Transcript Syllable lengths in Chinese EFL Learners’ English

English Pronunciation for Communication
Lecture III
Intonation in Communication
WANG GUIZHEN
English Faculty
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies
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Review
Elements of good English pronunciation
Phonemes:
Combination of sounds:
Sound linking:
Weak forms:
Word stress:
Sentence stress:
Rhythmic pattern:
Intonation:
Vowels:20
Consonants:24
camera
Was all of it eaten?
fish and chips
present vs present
What’s your name?
Come and have a look.
I beg your pardon./?
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Who’s
coming
to the
dinner
party?
Fig 6: Who’s coming to the dinner party? (By non-native speaker of English)
Who’s
coming to the
dinner
party?
Fig 8: Who’s coming to the dinner party? (By native speaker of English)
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Fig 9: England was at war with America. (By non-native speaker of English)
Fig 10: England was at war with America. (By native speaker of English)
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Fig. 10: “was at war” in the sentence “England was at war with America (native vs non-native).
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Intonation: Why?
A. It shows the relationship of words
within and between sentences;
B. It tells something about the feeling
of the speaker.
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a.
b.
a.
b.
a.
b.
He sold his house, boat and car.
He sold his houseboat and car.
Question: How many things did he sell?
The teacher said, "That student is lazy.“
"The teacher", said that student, "is lazy."
Question: Who was lazy?
The president said, "That reporter is lying.“
"The president," said that reporter, "is lying."
Question: Who was speaking?
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I beg your pardon?
I beg your
I beg your
pardon?
pardon?
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'
They 're going to have a ↘picnic.
'
They 're going to have a ↗picnic.
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' Those who ' sold ↘↗quickly ' made a
profit.
(A profit was made by those who sold quickly.)
' Those who ↘↗sold ' quickly ' made a
profit.
(A profit was quickly made by those who sold.)
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I. Types of English Intonation
1. Falling tone
 2. Rising tone
 3. Fall-rise tone

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mai
a
c
J
falling
a
J a ma
a
c
i
rising
Ja
mai a
c
falling-rising
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Falling tone
Questions and Responses
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-- What would you like?
-- I'd like a chicken-salad sandwich.
-- What will you have?
-- I'll have a hotdog and a coke.
-- Where are you going?
-- To the lab.
-- What time is it?
-- It's a quarter past four.
-- Where's your lab book?
-- I lost it.
-- Where did you leave it?
-- I don't remember.
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Falling tone
Questions and responses
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-- What would you
like?
-- I'd like a chicken-salad ↘ sandwich.
-- What will you ↘ have?
-- I'll have a hotdog and a ↘ coke.
-- Where are you ↘ going?
-- To the ↘ lab.
-- What ↘ time is it?
-- It's a quarter past ↘ four.
-- Where's your ↘ lab book?
-- I ↘ lost it.
-- Where did you ↘ leave it?
-- I don't re ↘ member.
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Rising tone
Yes/no questions and responses
Are you coming later? If I can.
May I help you?
Yes, I'll have a hotdog.
Is it cold outside?
It's very cold.
Shall I wait for you?
No, you go ahead.
Did he bring his money? No, he forgot it.
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Rising tone
Yes/no questions and responses
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Are you coming later? If I ↘ can.
May I ↗help you?
Yes, I'll have a ↘ hotdog.
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Is it cold ↗outside?
It's ↘ very cold.
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Shall I ↗wait for you?
No, you go a ↘ head.
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Did he bring his ↗money? No, he for ↘ got it.
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Fall-rise tone
Questions/statements and responses
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-- Do you know German?
-- I can read it.
--Everyone knows about it.
-- Well, not everyone.
-- We got there about midnight.
-- I think it was earlier than that.
-- Nobody wants to buy them.
-- Nobody can afford to buy them.
-- Are you sure he's coming tonight?
-- He said so.
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Fall-rise tone
Questions/statements and responses
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-- Do you know ↗German?
-- I can
read it.
--Everyone knows a↘ bout it.
-- Well, ↘ not ↗everyone.
-- We got there about ↘ midnight.
-- I think it was ↘ earlier than ↗that.
-- Nobody wants to ↘ buy them.
-- Nobody can af↘↗ford to buy them.
-- Are you sure he's coming to↘night?
-- He ↘ said ↗so.
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II. Structure of English Intonation
P = Pre-head
H = Head
N = Nucleus
T = Tail
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Elements in an intonation unit
The nucleus:
调核
The tail:
调尾
The head:
调头
the stressed syllable of the last
prominent word in a tone unit
any syllable or syllables that may
follow the nucleus
the part of a tone unit that extends from
the first stressed syllable up to the
nucleus
The pre-head: any unstressed syllable or syllables that
调冠
may precede the head - or the nucleus,
if there is no head
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We are learning a foreign language.
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We are LEARNing a FOReign LANGuage.
P
H
N
T
P = Pre-head
H = Head
N = Nucleus
T = Tail
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Structures of an intonation unit
PH NT:
PH N:
P NT:
P N:
H NT:
H N:
NT:
N:
We are learning a foreign language.
I am afraid we can't go.
We hope so.
It was at night.
When are they coming?
Peter has arrived.
Look at him.
Help!
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Mark out the elements in the following intonation units.
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PHNT:
PHN :
P NT:
P N :
HNT:
HN :
NT:
N :
She'll be able to do it properly.
It was a very dark night.
He said so.
They'll be late.
Isn't John going?
Go ahead.
Pardon?
Thanks.
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Mark out the elements in the following intonation units.
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PHNT:
PHN :
P NT:
P N :
HNT:
HN :
NT:
N :
She'll be able to do it properly.
It was a very dark night.
He said so.
They'll be late.
Isn't John going?
Go ahead.
Pardon?
Thanks.
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The Stress Rules
1. Stress tends to fall on content words within an
utterance.
2. Only a word’s stressed syllable carries the sentence
stress.
3. Within an intonation unit, there may be several
words receiving stress but only one has the nucleus.
4. New information tends to receive prominence and
generally occurs towards the end of an utterance.
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Circle the prominent word in each tone unit.
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
I’m starved. Let’s go and grab a bite to eat.
Good idea. Where do you want to go?
Well, there’s a nice Italian restaurant about a
block from here.
Do you have your heart set on Italian? What
about a Chinese place?
Oh, do you know one?
I sure do. The food is delicious and it’s right
around the corner.
Great! Let’s go.
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Underline the prominent word in each tone unit.
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
I’m starved. Let’s go and grab a bite to eat.
Good idea. Where do you want to go?
Well, there’s a nice Italian restaurant about a
block from here.
Do you have your heart set on Italian? What
about a Chinese place?
Oh, do you know one?
I sure do. The food is delicious and it’s right
around the corner.
Great! Let’s go.
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Underline the prominent word in each tone unit.
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
B:
A:
I have a picture of a lady sitting in a park.
I have a lady in a park too. She’s reading a book.
Oh, my lady is reading a newspaper.
Next to the lady there’s a big tree.
There’s a big tree in my picture too.
My picture has a dog.
My picture has two dogs.
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III. The Use of English Intonation
The falling tone
-- indicating `definiteness' and `completeness'.
Types of sentences:
Ordinary statements
WH questions
Imperative sentences (strong commands)
Exclamatory sentences
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The rising tone
- indicating `uncertainty',
`incompleteness' or `politeness'.
Types of sentences:
Yes-no questions
Statements intended as questions
Statements intended to be soothing or
encouraging
Repetition questions
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The falling-rising tone
- showing contrast, implication, disagreement, contradiction, or warning, etc.
Types of sentences:
Statements where contrast is implied
Statements which imply reservation
Statements which show disagreement or
contradiction
Warnings
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Utterances
1. He left already.
2. Sally’s moving.
3. John missed his flight.
4. It’s snowing in New York.
Question 
Statement 
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Utterances
1. Your name’s George, isn’t it?
Sure 
Unsure 
2. It’s going to rain tomorrow, isn’t it?
3. You wanted to go, didn’t you?
4. We should offer to help, shouldn’t we?
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Yes-no 
Utterances
1. Are you coming Friday or Saturday?
Choice 
2. Can you meet us at eight or nine?
3. Would you like beer or wine?
4. Are you going to Spain or Portugal?
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IV The Functions of English Intonation
1. The accentual function of intonation
2. The grammatical function of intonation
3. The discourse function of intonation
4. The attitudinal function of intonation
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I. lecture 2\Dialogue 1.wav
A
I saw them together.
B
Where did you see them?
A
In the town.
B
When did you see them?
A
This morning.
B
Did you say anything to them?
A
I told them I should tell you.
B
Which you’ve now done. Thank you.
A
Aren’t you going to send for them?
B
No need. I’ve already invited them for dinner.
A
Them? Both of them? Together?
B
Like to join us?
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2.lecture 2\Dialogue 2.wav
A
We all know that we face problems. We know that
we face difficulties. We are all aware that the difficulties
that we face are not difficulties that will be overcome
immediately, or that will be overcome easily. We all
recognize that the problems that confront us are not
problems that will be solved overnight. But I sometimes
wonder if we realise… if we realise sufficiently that…
B
That that was the clock striking two, Frank! Go to
sleep!
A
Sorry, dear. Didn’t know it was so late. My big day,
tomorrow, you know. Ah, well. Goodnight.
B
It’s a lovely speech, Frank.
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3.lecture 2\Dialogue 3.wav
A
He’s not on the fourth floor now, he’s been moved – to the
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
A
B
fifth. Use the lift. I’ll ring to say you’ve arrived.
No hurry. Er … how is he, Nurse?
I think he’s improved. Still coughs a lot, of course.
And he behaves all right, does he?
Oh, yes. We have plenty of laughs! We’ll miss him when
he leaves!
He loves pretty nurses, Granddad does! It’s a family
weakness! By the way, he wanted me to bring him this
gift. For his special favourite – a nurse called Soft.
How lovely!
Funny name, Soft, isn’t it?
Yes. But I’ve got used to it.
Oh. Sorry.
Well, I’ll ring to say you’ve arrived.
I’m sorry!
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4.lecture 2\Dialogue 4.wav
A
I haven’t always lived in this cottage, you know.
B
Haven’t you? How pretty it is!
A
You’ve not been here long, of course.
B
I haven’t, no. Only a month, in fact. But it’s a very
nice village. I’ve grown to love it already.
A
You haven’t seen Ferringly House, yet, I suppose?
B
Oh, it’s magnificent! A beautiful house!
A
But the new people haven’t looked after it properly,
you know.
B
Well, I haven’t seen it closely, of course, Mrs, er…
A
Ferringly. Madeleine Ferringly.
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5.lecture 2\Dialogue 5.wav
A
Jim’s left, of course.
B
He’s left, too, has he?
A
And Jean.
B
Yes, she’s gone to work at Fletcher’s, they tell me.
A
Oh, it’s changed a lot since you were here. It’s
become much more efficient, of course. But it’s lost
the personal touch, I’m afraid.
B
And what about our old friend Martin?
A
Oh, Martin’s stayed on.
B
And become more efficient?
A
He’s had to. At avoiding work, that is.
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