PHONOSTYLISTICS

Lecture 9
Outline

 Phonostylistics and its Status

 Styles of Pronunciation
 Components of Extralinguistic Situation
 Factors Resulting in Phonostylistic Varieties
 Stylistic use of intonation
 Intonation and Language Teaching
  Phonostylistics and its Status

Phonostylistics is concerned with the study of phonetic

phenomena and processes from the stylistic point of view.
 An interdisciplinary character of Phonostylistics
Styles of Pronunciation
Styles of Pronunciation
Styles of Pronunciation
 The ways of pronouncing words are called styles of
pronunciation.
Prof. D. Jones • the familiar style
• the colloquial style
• the natural style used in addressing a fair-sized audience
• the acquired style of the stage
• the acquired styles used in singing
Prof. R.I. Avanessov • common colloquial
• poetic
• academic
• the style of public address
• low colloquial
Prof. L.V. Shcherba the full style
the colloquial style 1) the careful colloquial style;
2) the careless colloquial style
 Components of Extralinguistic Situation
 the purpose and the topic: general types of activities (working,
teaching, learning, chatting, playing a game, etc.)

 participants: age, the role in the family and in social groups,

authority and status, different levels of competence, sex, emotional
state, etc.

 setting (scene): public – private, impersonal – personal, polite –

casual, high-cultured – low-cultured, etc.
 Factors Resulting in Phonostylistic Varieties

 1) the purpose, or the aim of the utterance;

 2) the speaker’s attitude;
 3) the form of communication;
 4) the degree of formality;
 5) the degree of spontaneity (=the degree of preparedness).
 Stylistic Use of Intonation

Stylistically distinctive function of intonation is determined by the

following intonational styles (according to M.A. Sokolova’s data):
 1. Informational
 2. Academic (Scientific)
 3. Publicistic (Oratorial)
 4. Declamatory (Artistic)
 5. Conversational (Familiar)
 Stylistic Use of Intonation

Intonational styles register and speech typology correlate along the

lines of:
 1. varieties of language: spoken or written;
 2. forms of communication: monologue or dialogue, polylogue;
 3. degree of speech preparedness: prepared, spontaneous;
 4. the number of participants: public, non-public;
 5. character of participants’ relationship: formal, informal.
 Stylistic Use of Intonation

“An intonational style can be defined as a system of interrelated intonation

means which is used in a social sphere and serves a definite aim of
communication” [Соколова и др.: 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 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.
 Intonation and Language Teaching
 Why teach intonation? Awareness of intonation aids communication.
Incorrect intonation misunderstandings, speakers losing interest or even taking offence

 How I help my students? (Awareness-raising)

 Provide learners with models - don't be afraid to exaggerate your intonation.
 Let students compare two examples of the same phrase, eg: varied/flat intonation, English / L1.
 Ask students to have a 2-minute conversation in pairs as 'robots', i.e. with no intonation. When
they then go back to speaking 'normally', point out that the difference is made by intonation - this
is what gives movement to our voices.
 Get students to imitate your intonation, but without words, just humming
 Intonation and Language Teaching
Intonation and grammar
Wh-word questions: falling intonation
Yes/No questions: rising
Statements: falling
Question-Tags: 'chat' - falling; 'check' - rising
Lists: rising, rising, rising, falling

Intonation and attitude

'enthusiastic',
'bored',
'surprised',
'relieved‘, etc.
 References
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