A comparative analysis of intonation between Spanish and English speakers in tag questions, wh-questions, inverted questions, and repetition questions

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the differences and similarities in intonation when producing tag questions, wh-questions, inverted questions, and repetition questions among native English speakers and ESL Spanish speakers. Thesedifferences were measured and analyzed with a computer program called Praat, and the pitch, the intensity and the intonation contour were the focus of the study. Theresults have shown significant differences, as well as similarities between these two languages in some questions. The implication of this study is that the obtained data can help teachers and students to identify the problems that ESL Spanish speakers can have when learning English as a L2, especially with regards to intonation.