| Speech typology- Intona- tional styles | Varieties of language | Forms of communication | Degrete of speeich preparedness | The number of participants | The character of participants' relationship | |||||
| Spoken | Written | Mo-no-lo-gue | Dialogue | Prepared | Spon-tame- ÎØ5 | Public | Nonpublic | Formal | Informal | |
| informational (formal) style | — | + | + | + | + | -tt- | + | + | + | - |
| scientific (academic) style | + . | + | •f | + | + | -H- | + | + | + | + |
| declamatory style | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | - | + | - |
| publicistic style | + | + | + | + | + | -tt- | + | + | + | - |
| familiar (conversational) style | + | + | -f | * | + | + |
2. Speak on interrelation of intonation with verbal and nonverbal contexts.
3. Give a definition of an intonational style.
4. Compare intonational and verbal styDe categories. Where do they overlap?
5. What imposes restrictions on the speaker's choice of an into-
national style?
6. Speak on intonational styles distinction.
7. Give semantic characteristic of every :style.
8. What is the difference between informational and scientific styles? Give examples of their usage..
9. Compare declamatory and publicistic styles. In what spheres are they used?
10. What is the essential characteristic of familiar style? Where does it occur? Compare it with the other four style categories.
11. Speak on speech typology.
12. Why is it important to take into account speech typology when analysing intonational styles?
13. How is each intonational style manifested from the point of view of speech typology?
Chapter 111. INTONATIONAL STYLES
INFORMATIONAL (FORMAL) STYLE
When using informational style the speaker is primarily concerned that each sentence type, such as declarative or interrogative, command or request, dependent or independent, is given an unambiguous intonational identity. The sender of the message consciously avoids giving any secondary values to utterances that might interfere with the listener's correct decoding the message and with inferring the principal point of information in the sentence. So in most cases the speaker sounds dispassionate.
The characteristic feature of informational style is the use of (Low Pre-Head +) Falling Head + Low Fall (Low Rise) (+ Tail), normal or slow speed of utterance and regular rhythm.
The following example illustrates the use of this intonation pattern in the speech of a radio announcer during news coverage:
ANNOUNCER: ... Early Yesterday ,MORNING | the Ven-gine 'depot at ,ROUEN | was the Vtarget of 'SABOTEURS. II The - heavy-MAxCHINE .shops | were "* totally XGUTTED | and eVleven 'LOCOMOTIVES | com"* pletely DESTROYED.
(A. Booth. "The Sky is Overcast")
The same pattern is also likely to occur in formal conversation (dialogue), eg:
At a Bank A: VDo you 'think you could 'change my ,NOTE for me, please?
Â: -* How shall IVGIVE it to you?
A: VNotes and 'large XSILVER, please.
A: VWas there 'anything ,ELSE?
B: xYes, Vcould you 'tell me my /BALANCE?
(M. Ockenden. "Situational Dialogues")
Less frequently the Stepping Head may be used instead of the Failing Head. In certain cases the Fall-Rise occurs, with the falling part of the tune indicating the main idea and the rising part marking some addition to the main idea.
In informational (formal) style intonation never contrasts with the lexical and grammatical meanings conveyed by words and constructions. Internal boundaries placement (pausation) is semantically predictable, that is, an intonation group here always consists of words joined together by sense. Besides, it is important to note that intonation groups tend to be short, duration of pauses varies from medium to long. Short pauses are rather rare.
SCIENTIFIC (ACADEMIC) STYLE
Attention is focused here on a lecture on a scientific subject and reading aloud a piece of scientific prose, that is to say, the type of speech that occurs in the written variety of language, in one-sided form of communication (monologue), in prepared, public, formal discourse.
The lecturer's purpose is threefold: (a) he must get the 'message* of the lecture across to his audience; (b) he must attract the attention of the audience and direct it to the 'message'; (c) he must establish contact with his audience and maintain it throughout the lecture. To achieve these goals he makes recourse to a specific set of intonational means. The most common pre-nuclear pattern (i. e. that part of the tune preceding the nucleus) is (Low Pre-Head +) Stepping Head.
The Stepping Head makes the whole intonation group sound weighty and it has a greater persuasive appeal than the Falling Head. Occasionally the High Head may occur as a less emphatic variant of the Stepping Head. This enables the lecturer to sound categoric, judicial, considered and persuasive.
As far as the terminal tone is concerned, both simple and compound tunes occur here. The High Fall and the Fall-Rise are the most conspicuous tunes. They are widely used as means of both logical emphasis and emphasis for contrast. A succession of several high falling tones also makes an utterance expressive enough, they help the lecturer to impress on his audience that he is dealing with something he is quite sure of, something that requires neither argument nor discussion. Thus basic intonation patterns found here are as follows:
(LowPre-Head + ) (Stepping Head +) Low Fall (+ Tail) (Low Ðòå-Head +) (Stepping Head +) High Fall (+ Tail) (LowPre-Head +) (Stepping Head +) Low Rise (+ Tail) (Low Pre-Head +) (High (Medium) Level Head + ) Low Fall
( + Tail) (Low Pre-Head +) (High (Medium) Level Head +) Fall-Rise
( + Tail) (Low Pre-Head +) (High (Medium) Level Head +) Low Rise
(+ Tail) (Low Pre-Head +) (High (Medium) Level Head + ) Mid-Level
( + Tail)
Variations and contrasts in the speed of utterance are indicative of the degree of importance attached to different parts of speech flow. Less important parts are pronounced at greater speed than usual, while more important parts are characterised by slower speed. Besides, the speaker makes use of alternating rhythmic patterns, differing in length.
Diminished or increased loudness that contrasts with the normal loudness helps the listeners to perceive a word as being brought out.
Internal boundaries placement is not always semantically predictable. Some pauses, made by the speaker, may be explicable in terms of hesitation phenomena denoting forgetfulness or uncertainty (eg word-searching). The most widely used hesitation phenomena here are repetitions of words and filled pauses, which may be vocalic |ý(ç:)|, consonantal |m| and mixed |ýò(ç:ò)|. Intentional use of these effects enables the lecturer to obtain a balance between formality and informality and thus to establish a closer contact with his listeners who are made to feel that they are somehow involved in making up the lecture.
Moreover, a silent pause at an unexpected point calls the listeners' attention and may serve the speaker's aim to bring out some words in an utterance.
The following oral text may be assumed to serve as a model
for an academic kind of lecturing: - j
Well >NOW I I'd like to Vturn 'now to ASSESSMENT, | ■ and I "* hope you won't ,MIND ^ if I "*use this OPPORTUNITY £ to Ury to give 'some INDICATION j of j ýò || a "* more 'MODERN, | more .RECENT j APPROACH £ .TO the assessment .PROBLEM j than perVhaps 'I my'self was 'brought } 'brought 'UP on. | And I .WANT } - very .ARBITRARILY if I ,MAY^ to DI.VIDE this } into .THREE, HEADINGS j and to >ask |ç:( 'three j 'three .QUESTIONS: £ as-* sessment VWHY, | as"* sessment vWHAT, | and assessment .HOW. } So -* this really, MEANS ^ I Vwant to 'talk a'bout t first of all the 'PURPOSES of ASSESSMENT } 'WHY we are assessing } at VALL, |ç:ò| .SECONDLY } the -* kind of .FUNCTIONS } and -* processes that are * BEING ASSESSED, | and I thirdly I want to 'talk about TECH.NIQUES. | And I shall I shall I have to 'go 'through THIS } 'FAIRLY /RAPIDLY, } and I .HOPE that ■* if it's 'TOO .RAPID ] you'll Vpick me up in 'question time 'AFTERWARDS. ||
Well-"* first of all the 'PURPOSE of assessment.