Enhancing English Communication Skills Through Intonation Practice

Department of HSS Intonation Intonation Jyoshnamayee Moharana Assistant Professor

Course Objectives: 1.To help students learn how to speak English with proper pitch variation in different contexts of speech 2.To practice and strengthen accuracy of the students in spoken English 3. Help improve students oral communication in English

Have you ever marked? 1. the way one delivers a speech, sings a song or participates in a conversation is the same or different? Why do you think they are different? 2. that in our daily life when we make an inquiry, give an order, make a request, give positive or negative statements, question, argue or advise in the same manner? 3. that while speaking, we put emphasis on a particular word (s) or phrase (s) in a sentence that we consider important for the listener (s) to understand or accept or focus? 4. Try saying the following sentences: i. You are there. ii. You are there. iii. You are there? iv. You are there!

What is Intonation? When we speak to each other, our voices tend to rise or fall in pitch over a part of an utterance. This rise or fall in pitch is known as intonation. Intonation plays an important part in communication. Intonation is used mainly to indicate the speaker s attitude towards the listener or towards the topic on which he/she is speaking

Intonation i. Grammatical function (Distinguishes different types of sentences) ii. Attitudinal function ( Speaker conveys attitudes and/or emotions) iii.Accentual function (Prominence of utterance in terms of meaning to convey)

I. Types of English Intonation Falling tone Rising tone Falling-rising tone Rising-falling tone 6

Lets practice falling tone i. Ex: He s just been pro moted. I didn t do this purposefully. Statements which are complete and definite ii. Wh-questions which are intended to be neither polite nor impolite Ex: Where are you going? How long will it take you to reach here? iii. Commands: Shut the window. Don t make a noise. iv. Invitations: Come over for a cup of tea. Why don t you come with me? v. Exclamations: Goodheavens! Fan tastic! vi.Question tag: You re coming to day, aren t you?

Practice Continued 2. Rising Tone i. Yes/No type: Was he present yesterday? ii. Statement intended to be a question: You won t come? iii. Request: Pass me the saltplease. iv. Commands intended to be a request: Close the door. v. Wh-questions showing politeness or friendliness: How is your son? 3. Falling-rising tone i. Incomplete statements: If you don t be have, I ll punish you severely. ii. Statements intended to be a correction: He has four sons (He has five.) iii. Warning: You mustn t go like this. iv. A pleading request: Don t at-tend to his request. Don t get on my nerves. 4. Rising-falling tone i. Enthusiastic agreement: It was horrid. Yes ii. Suspicious questions/mockery: Will you be able to do it? iii. Imperative expressing haughtiness: Go and break your head. iv. Exclamations with irony: Oh, really!

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