An Investigation Into PSE Tutors' Perception and Practice of Intonation Teaching

Abstract

This study explores Presessional English (PSE) Course (PSECs) tutors' views of, and experience with, the relevance of intonation to their teaching on these courses. Motivated by the lack of a unified view among teachers in relation to its value with reference to PSECs, this study uses semi-structured interviews and teaching observations to explore these tutors' approaches to the teaching of intonation. The results show the participants' recognition of the relevance of intonation to PSE students aiming to improve their listening and speaking skills, while recognising that teaching requires significant support in terms of training and a focus on its communicative role. The significance of this study is that it rejects the view that teachers do not appreciate intonation, showing that teachers' critical reflection is a promising step towards streamlining PSECs to align with student needs.