Memorization

Theory

Intonational Styles

Test

Suggest one-word/phrase answers to the following statements/questions:

№	Question	Answer
	Prosody is the rhythm, stress, and intonation of...
	According to Roger Kingdon there are … most important nuclear tones in English
	An intonation group may be a whole … or a part of it
	Head patterns are classified into … groups
	If the voice moves up jumpy the head is called …
	The notion of prosody is broader than the notion of …
	Intonation is a complex unity of non-segmental, or … features of speech
	The most important functions of intonation are performed by the …
	Tones are divided into … classes
	There are … types of tails

Answer the following questions:

1) What are the most important nuclear tones?

2) Tell the difference between static and kinetic tones.

3) What are the elements the pitch-and-stress pattern of the intonation group consists of?

4) Enumerate the types of heads

5) What are the functions of intonation?

Style integrates language means constructing the utterance, and at the same time differentiates one utterance from another. A functional style can be defined as a functional set of formal patterns into which language means are arranged in order to transmit information.

There are five intonational styles singled out mainly according to the purpose of communication and to which we could refer all the main varieties of the texts generated in everyday communication of a modern man. They are as follows:

1. Informational style.

2. Academic style (Scientific).

3. Publicistic style (Oratorical).

4. Declamatory style (Artistic).

5. Conversational style (Familiar).

Functional styles reveal their language peculiarities on a number of levels, including grammar, vocabulary, and phonetics.

The formal means used to mark phonetic peculiarities of functional styles are all the components of intonation: (a) changes of pitch (range, level and direction), (b) changes of energy (variations of stress and rhythm), (c) changes of duration (tempo and pauses), (d) changes of timbre or voice quality.

Intonational styles distinction is based on the assumption that there are three types of information: (a) intellectual information, (b) emotional and attitudinal information, (c) volitional and desiderative information. Consequently, there are three types of intonation patterns used in oral communication: (a) intonation patterns used for intellectual purposes, (b) intonation patterns used for emotional and attitudinal purposes, (c) intonation patterns used for volitional and desiderative purposes. All intonational styles include intellectual intonation patterns, because the aim of any kind of communication is to give some intellectual information. The frequency of occurrence and the distribution of emotional (or attitudinal) and volitional (or desiderative) patterns shape the distinctive features of each style.

15.1 Informational Style.Scientific (Academic) Style.Publicistic (Oratorial) Style. Types of speeches

Informational (formal) style occurs in formal discourse where the task is to send the message without giving it any emotional or volitional evaluation. This intonational style is used by radio and television announcers, or in various official situations, such as classroom activity. It is considered to be stylistically neutral. In most cases the speaker sounds dispassionate.

The characteristic feature of informational style is the use of the Falling tones, normal or slow speed of utterance and regular rhythm. Pauses are always semantically predictable, that is an intonation group always consists of words joined together by sense. Besides, intonation groups tend to be short; duration of pauses varies from medium to long. Short pauses are rather rare.

Scientific (academic) style tends to be objective and precise, it is not entirely unemotional. Scientific intonational style is frequently used by university lecturers, schoolteachers, or by scientists in formal and informal discussions. The most pure manifestation of the academic style is realised in a lecture. The most commonly used tone is Falling (High Fall, Fall-Rise) which makes the intonation group sound weighty. This enables the lecturer to sound categoric, judicial, considered and persuasive. The speed of utterance fluctuates from normal to accelerated, but it is never too fast. Pauses are predominantly short.

In publicistic (oratorial) style the general aim is to exert influence on the listener, to convince him that the speaker's interpretation is the only correct one. The task is accomplished through persuasion and emotional appeal. For this reason publicistic style has features in common with scientific style, on the one hand, and declamatory style, on the other. It is especially noticeable in public political speeches, judicial speeches, and sermons.

Publicistic style is characterized by a number of phonetic peculiarities. Loudness is usually enormously increased to produce certain psychological effect. Pitch levels are greatly varied, predominantly wide ranges are used. The speakers often use the so-called "rhetorical trick" – High Level Heads are alternated with the Low Level Heads. Terminal tones are mostly emphatic, especially on emotional semantic centres; in non-final intonation groups the falling-rising tones are used. The speed of the utterance is moderately slow, but some unimportant parts of the speech are pronounced quicker. The use of so-called "rhetorical pauses" is aimed to influence the public. Rhythm is properly organized. Voice timber is dignified, self-assured, concerned and personally involved.

The four basic types of speeches are intended: to inform, to instruct, to entertain, and to persuade. These are not mutually exclusive of one another. You may have several purposes in mind when giving your presentation. For example, you may try to inform in an entertaining style. Another speaker might inform the audience and try to persuade them to act on the information. Functional styles (FS) are the subsystems of language, each subsystem having its own peculiar features in what concern vocabulary means, syntactical constructions, and even phonetics. For example, the general aim of publicistic style is to influence the public opinion, to convince the reader or the listener that the interpretation given by the writer or the speaker is the only correct one and to cause him to accept the expressed point of view.

15.2 Declamatory (Artistic) Style. Language of Poetry. Phonetic Expressive Means in English Poetry. Drama

In declamatory (artistic, belles-lettres) style the speaker's aim is to appeal simultaneously to the mind, the will and feelings of the listener by image-bearing devices. Declamatory style is generally acquired by special training and it is used in stage speech, recitation, reading aloud fiction. The intonation of the author's speech or a monologue is characterized by the use of Falling tones. The nuclear tone in final intonation groups is generally the Low Fall. The principal nuclear tones in non-final intonation groups are the Low Fall, the High Fall and the Fall-Rise. The speed of utterance is relatively slow and as a result there are no marked variations in rhythm. Pauses may be different in length but long pauses are more common.

Verses have well-defined patterns of rhythm – the stressed syllables follow one another in regular intervals of time: the intervals between the stressed syllables are approximately equal. The most typical tone of recitation is Falling. The Low Fall is especially often used in quiet lyric poems. The High Fall is used when the atmosphere is of the poem is strained. It is often used in grand, pompous, solemn verses. Tempo is also a very important feature of poetic speech. Pauses in poetic style fulfill various functions. More or less equal length of pauses creates the atmosphere of quietness in lyric poetry. Long pauses create pompous atmosphere. Psychological pauses are often met to fulfill emotional function in poetry.

Language of the drama is entirely dialogue. The author's speech is almost entirely excluded except for the playwright's remarks and stage directions. But the language of the characters is not the exact reproduction of the norms of colloquial language. Any variety of the belles-lettres style will use the norms of the literary language of the given period.

15. 3 Familiar (Conversational) Style

The usage of conversational (familiar) style is typical of the English of everyday life. It occurs both within a family group and in informal external relationships, namely, in the speech of intimate friends or well-acquainted people.

Generally speaking, conversational style, unlike other styles, allows the occurrence of the entire range of intonation patterns existing in English. Relatively unexcited conversational situations are characterised by stepping scales and simple low falling or rising tones. Monosyllabic response utterances display standardised narrowed pitch patterns. Degrees of increasing intensity of excitement correlate with increased pitch height. As a result, widened pitch patterns with the high falling nuclear tone are typical of more excited situation. Besides, there is high frequency of compound tones. There is also the occasional completely unexpected placement of nuclear tone.

In Ukrainian the leave-taking Дo побачення can be pronounced both with low rising and low falling tone, which sounds neutral, while in English Good-bye pronounced with a low falling tone sounds fairly rude, while rising tone makes it neutral.

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