Presenter: Melika Rajabi

Introduction

Contrastive Analysis Declaratives: +/-

Simple sentences Questions: Wh Q

Yes/no Tag Q

Compound sentences Coordinate Sen.

Subordinate Sen. Conditional Sen

Predictions dependent clause

Experiment

Discussion

Conclusion

Theoretical stand point

First objective

Predict the problems of Iranian speakers in

producing the correct patterns of English

intonation

Simple

Three levels of structure Compound

Complex

Second objective

Evaluate CAH by means of a simple

experiment

CAH:

The degrees of similarity and difference

correspond respectively to the degrees

of simplicity and difficulty.

Simple Sentences

Falling intonation

English +

Persian +

Affirmative

Example

No serious difference

Declaratives

Declaratives

Negative

Falling intonation Stress

Negative markers

English + _

Persian + næ/ ne/ mæ

The intonation patterns don’t seem to be exactly the same

Questions

Wh Q

Example:

Falling

intonation

Stress

English + Secondary stress/ Voice on content

word

Persian + Primary stress/ voice on Q word

Questions

Yes/no Q

intonation

English 23 Glides to a slightly higher position

Persian Rising intonation

No change in word order except for ?aya

A change in the word order of the statement

Questionslg Intonation Rising Falling

English Asking for

information

Get the

conformation

Persian Seeking information Confirmation

Question-tags

Tag questions: mæge næ, næ, or ?intor nist

at

the end of the sentence

English

Rising intonation: The speaker is asking for

information

(2 3 2I2)

4

3

2

1

You can do it, can’t you?

Falling intonation: The speaker is a little more

sure that s/he is trying to get the confirmation

she expects

/2 3 1I3 1/

Compound sentences

2 sent. have falling tone if conj væ is fully pronounced

In PersianThe pre-conj remains level, but the post-conj Sen is

falling

Compound sentences

Each Sen has only one primary stress

In English

/232I231/ Slight pause at the end of the first Sen but the pitch

goes on with the beginning of the second sentence

Subordinate sentences

Conditional sentences

if-clause: a low rise

In Persian

Subordinate clause: falling tone

Last syllable of the if-clause

receives primary accent followed

by a low rise

If is omitted in if-clause the

intonation pattern doesn’t change

If the order of clauses change, the

intonation pattern will slightly change

1. if clause: /2 3 2/ pattern

In English subordinate clause: /2 3 1/ pattern

2.if clause: /2 3 2/ pattern with a low rise

subordinate clause: /2 3 1/ pattern

Note:

If the order of clauses

changes, the /2 3 2I2 3 1/

pattern will be used

Dependent clauses

Main clause: falling

In Persian

Dependent clause: low rise

In English

The speaker intends to have a pause

so we have a little rise at the end of

the modifying clause

No pause

No pause

Predictions

Basic assumptions of CAH:

Learners of any lg tend to transfer the structure of

their native lg into that of target lg.

General predictions derived

from the contrast made btw 2

lg Negative statements

Empathic expression

is rendered as

Wh-questions

is rendered as

Question-tags

No difficulty in intonation but substituting the information-

seeking intonation with asking for confirmation

is rendered as

Different types of clauses

Difference: stress patterns of the 2 lgs causes the learners to raise their voice on the Persian-based accented words

is rendered as

Experiment The idea of interference was of preliminary significance

to the present study

Experiment

Subjects 10 university students majoring in fields other than English

Data Statements and questions among all the Sen types discussed

Administration -Select Sen of other types to divert their attention

-Read Sen once

-Record their voice

-four judges

-format with 3 column: words, tones, attitudes

Data analysis -Columns analyzed separately

-divide responses: S=similar to normal Eng

D=different from normal Eng.

followed Persian stress= inter

Locate stress on other words= others

Discussion

Affirmative Sentences:

1. 95% of SS, read with falling intonation

2. 29% followed the Persian Sen stress rule in

specifying the prominent words

In Persian stress occurs mostly on the final words or phrases

20% stressed the words of the Sen in other

places according to their perception

Intralingual error, a complexity

within the TL

Negative sentences

93% correct in falling intonation

62.25% stressed the wrong words

50.75% located the strongest stress in negative

markers

Wh-question

Contrary with predictions:

15% followed Persian stress sys (Not interference)

Correct prediction:

84% of SS read Sen with a falling tone

Information-seeking type

Yes/no Q

Confirmed predictions

87% used rising intonation at the end of the Q

60.25% located the correct Sen stress.

39.75% Placed strongest stress on other words

Confusing phenomenon

Are you watching, boys?

Boy is an addressee in the former

Boy is an obj in the latter

Word ordering

English: often fixed

Wh-words

Persian: Flexibility is relatively greater

English: always fixed

Negative markers

Persian: more flexible

Conclusion

Stress has sig influence on intonation

To make the analysis reliable we have to take

the entire sentence structure into account not

just the end of it.

Lg intonation Falling in Rising in

English/ Persian statements, Wh-

questions

Yes/no questions

and some types

of tag questions

Similarities btw English and Persian

Conclusion

Because Terms similarity and difference defined

broadly, result of many studies may not be valid

so we have to define them narrowly to have an

accurate result.

Six level generalizations to specify the relative

degrees of similarity and difference between the

intonation patterns of 2 lgs

Level 1

The final syllable of the last word in L1 &

L2 is stressed by similar pitch change

Level 2

The final syllable of the word in the 2 lgs is

stressed regardless of its location in the Sen.

Level 3

The final two-syllable word of the 2 Sen. is

stressed but:

The primary stress occurs on the

first syllable in L2

The primary stress occurs on

the second syllable in L2

Level 4

Adjectives and the noun are stressed in L1

and L2 respectively

Level 5

The negative markers are stressed in L1

but unstressed or less stressed in L2

The pitch changes toward

the end of the sentence

The pitch changes

on negative markers

Level 6

Wh-words are stressed in L1 but

unstressed or less stressed in L2

Their position is fixed in L2

Any content word

towards the end of

the sentence

Stressed in L1 regardless of their place of

occurrence in the Sen.

Thank you for your attention