Unit 3. Speech Typology

Unit 1. Correlation between Extralinguistic and Linguistic Variation

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.

Varieties of language correlating with social situations are generally termed styles. 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

· social and psychological factors

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. 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 l s 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.  The informal style is used in personal every day communication. This category embraces the most frequent and the most widespread occurrences of spoken English.

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.)

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.)

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.)

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

This classification is, of course, very tentative and not at all complete.

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. 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

 

Unit 2. The Problem of Phonetic Functional Styles Classification

     Human communication isn’t possible without intonation, because it’s instrumental in conveying the meaning. It is said to indicate the attitudes and emotions of the speaker. The intonation system of a language provides a consistently recognizable invariant basis of these effects from person to person. 

       An intonational style can be defined as a system of interrelated intonational means which is used in a certain social sphere and serves a definite aim in communication. The problem of intonational styles classification can hardly be regarded as settled as yet.

     The British phonetician D. Jones distinguishes such styles of pronunciation as the rapid familiar style, the slower colloquial style, the natural style used in addressing a fair-sized audience, the acquired style of the stage, and the acquired style used in singing.

       T. Kenyon described four principal styles of good spoken English: familiar colloquial, formal colloquial, public-speaking style and public-reading style.

L.V. Shcherba suggested that only two styles of pronunciation should be distinguished: (1) colloquial style characteristic of people’s quiet talk, and (2) full style, when we want to make our speech especially distinct

J.A. Dubovsky who discriminates the following styles: informal ordinary, formal neutral, formal official, informal familiar, declamatory. This division is based on different degrees of formality

     M. A. Sokolova suggested classification of phonostyles that is considered useful for teaching and learning purposes. According to M.A. Sokolova there are five intonational styles singled out mainly according to the purpose of communication. They are as follows:

Ø Informational (Formal) style;           

Ø Academic (Scientific) style;

Ø Publicistic style;

Ø Declamatory (Artistic) style;

Ø Conversational (Familiar) style.

Professor I.R. Galperin suggested   verbal functional styles of the written language as:

1. belles-lettres style, embracing genres of creative writing;

2. publicistic style, covering such genres as essays, feature article, public speeches;

3. newspaper style, observed in the majority of materials printed in newspapers;

4. scientific prose style, found in articles, brochures, monographs and other scientific, academic publications;

5. the style of official documents.

     Intonational styles distinction is based on the assumption that there are types of information present in communication: intellectual information, emotional and attitudinal (modal) information, volitional and desiderative information.

 

 

 

Unit 3. Speech Typology

     Analysis of most varieties of English speech shows that the intonational styles contractility is explicable only within the framework of speech typology, embracing primarily:

a) varieties of language;

b) forms of communication;

c) degree of speech preparedness;

d) the number of participants involved in communication;

e) the character of participants’ relationship.

     Language in its full interaction has two varieties – spoken and written.

     According to the nature of the participation situation in which the speaker is involved two forms of communication are generally singled out – monologue and dialogue, Monologues are usually more extended and characterized by a greater lexical and grammatical cohesion. They are better organized.

     Degree of speech preparedness entails distinction between prepared and spontaneous speech.

     As far as the number of participants involved in communication is concerned, speech may be public and non-public.

     And, finally, from the character of participants’ relationship viewpoint there are formal and informal types of speech. Formal type of speech is designed to be intelligible to the general population of speakers of the language, whether or not they live in the same area or country. There will be a standard or general vocabulary, grammar and syntax that are understood by the vast majority of speakers, so that information is shared with as little misunderstanding as possible. Informal type of speech, on the contrary, is characterized by the immediacy, spontaneity, informality of the communicative situation