Stylistic use of intonation

This section sets out to give a detailed description of each in-tonational style. It also tends to be a meaningful guide to the stylistically distinctive function of intonation. As the scope of this course is theoretical we shall try to deal with problems concerning phonostylistics in general and with reference to particular intonational style description rather than the analysis of each style registers, so that a number of theoretical confusions may be identified and possibly cleared. We must admit, however, that there are so many deviations from norms in speech reality nowadays that the problems of phonostylistics are nowhere near solution.

It becomes necessary as a preliminary exercise to review some of the influential ways in which the intonational styles were described in the textbook "Практическая фонетика английского языка" (28). The authors of this book give the following definition of the intonational style: "An intonational style can be defined as a system of interrelated intonational means which is used in a social sphere and serves a definite aim of communication" (28, p. 216).

The choice of an intonational style is determined primarily by the purpose of communication and then by a number of other extralinguistic and social factors. The achievements in experimental phonetics put forward in recent years, concrete examples and conclusions taken from the research field work allowed the authors of the book mentioned to single out the following intonational styles:

1. Informational. •

2. Academic (Scientific).

3. Publicistic (Oratorial).

4. Declamatory (Artistic).

5. Conversational (Familiar).

As the chapter proceeds we shall attempt to show that both the definition and classification of styles are not factitious ones but concrete examples taken from experimental data.

In our view the conception that the intonational style markers are restricted to certain kinds of situational contexts and above all to the speakers' aim in communication is extremely valuable. Thus an intonational style is seen as some kind of additive by which a basic content of thought may be modified.

This view of style sees it as the variable means by which a message is communicated.

It is already widely accepted that the purpose of communication determines the types of information conveyed in oral texts. They may be intellectual, attitudinal (emotional, modal) and volitional (desiderative). Each of these types is realised by means of specific prosodic parameters.

These stylistically marked modifications of all the prosodic features represent the invariants_of the style forming intonation patterns common to all the registers of the particular style.

Thus it may be said that there is a strongly marked tendency. for suprasegmental prosodic features to form a basic set of recurrent patterns, which is occasionally distributed by the introduction of specific prosodic and paralinguistic effects.

The invariant of the intonation patterns circulating in certain fields of communication at a given period of time may be treated as the norm or the ideal of speech behaviour for these particular spheres of communication. But the task set by phoneticians now is not only to determine the invariants but also to note and interpret various deviations from them. It should be mentioned, however, that deviations should not exceed the range of tolerance set by the invariant.

It has already been assumed that intonation patterns vary in accordance with types of information present in communication. Presumably there may be patterns used for: (a) intellectual purposes, (b) emotional and attitudinal purposes, (c) volitional and desiderative purposes, by which the substantive goals of speakers are carried out. As any discourse carries intellectual information intellectual intonation patterns are present in every style. The distribution of attitudinal and volitional patterns shapes the particular intonational style and distinguishes one from another. From the point of view of this distribution the informational style seems to be the most neutral as its main purpose is to convey information without the speaker's concern or personal involvement. Evidently, there are theoretical and procedural reasons to regard it as the starting point of the intonational styles description and the basic invariant for opposition as there are fewer deviations there as in any other style from the minimal reader/speaker involvement. It is the least marked kind of situationally influenced English and therefore it may be considered as the opening variety for phonostylistic analysis. So we shall begin with this style and make an attempt to deal with it in its entirety.

We must admit, however, that any intonational style is an ex tremely complex and heterogeneous phenomenon. Even a single speech act involves an extraordinary range of factors and could be considered from any different even conflicting points of view.

Confronted with all these difficulties a phonostylist must ask himself what the goal of his analysis is and direct his attention to essentials. In this book the description will be focused on those style forming features that may present certain amount of interest for would-be teachers of English and find practical application in their work. Let all the matters of controversy and major arguments be reviewed and evaluated elsewhere.

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