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Melodic patterning in advanced Czech students of English
Hertlová, Adéla ; Skarnitzl, Radek (advisor) ; Lewis, Suzanne (referee)
This thesis is aiming to observe the process of acquisition of intonation in native Czech students of English on an advanced level, who were regularly and intensely exposed to English. The students were recorded reading a simple text at the beginning of their studies, and for the purpose of this thesis, they were re-recorded two years later, and compared to two native speakers of English. The theoretical part of this thesis first explains the key terminology of intonation together with its functions. The following part of the theoretical background focuses on the acquisition of intonation, the differences between Czech and English in regards to intonation, and is concluded with research questions. The following chapter consists of the methodology employed in this thesis: the particularities regarding the students, the text, and the recording process, together with how the analysis was performed and the data extracted. This is followed by the results and their interpretation, which is further elaborated in the following chapter as well. The data generally indicated a decrease in the melodic range of the students recorded two years later. Yet, some improvements were observed in the distribution of tones, where the later recordings indicated an increase in complex tones. A slight positive development...
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