Task-Based Video Use for the Improvement of English Stress and Intonation

The current study aims at examining the effects of videos on the development of English stress and intonation of first grade EFL learners in an ELT Department at a public university in Turkey. 44 EFL learners were participated in the study on the voluntary basis. 24 learners, who are assigned as the test group, were given a list of videos and an online tutoring program and related assignments as a supplement to a 3-hour Listening and Pronunciation course each week. 20 learners, the participants of the control group, were requested to attend only the classes and do the regular assignments. The study conducted through eleven weeks during the fall semester at the department. The total number of the hours that all the participants attended the course was 33. As for the test group, the studying hours, including the class hours, was calculated as approximately 110 hours during the term. The participants’ development in spoken English was compared with the control group. Comparison was realized through two ways. First, the participants were pre-and post-tested by two experienced raters of pronunciation. Then they were given a questionnaire to investigate their pronunciation learning experiences and attitudes towards the development of pronunciation through videos (featured films, short films etc.) and the online program. The findings of the study indicate that videos were much more effective in improving the EFL learners’ ability to produce and perceive different stress and intonation patterns in words, phrases and sentences than through the online tutoring programs. The findings also reveal that the students feel more comfortable themselves in a self-study for the improvement of intonation and stress in English. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n2p22