<Acknowledgement: This project is supported by Knowledge Transfer (KT) fund from EdUHK>
Improving English prosody, including elements such as word stress and intonation, is essential for ESL/EFL learners as they are crucial in effective communication. However, it is commonly found that Chinese learners of English experience great difficulty with the acquisition of English prosody. Although teachers are aware of the importance of instruction in this aspect, there remains a gap in implementing proven effective approaches and incorporating cutting-edge technology in English classrooms. This project, backed by Knowledge Transfer (KT) fund from EdUHK, aims to introduce two major approaches (i.e., rule-based and acoustic-based) verified in our previous projects (https://corpus.eduhk.hk/english_pronunciation/index.php/word-stress-teaching-kit/) and innovative approaches with the use of state-of-the-art technologies for English stress (https://corpus.eduhk.hk/english_pronunciation/index.php/ws_practice/) and intonation.
With the support of The Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies (LML) and Centre for Research on Linguistics and Language Studies (CRLLS), two rounds of workshop series on “Teaching English Word Stress and Intonation: Rules, Acoustics, Tools, and AI” were conducted in November 2023 and April 2024 (see photos). The series attracted over 170 pre- and in-service teachers from Hong Kong, different regions of mainland China, Belgium, Japan, Malaysia and the UK attended the series and received positive feedback for its insightful content and practical applications. Led by Dr Chen, the research team will continue to build upon the success of the series and the valuable feedback provided by the teachers and further refine and expand the KT project.
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