Intonation difficulties in non-native languages. Irma Rusadze

Intonation difficulties in non-native languages.


Irma Rusadze
Akaki Tsereteli State University, Assistant Professor, Kutaisi, Georgia
Sopio Kipiani
Akaki Tsereteli State University, Assistant Professor, Kutaisi, Georgia
Abstract
The article deals with the intonation difficulties in non-native languages. Poor pronunciation can make a foreign language learner very difficult to understand. Language teachers have lately become more aware of this and have shifted the focus of their pronunciation teaching. It is therefore crucial for language teachers to be aware of current research findings in the area of foreign (second) language learning. The focus of this paper will be on intonation in L2 learning, but some issues of stress and rhythm will be also discussed.
Many teachers find intonation difficult to teach. As a result they may avoid it. But intonation can be fun to work with and it can make other language areas easier to teach. Teaching intonation within the communicative framework means guiding learners to experience speech as transfer of a message from one person to another. Doing this helps learners to think about their communication, rather than as a classroom exercise, and to focus on their listener’s perception rather than on their own production. Main teaching principles are: Setting realistic goals, Integrating pronunciation to listening and speaking skills practice, being student-centred, helping learners becomes self-reliant.


Introduction and Aim
The aim of this paper is to provide a summary of some of the most commonly occurring problems in non-native intonation, to reanalyze some past and current research findings in terms of a framework of intonation analysis. Some examples will be given throughout the paper to illustrate intonation errors observed in L2 speech.


Research methodology
Methods and approaches use in the article are as follows: audio, visual and verbal methods;
open book; pair &group/ collaborative; PBL.