L2 learners’ perception of falling intonation in english wh-questions.

Abstract

English intonation presents challenges for learners with different levels of proficiency (Nibert, 2006; Zárate-Sández, 2015). The aim of this study is to determine the ability of learners of English with Spanish as L1 to perceive the default intonation pattern in Wh-questions. The learners’ knowledge of English and Perception Test response time were considered as factors that may impact the ability to perceive this default pattern. Two groups of learners with different level of proficiency from a Chilean university participated in this study. A perception test was used to measure the participants’ ability to identify the default intonation pattern in Wh-questions. A listening test was used to evaluate the proficiency level of the Beginner Group. Results indicate that the perception ability of both groups is similar, and that knowledge of English does not seem to play a role when identifying the falling tone of the default pattern of Wh-questions. Interestingly, participants scored higher in the identification of tone regardless of the function than the correct identification of tone and function. The difference in response time between groups was not statistically significant, and both groups spent more time on incorrect answers. These findings suggest that the identification of the default pattern of Wh-question is a challenge for these learners regardless of their difference in level of proficiency.