Wells J C English Intonation Pdf 40
English Intonation by J. C. Wells
English intonation is the study of how the pitch of our voice changes when we speak English. It is an important aspect of communication, as it can convey meaning, attitude, and structure. In this article, we will review the book English Intonation: An Introduction by J. C. Wells, a renowned phonetician and professor at UCL. We will summarize the main points of the book, provide some examples of intonation patterns, and evaluate its usefulness for learners and teachers of English.
Summary of the book
The book consists of ten chapters, each covering a different topic related to English intonation. The first chapter introduces the concept of intonation and its functions, as well as some basic terminology and notation. The second chapter focuses on the three types of tones in English: fall, rise, and fall-rise. The third chapter explains how to identify and mark the tonic syllable, which is the most prominent syllable in an intonation phrase. The fourth chapter discusses how to divide speech into intonation phrases, which are units of meaning and structure. The fifth chapter explores how intonation can express different attitudes and emotions, such as certainty, surprise, interest, boredom, etc. The sixth chapter examines how intonation can signal different types of questions and responses, such as yes-no questions, wh-questions, echo questions, tag questions, etc. The seventh chapter analyzes how intonation can mark contrastive and non-contrastive focus, which is the way we highlight or background certain information in our speech. The eighth chapter describes how intonation can indicate different discourse functions, such as topic introduction, topic change, topic continuation, etc. The ninth chapter compares the intonation patterns of British English and American English, as well as some other varieties of English. The tenth chapter provides some suggestions for teaching and learning intonation.
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Examples of intonation patterns
The book is accompanied by a CD that contains audio recordings of selected examples from the text and exercises. Here are some examples of intonation patterns from the book:
Fall: used for definitive statements, commands, exclamations, and finality.
Example: It's a lovely day.
Rise: used for yes-no questions, requests, suggestions, uncertainty, and incompleteness.
Example: Are you coming?
Fall-rise: used for declarative questions, implications, reservations, and politeness.
Example: You're not leaving already?
Tonic syllable: marked with an asterisk before the stressed vowel.
Example: He's a very good *teacher.
Intonation phrase: marked with a slash at the end.
Example: I went to the / cinema yesterday / with my / friends.
Attitude: conveyed by the choice and placement of tone.
Example: That's *amazing! (fall: enthusiasm) / That's a*mazing? (fall-rise: disbelief)
Question type: signaled by the tone and the word order.
Example: Do you like *chocolate? (rise: yes-no question) / What do you like? (fall: wh-question)
Focus: marked by the tonic syllable and sometimes by a change in word order.
Example: I like *chocolate. (non-contrastive focus) / I *like chocolate. (contrastive focus)
Discourse function: indicated by the tone and the length of the intonation phrase.
Example: So / (topic introduction) / what did you do / yesterday? (topic continuation)
Evaluation of the book
The book is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to English intonation for students and teachers alike. It provides clear explanations, examples, exercises, and audio recordings to help readers understand and practice intonation patterns. It covers both British English and American English varieties, as well as some other accents of English. It also offers practical advice on how to teach and learn intonation effectively.
The book is suitable for intermediate to advanced learners of English who want to improve their pronunciation and communication skills. It is also useful for teachers of English who want to incorporate intonation into their lessons and materials. The book can be used as a self-study guide or as a supplementary textbook for a course on English phonetics or pronunciation.
The book is based on the author's extensive research and experience in the field of phonetics and linguistics. It reflects the current state of knowledge and theory on English intonation, as well as the latest developments and trends in the field. It is written in a clear and engaging style, with a touch of humor and personal anecdotes. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in English intonation.
If you want to learn more about English intonation, you can download the book from [this link] or buy it from [this link]. You can also read the index of the book from [this link].