英語句之焦點字的語調研究 : 以台灣之英語學習者為例

Abstract

本研究的目的是要比較在台灣的英語學習者和美國以英語為母語的說話者在英文焦點字在三個句中的位置和兩種句型上的差異。台灣的英語學習者的第一語言是中文（聲調語言），他們所正在學習的目標語言是英語（語調語言）。本研究要討論焦點字在這兩個語言群組中的聲韻表現。 本實驗共有14位受試者參與，7位是台灣的高等英語學習者，七位是母語為英語的美國人。台灣的高等英語學習者目前均就讀於國立台灣大學的研究所，而且他們大學時主修英語。他們在上大學前，未曾跟英語為母語的人學習英語超過兩個月。本實驗設計包括四項參數：位置、句型、不同的語言群組、焦點字和中立字。此處所指的位置是句首、句中和句尾。句型是肯定句和疑問句。 由電腦輔助的焦點字音高聲韻分析顯示，母語為英語的美國說話者傾向會因焦點字位置的不同而改變其音高模式。當焦點字在句首時，美國人傾向將焦點字後的音高降低來表現焦點字，而台灣的英語學習者卻會將焦點字的音高拉高。焦點字在句中時，美國人者並不會表現和中立字不同的音高，而台灣的英語學習者卻會在焦點字上有區域性的升高音高值的現象。焦點字在句尾時，美國人和台灣的英語學習者都不會表現出明顯異於中立字的音高差異。至於在焦點字和焦點字中的重音音節的音長分析中，美國人在肯定句和疑問句及任何位置中都會拉長焦點字的音長。然而，台灣的英語學習者在任何位置的音長上卻沒有表現一致的模式。台灣的英語學習者傾向將焦點字中的音節拉長去達成焦點字拉長的任務。這個結果顯示，台灣的第二外語學習者在焦點字上的聲韻表現異於母語為英語的美國人。 這個研究的發現顯示，即使是高等的英語學習者，台灣的英語學習者仍舊無法習得英語的語調，也許是由於母語所造成的負面轉移效果。這個結果可以用在第二外語的教學和更一進的研究上。

The purpose of this study was to compare the intonation of English focus words acoustically in three positions and in two sentence structures between American native speakers and Taiwanese advanced English learners. The first language of Taiwanese English learners is Mandarin Chinese, known as a tonal language, and the target language they are learning is English, an intonational language. The issues of the acoustical expression of focus words in the two language groups are discussed. A total of 14 speakers participated in the acoustical experiment with 7 being Taiwanese advanced English learners and the other 7 being American native speakers. The Taiwanese advanced English learners are now studying in graduate institutes in National Taiwan University and majored in English as they studied in universities. They had never learned English from native speakers for more than two months before they attended university. The experiment design involved four parameters: positions, sentence structures, different language groups, focus and neutral focus words. The positions of focus words referred to were sentence-initial, -medial, and –final. The sentence structures were statements and questions. Computer-aided acoustical analysis of the pitch of the focused word showed that native speakers tend to vary their pitch patterns with positions the focus words occupy. As focus words in sentence-initial, American native speakers are inclined to have post-focus drop to express focus whereas Taiwanese English learners raise the pitch value of the focus words. In sentence-medial focus words, Americans show no pitch differences from the neutral focus sentences while Taiwanese English learners locally raise the pitch value of the focus words. In the sentence-final focus words, both Americans and Taiwanese English learners show no obvious pitch differences from neutral focus words. Regarding the durational analysis of focus words and stressed syllables in focus words, native speakers elongate the duration of focus words in both statements and questions in any position. However, Taiwanese English learners show no consistent patterns in their durational lengthening in the three positions. Taiwanese English learners tend to lengthen the syllables in the focus words to achieve the task of elongating the focus words. The results show that Taiwanese second language learners do not show a similar tendency in the acoustic expression of focus words with American native speakers. The finding in this thesis indicates that, even being an advanced language learners, Taiwanese advanced English learners cannot acquire the English intonation, which may result from a negative transfer from their native language. This result contributes to the second language learning and further research.