Play a Tune with Intonation

The central mechanism for conveying meaning and attitude

Chinese and Englishboth use “tones”

MaMaMaMa

OhOhOhOh

Listen for tone changes and corresponding changes in meaningOh - indifferenceOh – complicityOh – “I didn’t know that!”Oh - FrustrationOh – mild surpriseOh - Shock and disbelief

Cook p. 19-21

Kazoo the sounds and then practice the words, phrases, and sentences.

Concentrate on changing the pitch.

Intonation indicates, similarly to emphasis:MeaningNew informationContrastEmotion

Meaning

Is this your car?Is this your car?Is this your car?

New Information

Brazil, on the other hand,The new Fed Chair, Ben

Bernanke, is expected to speak with less economic jargon than Greenspan.

Contrast

I have good news and bad news.

First, the good news.

Emotion

I can’t believe it! I loved that movie!The trip was a nightmare!

Hum, kazoo, or da da da the sentences to hear the musicIs this your car?Is this your car?Is this your car?

Valentine’s Day

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, but mine does.

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, but her sisters always do.

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, but every once in a while he does.

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, no matter what!

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, but he planted a lot in her garden.

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, but he never forgets Mother’s Day!

Her boyfriend almost never sends her flowers, but he showers her with other gifts.

Quiz: Which one indicates that the boyfriend…Prefers live plants to cut

ones.Gives her non-floral presents Is good in the flower

departmentRemembers to send flowers

to his mother

Which indicates that…

Her sisters are more attentive to her needs

It is a true rarity for her boyfriend to send flowers.

There is actually a slim chance that he might send flowers.

Which words get the higher pitch?The Pentagon, readying for

what it calls a "long war," yesterday laid out a new 20-

year defense strategy that envisions U.S. troops

deployed often clandestinely, in dozens of countries at

once to fight terrorism and other

nontraditional threats. Major initiatives includea 15 percent boost in the

number of elite U.S. troops known as Special Operations

Forces,

a near-doubling of the capacity of unmanned aerial drones to gather intelligence, a $1.5 billion investment to counter a biological attack, and the creation of special teams to find, track and defuse nuclear

bombs and other catastrophic weapons.

Listen for Intonation PatternsJump Up Step DownJump Up Glide DownJump Up Glide UpEmphasis patternSeries

Experiment with different patterns and different emotions for the same textWilma Rudolph was 20th in a

family of 22 children. Born prematurely, her survival was doubtful. At 4 years of age she contracted scarlet fever and double pneumonia, leaving her with a paralyzed leg.

#1

By age 9, the metal leg brace, upon which she had become dependent was removed and she began to walk without it. The doctors were amazed when, at age 13, she developed a rhythmic walk. Having been told she would never walk again, this little girl went on to win three Olympic gold metals.

Ronald Reagan was beyond the age at which most Americans retire when he ran for the presidency in 1980. At age 69, he conducted a vigorous campaign, never passed up the chance to defuse the issue of his age with humor.

#2

On one occasion, he remarked, “I want to say that I don’t mind at all any of the jokes or remarks about my age. Thomas Jefferson made a comment about the Presidency and age. He said that one should not worry about one’s exact chronological age

In reference to his ability to perform one’s task. And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.”

Liaisons (Linking)

Study your language to devise a strategy to help you link like Americans.

Chinese

Chinese words and parts of words start with consonants and end with a vowel or n or ng sound. There is no such thing as a final t, l, or b in Chinese.

Mao Tse Tung

Problems carried over to EnglishNo word endingsNo word connectionsNo distinction between final

voiced and unvoiced consonants.

American and Chinese are the same!

Written English

Tell him Pull it out

Chinese Accent

Teo him Puw ih aw

American Speech

Tellim Pü li dout

Lengthen to voice the consonants Ice Beat Late Note Life Bait Lock Seat Peace

Eyes Bead Laid Node Live Bade Log Seed Peas

GoalSpeak with sound units rather than word units.Disregard spelling!Go with the way people speak

Create casual conversations with these common phrases

Forget about spelling! Wəcher name? Kænt chew do (w) it? æk chully Don’t chew lye kit Wooden chew Hæven chew? Nou, nä chet. I’ll letcha know K’näi getchewə drink?

Hint: T + Y = CH

D + Y = J Didjə see (y) it? Hæo jə lye kit? Küjə tell? Wəjer fæmlee think? Didjə find jər keez? Edjə cation Indəvijə(w)el Græjə(w)ation Græjə (w) əl

S + Y = SH

Yeshu areInshuranceæl tryd gesheirage

Z+ Y = ZH hæo wəzhier trip? Hoozhier frend? Wεrzh’r mäm? Wensh’r brthday Hoo dəzhier hεr? Kæ zhyə(w)əl vi zhyə(w)əl

Colloquial reductions

I’ve gotta go I’ve gotta bookLemme inLemme goWanna banana? I’ll letcha know.

Dija do it?Nä chet. I’ll meechu layderWhaddyu think?Whajoo do with it?Howja like it?When ju geddit?Why don chu try it?Whaddaya waitin’ for?

Howzit going?Whatcha doin’?Where’s the

whatchamacallit?Where’s whatsizname?How ‘bout it?Doancha geddit?

Tags

For questions, the intonation rises, doesn’t it?For confirmation, the intonation drops, doesn’t it.

Didee? Duzzy? Wuzzy? Hazzy? Izzy? Willy? Woody? Cüjoo? Wüjoo? Canny? Wooden chew?

Shühn näi? Woe knee? Didn knee? Has a knee? Is a knee? Is a nit? Duzza nit? Are näi? Wone chew? Done chew? Can chew?

Final Sentence

The dime.The dime easierThey tell me the dime easierThey tell me the dime easier

to understandThey tell me that I’m easier to

understand.