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MULTISENSORY SHADOWING TO ENHANCE THE INTONATION OF POLAR AND OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS IN A2 UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN QUITO

Communicating effectively not only refers to the accurate use of the linguistic components of a language but also being able to use its suprasegmental elements appropriately. In recent years, the teaching of English pronunciation has moved towards presenting prosodic characteristics of the language such as intonation. However, both teachers and students are either reluctant to search for tools that let them have a better understanding of the process of speech or are unaware of their existence. The use of technological tools allows them to visualize and therefore understand the different intonation patterns that are characteristic of every language. The present research seeks to provide a multisensory tool that facilitates the production and understanding of the intonation patterns produced by native speakers. Furthermore, by providing participants additional pathways to receive information such as visuals and by making use of the kinesthetic reinforcement to activate the muscle memory, participants received enough input to produce the language confidently. Several ethnographic tools were used to collect qualitative data from participants, with which the researcher collected participants’ opinions on the tool and how it has influenced their motivation to continue learning English and confidence when producing the language verbally.