Project Sportscaster: Media Assisted Language Learning Activity to Assess Korean English Learners Intonation of Sports Announcer Talk

Drawing from a reading aloud activity in an English for Sports Purposes course for Korean English language learners (ELL) at a South Korean university, this paper investigates intonation usage during the Project Sportscaster (PS) activity. PS includes 8 participants reading a voice-over (VO) that describes a baseball highlights video to practice intonation in exciting Sports Announcer Talk (SAT) fashion. In line with previously published models comparing intonation of non-native English speakers (NNES) to native English speakers (NES), this study measures intonation of (N = 4) Korean NNES to (N = 4) NES. The researcher utilized Praat voice analysis software to analyze Lf0z and Hf0z ranges, measuring participant intonation at exact points of the VO script, identifying NNES’s areas for intonational improvement. Mixed methodology findings suggest a relationship between misunderstanding meaning of text and difficulties executing appropriate intonation during the VO for NNES. Results from a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate statistically significant differences (p < .05) between NNES and NES intonation at the script’s most triumphant moment, calling for projecting excitement and stressed intonation. This study provides insight into Korean NNES learners’ participation in a reading aloud activity and benefits those interested in improving intonation usage.