Unit 3. Great Britain.

Learn and practice:

Publicistic and conversational phonostyles.

Revise:

Informational, declamatory and scientific phonostyles.

1. Listen to the dialogue. What phonostyle is it in? What are its prosodic peculiarities? What emotions and attitudes does it illustrate? What intonational means do the speakers use to express those emotions? Name the types of pauses used in this dialogue. Practice reading it in pairs.

A J A J A J A J A

Hi, Jenny. You all right? Uh huh. You? Er… yeah. Ok. Listen, Jenny. Are you doing anything tonight? Gosh! Er… I don’t know. Why? Well, I was wondering if you’d maybe… you know… if we could go out somewhere… if you… if you’d like to. Well, er… What did you have in mind? Oh, I don’t know. We could have a bite to eat, or we could take in a film. What do you fancy? Well, that would be really nice. We could meet at the new bar on the High Street and take it from there. What do you think? Ok, nice idea. What time?

2. Listen to part of an argumentative speech. What are its prosodic peculiarities? Lay stress-tone marks on the second part of it and learn to read it well. Make up an argumentative speech on one of the suggested topics and present it in front of your groupmates. Use kinesics and all the prosodic means typical of the publicistic phonostyle. You should sound persuasive in giving your arguments. If possible, use humour and idiomatic expressions.

World's Greatest Speeches

CHECKERS SPEECH

delivered by Richard M. Nixon, on September 23, 1952

My fellow Americans: I come before you tonight as a candidate for the Vice Presidency and as a man whose honesty and integrity have been questioned.

The usual political thing to do when charges are made against you is to either ignore them or to deny them without giving details.

I believe we've had enough of that in the United States, particularly with the present Administration in Washington, D.C. To me the office of the Vice Presidency of the United States is a great office, and I feel that the people have got to have confidence in the integrity of the men who run for that office and who might obtain it.

I have a theory, too, that the best and only answer to a smear or to an honest misunderstanding of the facts is to tell the truth. And that's why I'm here tonight. I want to tell you my side of the case.

I am sure that you have read the charge and you've heard that I, Senator Nixon, took $18,000 from a group of my supporters.

Now, was that wrong? And let me say that it was wrong -- I'm saying, incidentally, that it was wrong and not just illegal. Because it isn't a question of whether it was legal or illegal, that isn't enough. The question is, was it morally wrong?

I say that it was morally wrong if any of that $18,000 went to Senator Nixon for my personal use. I say that it was morally wrong if it was as secretly given and secretly handled. And I say that it was morally wrong if any of the contributors got special favours for the contributions that they made.

And now to answer those questions let me say this:

Not one cent of the $18,000 or any other money of that type ever went to me for my personal use. Every penny of it was used to pay for political expenses that I did not think should be charged to the taxpayers of the United States.

3. Listen to the following text. What phonstyle is it in? What makes it different from the publicistic style? Practice reading the text.

Great Britain is one of the most important commercial and trading centers in the world. Britain buys more goods than she sells; her imports exceed her exports. Not being a great agricultural country, England has to obtain her food supplies largely from abroad. She also has to import many raw materials, such as wool from Australia; timber from Sweden Finland; cotton, petroleum and tobacco from the United States. Wine and fruit are imported from France, Italy, Spain and the Dominions; dairy produce from Denmark, Holland, and so on.

One of the most extensive industries in England is the textile industry: immense quantities of cotton and woolen goods and artificial silk are produced and exported. English leather goods are also in great demand in other countries.

Great Britain is noted for its coalmines and for iron and steel goods, and its supplies many countries with certain classes of machinery. Another leading industry in this country is shipbuilding. The motor industry is also very flourishing.

4. Listen to the dialogue. What are its prosodic peculiarities? What emotions and attitudes does it illustrate? Lay stress-tone marks and learn it by heart.

B A B A B A B A B A

Hi, Annie! I haven’t seen you for ages. I know. Time flies, doesn’t it? It’s true. Work as busy as ever, is it? Yes, I’m slaving away as usual, but we’re a bit snowed under at the moment. We’re just about keeping our heads above water, but it isn’t easy. How about you? Ok. Business was bad this time last year, and we really had to tighten our belts, but things have picked up since then. You’ve moved, haven’t you? Where are you living now? We’ve bought an old house in a sleepy little village. You must come and visit us. I’d love to. But we’re a bit tied up at the moment. Does it need much doing to it? Everything. I hope we haven’t bitten off more than we can chew. You’ll be fine. Anyway, I must dash. Lovely to see you again. And you. Bye.

5. Make up your own dialogues in pairs, expressing the suggested kinds of attitudes and emotions: anger, irritation, disgust, bitterness; joy, excitement, delight, surprise; pity, regret, complaint, disappointment, frustration; shyness, self-consciousness, doubt, fear; sympathy, tenderness, affection; sorrow, mourning, grief etc.

5. Listen to a dialogue. What emotions and attitudes does it illustrate? What intonational means do the speakers use to express those emotions? Lay stress-tone marks and learn it by heart.

A B A B A B A B A B A B A

I hear Pete’s aunt left him everything. Absolutely right, he inherited a fortune out of the blue. He knew nothing about it then? How exciting! You bet! When he heard about it, he was over the moon. So what’s his problem now? Well, he’s in deep water because he spent the whole lot in a month and then his girlfriend walked out on him. You’re kidding? I thought he’d asked her to marry him? He was going to ask her and then he got cold feet. So what next? Looks like he’ll have to pull his socks up and get a job. And a new girlfriend. What about that girl he used to work with? Mm… Miranda, Marilyn – no, that’s not it, erm, her name’s on the tip of my tongue. You mean Melissa. Whatever you do, don’t mention Melissa! She told him he was a waste of space, money or no money. Oh dear, I’m glad you told me, otherwise I might have put my foot in it.

6. Make up your own dialogues in pairs, expressing the suggested kinds of attitudes and emotions: anger, irritation, disgust, bitterness; joy, excitement, delight, surprise; pity, regret, complaint, disappointment, frustration; shyness, self-consciousness, doubt, fear; sympathy, tenderness, affection sorrow, mourning, grief etc.

7. Listen to part of an inspirational speech. What are its prosodic peculiarities? Make up an inspirational speech on one of the suggested topics and present it in front of your groupmates.

World's Greatest Speeches

I HAVE A DREAM

delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on August 28, 1963

I say to you today, my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this Nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creeds -- "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skins, but by the conduct of their character.

I have a dream that one day in Alabama, with this vicious racist, its Governor, having his lips dripping the words of interposition and nullification -- one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted: every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plane, the crooked places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountains of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discord of our Nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together; to play together; to struggle together; to go to jail together; to stand up for freedom together knowing that we will be free one day …

5. Listen to the dialogue. What emotions and attitudes does it illustrate? What intonational means do the speakers use to express those emotions? Lay stress-tone marks, practice reading and learn it by heart.

Amy Seth Amy Seth Amy Seth Amy

Ugh! This hotel is horrible. I wish we hadn’t come here. I’ve never seen such a dirty hotel in my life! It wouldn’t be so bad if the bathroom was clean, but it’s filthy. I wouldn’t even wash my socks in it. I know. But it was getting late, and we’d been driving all day, and I wanted to stop. If we hadn’t we might not have found a hotel and we’d still be driving. That would have been awful. At least this is better than nothing. Well, I wish we’d set off earlier. Than we could have arrived in London today, and we’d have had a whole day to go round the galleries and museums. As it is, we won’t get there till tomorrow lunchtime, and we’ll only have a few hours. I’d have liked to spend more lunchtime in London, too, but I had to go to work this morning. If I hadn’t, we’d be staying in a top London hotel now instead of this dump. I’d love to have seen a show, but we can’t, so that’s all there is to it. Anyway, it’s time we thought about getting something to eat. If it weren’t so late, I’d suggest going into town, but if we did, we might not find anywhere. It’s quite late already. I wish you wouldn’t moan about everything. I wouldn’t mind, but you are so indecisive. If it were left up to you, we’d never do anything or go anywhere. OK, OK. I’m sorry. Let’s go.

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