A Register-Based Perspective to Suprasegmentals in ELT

Abstract

The current paper is a systematization of EFL experiences around the teaching of suprasegmentals courses from a register-based perspective. Simply put, the proposal is based on the notion that prosodic elements must be taught from a communicative perspective, where speech acts are adjusted to specific communicative situations considering the formality level required (casual, informal, formal, or fixed). To a large degree, the approach derives from the authors’ empirical evidence gained while teaching suprasegmentals at Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica (UNA) and Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR) over the course of four years.