2.1.2 Intonation Factor in the Target Language
Intonation, the rises and falls in tone that make the ‘tune’ of an utterance, is an important aspect of pronunciation of
English, often making a difference to meaning or implication (Chen, 1983). Stress, for example, is most commonly
indicated not by increased volume but by a slight rise in intonation .
Intonation patterns in English sentences primarily indicate the degree of certainty of an utterance, i.e. whether is a
statement, questions, or suggestion. Most questions in rising intonation, however, Wh- questions (who, what, where,
when, why, and how) end with falling intonation. It is important for students to learn these patterns not only in order to
communicate meaning, but also in order to avoid unwittingly sounding rude or indecisive.