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In the field of second language acquisition (SLA) research, the study of intonation, and
prosodic systems generally, suffers from a considerable under-representation. This has
far-reaching consequences. From the large body of empirical work on various aspects of
SLA over the last three decades, a great deal has been turned to pedagogical use. Indeed,
the field of SLA is closely linked to that of language pedagogy, as the dual acquisitiontheoretical
and pedagogical character of many current journals and conferences shows.
However, the mutually nourishing relationship between SLA research and language
teaching suffers if either component is inadequate.
In the case of intonation, this is exactly the case. At a time when the processes of
SLA are under analysis from a wide range of linguistic, psychological and sociolinguistic
perspectives, relatively little is known, even on a simple descriptive level, about the
acquisition of intonation. There is no body of studies of L2 intonational form
comparable, for example, to the 'morpheme studies' or to studies of 'developmental
sequences' which informed much thinking in the field in the 1970s and 1980s (see Ellis
1994, Ch.3); no substantial body of work, that is, which might form the basis of further
research.
The present study aims to contribute to current knowledge on the acquisition of
intonational form in second languages. It seeks to provide a detailed account of how
certain aspects of L2 English intonation develop, both in terms of their phonetics, and
also in terms of the linguistic and discoursal ends to which they are put. The study is
divided into two parts:
Part One: in which the theoretical and descriptive bases of the study are established. It

deals first with aspects of intonational form in English, describing in detail the prosodic
systems which are employed to mark various aspects of informational structure within
the spoken language, and also considers briefly the current state of language teaching in
these areas (Chapter One). Then a review of research into the acquisition of sound
systems in second languages is presented, looking particularly at intonational form and
other aspects of prosodic production and perception

Reading stories is one. Reading an article from a newspaper for someone to notice is
another, not to mention reading instructions for someone to follow, or reading a text for
others to share, with the aim of group comprehension, and sharing views. For me, the most
important thing about reading aloud, like any other language skill, is that its aim is
communicative. To be able to communicate, you need to pronounce language well enough
for other people to understand. Thus, it is important to point out and practice those features
of pronunciation which change when we read a written script as opposed to speaking
naturally, or spontaneously. As meaning is conveyed through stress, rhythm and intonation
in English, it is also important to point this out, for you cannot communicate well, if you
your meaning is masked by the wrong stress or intonation. So by all means let students
read..anything from labels on bottles to novels, or dialogues in course books to stories for
children, once you point out how and when difference in pronunciation occur.