributes or characteristics, ensuring a representative sample In this case, participants were divided based on their intonation and stress perception mean scores into two groups: High Perception Seniors (H-21) indicate seniors with high scores on intonation and stress perception Low Perception Seniors (L-21) showed seniors with low scores on these parameters The "21" in the group

names corresponded to the class code "DH21AV," which represented the

English Language Teacher Education students enrolled at An Giang University

of the cohort 2020-2024

For the production tests, an equal number of participants was randomly selected from each stratified group, with 10 students chosen based on the highest and lowest mean perception scores obtained from the questionnaire Six cases strike an adequate balance between in-depth analysis of each case (Eisenhardt, 1989; Voss et al., 2002) Specifically, the top and bottom 10 mean scores formed the respective high and low perception groups

To adhere to the ethical principle of respect for persons, as well as the values of human autonomy and confidentiality of participants (Hay and Israel, 2006), each participant was assigned a unique identifier For example, identifiers such as 'S1' to 'S10' represented the senior test participants

Table 3 outlines the distribution of the study sample according to the participant identifier, including the gender, group, group description, participant identifier, and total number for each group

Table 3: Distribution of Test Participants according to the Participant Identifier

Group Description Group Participant Identifier Gender Total

According to Brown (2010), a questionnaire is a written tool that asks or

makes statements for respondents to answer Likewise, McKay (2006, p.35) describes two types of questions used in such tools: open-ended questions and close-ended questions Among the close-ended types, the Likert scale question format, as highlighted by McKay (2006), is one of the most popular formats in

7 Practicing stress and intonation is better than

just studying theoretically

8 I find learning stress and intonation enjoyable

9 I pay attention to stress and intonation when

speaking English

Application of stress and intonation patterns

Adapted from Nguyen (2019)- Item |

Researcher-made for the

10 I often apply stress and intonation when

speaking English outside class

11 L often apply stress and intonation in class

12 I pay close attention to stress and intonation

when I listen to others

13

intonation effectively

I can assess and correct my stress and

14 I regularly listen to and analyze native

English speakers to improve my intonation

15 I usually try to imitate the stress and

intonation patterns of native English speakers

16 I always look up the stress of English words

opinions, attitudes, or feelings For this research, the close-ended Likert scale

questions were specifically chosen due to their ability to precisely measure the perceptions and viewpoints of English majors regarding the significance of stress and intonation in their language-learning journey

The questionnaire (see Appendix 1) was developed through the adaptation

of pre-existing questionnaires by Alduais and Al-Shamiry (2013), Atli and Bergil (2012), Nguyen (2019), and Edo-Marza (2014) Specifically, Alduais and Al-Shamiry (2013) contributes a substantial number of items, with eight in

total (items 6, 7, 10, 11, 18, 20, 21, and 22), which emphasize the practical

application, the discouraging factors and perceptions surrounding stress and intonation in English language learning Four critical items (items 1, 9, 19, and

23) adopted from Edo-Marza (2014) and two others (items 12, 13) adapted from

Atli and Bergil (2012) were employed to gain insights into learners’ self- assessment, the application of their pronunciation skills, and negative attitudes

of participants Lastly, items 2, 8, 14, 15, and 16 (Nguyen, 2019) were used to

focus on the use of dictionaries and the imitation of native speaker patterns, which are crucial for applying stress and intonation The purpose of the researcher-created items (4, 5, and 17) on competence and awareness theme is

to evaluate participants’ understanding of intonation in WH-questions, tonal changes in yes/no questions, and stress placement

Each item in the survey was either adopted or adapted from previous academic research, indicating that the survey was grounded in established studies and tailored to fit the specific context of this research, as outlined the source table below:

Table 4: Sources for Questionnaire Statements on Perceptions of Stress and

Intonation

Competence and Awareness

1 I feel confident in my ability to use stress and Adopted from Edo-Marzá-(2014) -

intonation effectively in English conversation Item 20

18 Slow progress in learning stress and

intonation discourages me

19 My mother tongue influences my ability to

use stress and intonation in English

20 I find it hard to learn the rules of stress and

intonation patterns in English

22 If teachers don't emphasize it, I don't think

stress and intonation are important

23 I feel that no matter how much I practice, I

won't be able to master stress and intonation

Adopted from Alduais and Al-

SectionI Background information

Section II Students’ Perception 1.Competence and awareness 1-9

2 Application of Stress and

3.3.2 Phonetic Test on Stress and Intonation

The researchers selected a data set of 10 words and sentences, categorized

as Received Pronunciation (RP) According to Roach (2009), RP is the accent

most frequently recommended to foreign learners of British English and has long been recognized as a standard or model accent, each serving a unique purpose in eliciting specific intonation and stress patterns from the respondents The word samples for the phonetic tests on stress and intonation were

meticulously selected from two authoritative sources: the Cambridge Dictionary,

with audio available at dictionary.cambridge.org, and audio files from 'A Course in Phonetics' by Ladefoged (2014) The list of words and sentences was presented in Appendix 3

The researcher distributed a Google Form to gather background information and provided guidelines for managing background noise and ensuring audio file quality Stress placements and intonation patterns were

analyzed using Praat software For stress analysis, the ‘Get Intensity’ button was

used to measure the mean-dB intensity of the selected syllable For intonation analysis, the procedure involves loading all relevant recordings into Praat, using the 'Show Pitch’ feature to display the pitch, allowing basic frequency analyses

to be made for tonic and stressed syllables, and identifying falling or rising intonation patterns

3.4 Instrument Validity and Reliability

3.4.1 Content Validation Process

Rovinelli and Hambleton (1977) introduced the Index of Item-Objective

Congruence (IOC) as a method utilized during the creation of tests to assess the

content validity of each item Hambleton et al (1978) further elaborated that

this evaluation involves content experts assessing each test item in terms of its

unclear how well the item measures the objective Brown's (1996)

recommendation was followed as the general guideline to establish the cut-off

point for a valid IOC index:

range

Less than 0.5 Not Acceptable Item should be reviewed or

removed

The three judges’ evaluations are detailed in Appendix 2

All statements were acceptable except for statements 17, 18, and 19, which scored below 0.5 While one expert suggested reclassifying these to the

"Application of Stress and Intonation" theme due to their usefulness in collecting data on learners’ application of these elements, it is recommended to reclassify them from the “Discouraging Factors” theme to the “Application of

Stress and Intonation” theme However, the researcher retained these statements

under the “Discouraging Factors” theme because they align closely with the study’s objectives These statements are highly relevant to the "Discouraging Factors" section of the study as they directly address the challenges and barriers learners face in producing stress and intonation in English Statement 17 highlights a lack of practice opportunities rather than reflecting learners’ application skills Statement18 describes how slow progress can demotivate learners Statement 19 identifies the influence of the mother tongue as a significant barrier

Furthermore, because two out of three experts supported their relevance, these statements were retained They provide valuable insights into the challenges that learners face in producing stress placements and intonation

patterns

3.4.2 Pilot study

A pilot test of the Vietnamese version was conducted with 23 senior students from An Giang University to ensure the clarity, relevance, and

27

exclusivity of the questions and response options, as noted by Leon, Davis, and

Kraemer (2011) The sections’ Cronbach’s alpha scores reached 0.904,

exceeding the 0.6 benchmark suggested by Sekaran and Bougie (2016), thereby affirming the high reliability of the questionnaire

Table 6: Reliability Statistics of the Pilot Study on English Major Seniors’

Perceptions of the Importance of Learning Stress and Intonation

3.5 Data Collection Procedures

The steps taken to gather the data were as follows:

1 Piloting the Questionnaire: A pilot test of the Vietnamese version of the questionnaire was conducted with 23 senior students from An Giang University

to ensure the clarity, relevance, and exclusivity of the questions and response

options The pilot study aimed to refine the questionnaire based on the feedback received and to verify its reliability The reliability of the questionnaire was high, with a Cronbach’s alpha score of 0.904, which is well above the 0.6 benchmark suggested by Sekaran and Bougie (2016), indicating excellent internal consistency

2 Distributing the Questionnaire: The initial version of the questionnaire was drafted in English To prevent any misinterpretations, it was translated into Vietnamese prior to distribution Participants received a link to the Google Form through their Zalo group and were encouraged to complete the questionnaire at their convenience within three days The survey was conducted exclusively for research purposes, and participants were assured that all responses would be kept confidential

3 Invitation for Further Participation: Participants interested in further contributing to the research on how ELTE seniors produce English stress and intonation patterns were asked to provide their contact information at the end of the questionnaire This enabled the researcher to identify and follow up with potential participants for the subsequent phases of the study

28

4 Production Tests: From those who provided their contact information, equal number of participants was randomly selected from each stratified group based on their perception scores 10 students each from the highest and lowest scoring groups Production test instructions emphasized the importance of a quiet environment to minimize background noise Participants were instructed

to use a voice recording app on their phones to record themselves speaking clearly, paying special attention to the stress and intonation of each word and sentence Following the recording session, participants uploaded their audio files to a designated Google Form link All procedures adhered to ethical principles, respecting the autonomy and confidentiality of the participants

3.6 Data Analysis procedures

Descriptive statistics, including minimum, maximum, mean, and standard

deviation, were calculated to summarize the data For items reflecting discouraging factors and negative attitudes (Items 17 to 23), responses were recoded to ensure consistency in interpreting positive perceptions

After recoding, average scores for positive items (Items 1 to 16) and recoded negative items (Items 17 to 23) were computed for each participant Participants were then classified into two groups: High Perception Seniors (H- 21) and Low Perception Seniors (L-21) High Perception Seniors had an average score above 3 on positive items and below 3 on negative items, indicating a high positive perception towards intonation and stress Low Perception Seniors had

an average score below 3 on positive items and above 3 on negative items, indicating a low positive perception (more negative attitudes and discouraging factors) towards the importance of learning intonation and stress

3.6.2 Phonetic Test on Stress and Intonation

Intensity measurements from 20 test participants, who are majoring in English Language Teacher Education and enrolled at An Giang University,

Step 2: Go to the menu bar at the top

Step 3: Click on ‘Show Intensity’ to display the intensity curve on the audio waveform Select a specific syllable or segment that need to analyze

Step 4: Then, click on ' Get Intensity ' to measure the intensity of that selected

part

Step 5: A yellow dotted line will appear on the interface, indicating the mean-

dB intensity of the selected syllable

An instance of this type of analysis was represented in Figure 5, displaying the

intensity across two syllables of the word “chorale” pronounced by an RP

Figure 5: Intensity analysis for the word "chorale" by an RP speaker

According to the spectrogram figures above, the intensity of RP at the first syllable peak is 63.39 dB, while at the peak of the second syllable, it is 76.42

dB Subsequently, we can infer that RP is pronounced with higher energy at the second syllable compared to the first syllable (—6.42 dB - 63.49 dB = 12.93 dB) and make the English rhythm pattern as {F = [S W]} The intensity analysis of the H-21, L-21 participants was conducted in a similar way The results were compared with those of the RP speaker

31

It is worth clarifying that although the production test includes 10 items, during the data cleaning and analysis process, the researcher decided to take only one sample of the word (chorale) and one sample of simple yes/no question (Will you mail me my money?) for in-depth analysis and interpretation, based

on which, findings related to the research question 2 about the students’

pronunciation production, were generated The reason for determining the item samples was due to the following reasons

Firstly, chorale is the two-syllable word, having the least number of syllables compared to the other two words (character, exploitation) It can, therefore, be assumed that the word stress may not be too complicated for the test takers, thus facilitating the researcher to perform the data analysis

Secondly, regarding the analysis of the simple yes/no question, according

to Ladefoged (2014), variations in pitch can convey many different kinds of information This includes personal characteristics of the speaker, such as

whether they are male or female and, to some extent, their age Pitch also

conveys nonlinguistic information about the speaker’s emotional state, such as whether they are calm, angry, happy, or sad Therefore, these kinds of two- clause simple sentences and Wh-questions may be affected by participants’ purpose, meaning, understanding, emotion, and along with the American or British accent they pursue This variability makes it difficult to analyze them fairly compared to Received Pronunciation (RP) using Praat software Hence, the researcher purposely chose the simple yes/no question “Will you mail me

my money?” to analyze data of participants“ types of English intonation pattern

mistakes that meet two conditions: a major rise on the final syllable and rising intonation on the last syllable of the sentence

According to Luu (2010), in English, the intonation may function as the only means of distinguishing various types of sentences; for example, “He is coming.” versus “He is coming?” In Vietnamese, intonation is rarely used as a way to form questions If an assertive statement ends in a word with thanh sac (the high-rising tone), the voice should be raised at the end of the sentence; for example, “Hôm nay trời nóng lắm.” (lt is really hot today) On the other hand,

if a question ends in a word with thanh huyén (the low-falling tone), the voice

should be lowered at the end of the question; for example, “H6m nay trời nóng

lam a?” (Is it really hot today?) In comparing Vietnamese intonation and English intonation, a big difference between the pitch feature of simple yes/no question can be found The research also explored whether participants know