Perception of the attitudinal functions of intonation in responding to yes / no questions: a study of selected Celpad english teachers /
The issue of pronunciation and intonation among non-native speakers of English has become a growing concern among teachers and linguists. In communication, the attitude of the speaker can be represented through the different intonations used and improper use of intonation may cause miscommunication...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Gombak, Selangor :
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia,
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Click here to view 1st 24 pages of the thesis. Members can view fulltext at the specified PCs in the library. |
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| Summary: | The issue of pronunciation and intonation among non-native speakers of English has become a growing concern among teachers and linguists. In communication, the attitude of the speaker can be represented through the different intonations used and improper use of intonation may cause miscommunication among English speakers. Listeners who fail to comprehend intonation might appear to have difficulty in understanding the speakers' intended meaning, which may lead to misinterpretations. Besides that, the inability of interlocutors to recognize the attitudinal functions that intonation carries may hinder communicative intelligibility. Teachers play an essential role to expose students to the functions of intonation particularly in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. When teachers fail to demonstrate knowledge of intonation and the different functions it carries or in cases where they do have the knowledge, but they are not consciously aware or sensitive of these attitudinal functions, there is a possibility that intonation is used incorrectly and can be misinterpreted. In light of this possibility, this research was conducted for the purpose of investigating Malay English teachers' knowledge of the attitudinal functions of intonation as well as their perception regarding its importance for classroom communication. Thirty Malay English teachers working in the Centre for Language and Pre-University Academic Development (CELPAD), in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak, were involved in the study. They were required to complete two different tasks; a listening test and an open-ended questionnaire to test their knowledge and perception on the attitudinal functions of intonation with regards to the responses given to yes / no questions. It was found that although teachers demonstrate only an average level of knowledge concerning intonation and its attitudinal functions, they do perceive the importance of intonation for communicative intelligibility especially in classrooms with various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. |
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| Item Description: | Abstracts in English and Arabic. "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Human Sciences (English Language Studies)."--On t.p. |
| Physical Description: | xi, 85 leaves : ill. ; 30cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-73). |