Identity and Intonation: Linking Dynamic Processes in an ESL Classroom

M /y ongoing interest and inquiry in the area of ESL pronunciation has at times been an integral component in the contextualization of identity work in my classroom. This article provides an example of my efforts by examining what I judge to have been a particularly successful language lesson. What stands out most in this activity is how the foregrounding of social power and identity issues seemed to facilitate greater comprehension of sentence-level stress and intonation as strategic resources for (re)defining social relationships. Several direct and indirect factors contributed to the relative success of the activity and will be the focus of the various sections of the article. Finding ways to relate the sound system of English more closely and meaningfully to social interaction remains a formidable challenge for most classroom teachers. To begin, I offer a brief theoretical account of some key elements of ESL pronunciation that have helped me in this pursuit. As part of this discussion, I draw upon aspects of Halliday's (1985) sociocultural theory of language for pedagogy on identity and intonation. Several general advantages of Halliday's linguistic theory might be construed: the semantic and functional prominence accorded phonology; a systematic account of how social experience, interpersonal