Teaching Intonation

Intonation is essential in communication, when we speak our intonation patterns change according to the language function. Intonation is one way that help us to convey our feelings, emmotions, ideas and thoughts easily. Through it we can show interest, agreement o disagrement. It gives emphasis to what we are saying to others, but for people who are learning English as a foreing language is difficult to apply the correct intonation and stress patterns at the moment of speaking, for example many foreing people say that it is difficult to notice when Ecuadorian people is asking a question because we tend to apply the same intonation and stress patterns for everything. 

• In classes teachers can provide the students with models, they can listen to recordings in which native speakers are talking. 
• Another important activity is to make students to watch movies or videos in which they could notice sentences streess .
• Students can practice by performing role plays and speeches, they can record them and notice they errors in order to improve  them. 

To conclude it is crucial for students to learn the correct intonation in this case of the English language, it is necessary to know when we have to use falling and raising intonatition. If we do not use a proper intonation people could misunderstand what we are saying. 

REFERENCES: 

• Mary Spratt, A. P. (2011). The TKT Teaching Knowledge Test Course Modules 1, 2 and 3. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press
• Marta J. Sabbadini, British Council, Cameroon. Retrieved from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/intonation
• Introduction to Intonation. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzh3Owutf5Y