Abstract
In this paper, the effects of explicit teaching on the production of three English
intonation patterns (rising, falling, and falling-rising) for Japanese learners were
examined. As the result of explicit guidance of intonation patterns, a significant difference
was found between the pre- and post-tests. This can be suggestively linked to the efficacy
of the explicit instruction. In experiments on production, difference in intonation patterns
influenced the easiness of pronunciation for learners. The rising tone was especially easier
than the falling or the falling-rising tones. This might be due to insufficient falling width,
or to the difficulty of accurately manipulating the pitch change when it is uncertain how
to make a pitch fall within a single syllable. Also in the intonation perception experiment
a significant difference between the scores of the post-test and those of the pre-test was
found. This time, the falling tone was easier to perceive than the rising or the fallingrising
tones. From the above findings, it is conceivable that the participants of these
experiments have different understandings of pronunciation and the perception of
intonations.
