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The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine

Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University

Individual task on the topic:

‘The importance of intonation for learning English’

Prepared by:
Oksana Khrunyk

Drohobych 2022
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Content
1. What is intonation?
2. Why is intonation important?
3. How to use intonation correctly.
a) Intonation in questions.
b) Intonation in statements.
c) Expressing feelings.
4. Intonation and cultural background.
5. How does intonation help to speak fluently and confidently?
Conclusion
Resources
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1. What is intonation?
Intonation is the use of tone and the variation of it depending on situations and the
type of communication. The three main patterns of intonation in English are: falling
intonation, rising intonation and fall-rise intonation.
Falling intonation describes how the voice falls on the final stressed syllable of a
phrase or a group of words.
e.g. What time does the school finish?
Rising intonation describes how the voice rises at the end of a sentence.
e.g. Are you hungry?
Fall-rise intonation describes how the voice falls and then rises. We use fall-rise
intonation at the end of statements when we want to say that we are not sure, or when
we may have more to add.
e.g. I don’t support any football team at the moment. (but I may change my mind in
future).

2. Why is intonation important?

English speakers use intonation to communicate many different types of meaning:
 grammatical meaning e.g. different types of questions and statements
 attitude e.g. whether we're certain or not, have doubts or reservations
 feelings e.g. whether we're confident, happy, enthusiastic, sad or bored etc.
 relational meaning e.g. how 'open', friendly or 'closed' we are towards a
listener.
As to language learning, intonation is important for several reasons:
1. It conveys meaning: The tone and pitch of our voice can completely change the
meaning of a sentence or phrase. Intonation can express a variety of emotions,
such as anger, happiness, or sarcasm, which may not be obvious from the
words alone.
2. It helps with comprehension: Intonation can also provide clues about the
structure and meaning of a sentence. Proper use of intonation can help listeners
distinguish between questions, statements, and commands, as well as identify
the main ideas and emphasis in a sentence or conversation.
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3. It improves pronunciation: Focusing on intonation can help learners improve

their pronunciation and reduce their accent. Proper intonation can also make a
speaker sound more confident and natural.
4. It improves communication: Good intonation skills can help learners
communicate more effectively in a variety of situations. It can also help them
connect better with native speakers and improve their overall language
proficiency.

3. How to use intonation correctly.

a) Intonation in questions.
For general questions (yes or no questions), we use a rising intonation at the end of
the sentence.
e.g. “Are you going to school tomorrow?”
For most other types of questions, we use a falling intonation at the end of the
sentence.
e.g. “Why are you going to school tomorrow? It’s Saturday!”
If you don't use intonation appropriately, you may confuse or even irritate your
listener(s). One common example of inappropriate intonation is repeatedly using high
rising intonation at the end of most speech chunks and sentences. Although high
rising intonation is common in casual conversation (often indicating an 'open' or
friendly attitude), it should not be over-used.

b) Intonation in statements.
For most of the regular statements (those which just state facts or information) we use
a falling intonation at the end of the sentence.
e.g. I’ve been playing the violin for seven years.
But we can use rising intonation on specific words in a sentence to emphasize their
importance. The first example below emphasizes the “red” and means there were
choices in colour. The second emphasizes the “scarf” and means there were choices
in items.
e.g. I hope you got the red scarf.
e.g. I hope you got the red scarf.
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For example, a statement like "I didn't say you were guilty" can have a different
meaning depending on the intonation used. If the intonation falls on "say," it means
that the speaker did not say the other person was guilty. However, if the intonation
falls on "you," it means that the speaker did not say the other person was guilty but
someone else did. Thus, the correct intonation can prevent misunderstandings and
ensure effective communication.

c) Expressing feelings.
High-energy emotions like happiness, excitement, fright and annoyance usually use a
rising intonation. The example below, for example, can be joy, excitement or
annoyance depending on the situation.
e.g. I can’t believe he gave you a ride home!
Boredom, sarcasm and disinterest often use a falling intonation. For example, the
sentence below would sound very sarcastic if you said it in a low pitch. With the
sarcastic tone, it would mean that the speaker actually isn’t excited at all.
e.g. I am so excited for you.

4. Intonation and cultural background.

Intonation plays a crucial role in conveying the speaker's cultural background. The
intonation patterns in English vary depending on the region, and they can indicate the
speaker's cultural or linguistic background.
For example, consider the difference in intonation patterns between British English
and American English. While both varieties of English share many similarities in
terms of vocabulary and grammar, their intonation patterns differ significantly.
British English tends to have a rising intonation at the end of statements, while
American English has a falling intonation. This difference can create confusion or
misunderstanding if not recognized by the listener.
Furthermore, different regions and dialects within a culture can also have different
intonation patterns. For instance, in the United States, there are various regional
accents and dialects, such as Southern American English or New York City English,
each with its unique intonation patterns. The same is true for British English, where
the intonation patterns can vary widely based on the region, such as the distinctive
intonation of Scottish English or the intonation patterns of Received Pronunciation.
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5. How does intonation help to speak fluently and confidently?

Finally, intonation is essential for speaking fluently and confidently in English. The
correct intonation can make the speaker sound more natural and native-like, which
can improve their communication skills and increase their confidence. Moreover, the
wrong intonation can make the speaker sound awkward or even offensive, which can
reduce their communication and interpersonal skills.
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Conclusion
A conclusion that can be drawn from this entire study is the importance of intonation
for learning English. It is an essential aspect of studying, and it can affect the
meaning, emotions, cultural background, and fluency of a speaker.
Therefore, learners should focus on learning the correct intonation patterns, using
various resources such as listening to native speakers, practicing with a tutor, or using
language-learning apps. One of the most popular techniques of improving the
intonation is shadowing. Shadowing is the technique that involves listening to a
speaker and repeating what they say as closely as possible, including their
pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm.
By practicing and improving your intonation skills, you can greatly enhance the
effectiveness of your communication and become a more confident and effective
speaker. With the correct intonation, learners can improve their communication skills,
connect with people from different backgrounds, and achieve success in their
personal and professional lives.
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Resources
T.T. Vrabel Lectures in theoretical phonetics of the English language and method-
guides for seminars
Rana Zulfugarova The function of intonation in the English language
Olga Kulchytska Theoretical phonetics: a concise course
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/intonation
https://blog.lingoda.com/en/intonation-in-english/
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/english-intonation/
https://issuu.com/dailystep/docs/
intonation_and_its_importance_for_l_3a661f50f2aa12
https://www.superprof.co.uk/blog/intonation-important-english-fluent-speaking/
https://www.abc.net.au/education/learn-english/intonation/7518108
https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/
pronunciation/intonation