MODULE I. STYLES OF SPEECH AND THEIR PROSODIC CHARACTERISTICS

MODULE I. STYLES OF SPEECH AND THEIR PROSODIC CHARACTERISTICS

♦♦♦ Unit 1. Correlation between Extralinguistic and Linguistic Variation

Explanation

It is common knowledge that the type of language we are using changes with the situation in which communication is carried on. A particular social situation makes us respond with an appropriate variety of language. We use one variety of language at home, another with our friends, a third at work, and so on. In other words, there are ‘appropriate’ linguistic ‘manners’ for the different types of situations in which language is used and we are expected to know these manners in our native language.

Varieties of language correlating with social situations are generally termed styles. The distinctive features of styles include language features of various kinds, among which phonetic modifications play the leading role in oral speech. The main circumstances of reality that course phonetic modification in speech are as follows:

· the aim of spontaneity of speech (which may be to instruct, to inform, to narrate, to chat, etc.);

· the extent of spontaneity of speech (unprepared speech, prepared speech);

· the nature of interchange, i.e. the use of a form of speech which may either suggest only listening, or both listening and an exchange of remarks (a lecture, a discussion, a conversation, etc.);

· social and psychological factors, which determine the extent of formality of speech and the attitudes expressed (a friendly conversation with close friends, a quarrel, an official conversation, etc.).

These circumstances, or factors, are termed extra-linguistic factors. Thus, different ways of pronunciation caused by extra-linguistic factors and characterized by definite phonetic features, are called phonetic styles, or styles of pronunciation.

Correlation between extra-linguistic and intra-linguistic variation does not necessarily imply that there are as many varieties of language (styles) as there are extra-linguistic situations. First of all, the factors, or dimensions, constituting an extra-linguistic situation are not equally important, as far as modification of language means is concerned. The greatest influence in this respect is exercised by such factors as the social status of the speakers and their relations to each other, the place of communication and its subject-matter (topic).

Significant variations within each of the given factors (dimensions) are most conveniently described in terms of an opposition: formal/ informal, and there is a strong tendency for identical features (formal or informal) from different dimensions to co-occur: an informal subject-matter tends to be combined with an informal sphere of communication and informal relations between the speakers and vice versa. Accordingly, the broadest and most widely recognized division of English speech is into f o r m a l and i n f o r m a ls t y l e s.

The formal style covers those varieties of English that we hear from a lecturer, a public speaker, a radio announcer, etc. These types of communication are frequently reduced to monologue, addressed by one person to many, and are often used prepared in advance. They also include official and business talks.

The informal style is used in personal every day communication. This category embraces the most frequent and the most widespread occurrences of spoken English. Most typically informal speech takes the form of a conversation, although monologue is not infrequent either.

According to the degree of formality in one case and familiarity in the other, the two styles can be subdivided as follows:

1. Formal: a) formal-official (public speeches, official talks, etc.)

E.g.: A public speech

Mr. Higgins: I declare the meeting open and call upon the secretary to read the minutes of the last meeting.

Miss Jones: There are the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held at 4 p.m. on Friday 7^th October… and the meeting closed at 5.25 p.m.

Mr. Higgins: Is it your wish that I sign these minutes as a correct record?

All: Yes.

b) formal-neutral (a lecturer, a teacher’s explanation, a business talk or an exchange of information between colleagues with variations depending on the status of the partners, a report on one’s work or research before a small group of people, etc.)

E.g. A business talk

– Good morning. Is this Mr. Howard’s office?

– John Howard?

– Yes. I was wondering whether Mr. Howard could see me. My name is Martell.

– Oh, yes, Miss Martell. Mr. Howard has a letter from your manager. He said you’d be writing to make an appointment.

– I decided to come instead. I was rather hoping that perhaps Mr. Howard would be able to see me this morning.

2. Informal:

a) informal-ordinary (a conversation on a train, bus, etc.; an exchange of remarks in a shop, café, post office, railway station, etc.; an everyday talk between friends, neighbours, schoolmates, etc.)

E.g. A talk in a shop

Assistant: You know, madam, I think the next size will be better.

Customer: Yes, it looks like it. But I’ve always taken a 36 hip size before. Have I really started putting on weight?

Assistant: You shouldn’t worry. You can’t trust sizes. Nowadays they seem to vary enormously. I’ll just get you the size above.

b) informal-familiar (everyday conversation between intimate friends, relatives)

E.g. A talk between mother and daughter

– Look, what a lovely bag I’ve bought.

– Not again! Why, you’ve got a collection of them.

– But you’ve no idea how cheap it was. A real bargain.

– Bargain my foot. You know we must save money.

– Getting good value is saving money.

– Oh, come on. Be your age.

This classification is, of course, very tentative and not at all complete. One could also outline further distinctions within each of the above-mentioned varieties. If, for example, we consider a dimension such as the number of people addressed it will be necessary to discriminate between public speeches at a big gathering (such as an open air meeting) and those made at a comparatively small gathering (such as a speech pronounced in a hall). The kind of the audience is also an important factor as far as phonetic modifications of speech are concerned. Thus, a teacher’s explanation meant for adults will differ phonetically as well as lexically and grammatically from that spoken to children.

Oral speech is a very complicated phenomenon, where too many factors are involved. Phonetic styles are related to social setting or circumstances in which language is used. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person speaks differently on different occasions (e.g. when chatting with intimate friends or talking to official persons, when delivering a lecture, speaking over the radio or giving a dictation exercise). In other words, the choice of a speech style is determined by the situation. Moreover, the problem of speech typology and phonetic differences conditioned by such extra-linguistic factors as age, sex, personality traits, status, occupation, purpose, social identity (or ‘class dialect’) and the emotional state of the speaker also bear on the issue.

QUESTIONS and TASKS:

1. Speak on linguistic and extra-linguistic factors. What is the difference between them?

2. Why do phonetic modifications play the most important role among distinctive features of each style?

3. What is the main and most widely recognized division of English speech?

4. What are characteristic features of formal and informal styles?

5. Speak on the subdivision of formal and informal speech in terms of the degree of formality and familiarity. Give examples.

6. Why does a person speak differently on different occasions?

7. What determines the choice of a speech style?

POETRY

The Arrow and the Song ♫

I ˈshot an ‘arrow ˌinto the _\air,It ˈfell to _\earth, I ˌknow ˈnot ‘where;For, so ‘swiftly it ‘flew, the ˈsight│ˌCould not ‘follow it│in its _\flight. I ˈbreathed a ‘song ˌinto the _\air,It ˈfell to _\earth, I ˈknew ˈnot _\where;For ˈwho│has _\sight so ˈkeen and ‘strongThat it can ˈfollow the ˈflights of _\song. ˈLong, ˙long ‘afterward, in an ‘oakI ‘found the ‘arrow, ˈstill un_\broken;And the ˈsong, from beˈginning to ‘end,I ˈfound a’gain│in the ˈheart of a _\friend.

H. W. Longfellow (1807-1882)

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