DISCOURSE INTONATION

DISCOURSE INTONATION FUNCTIONPART IIWe can distinguish between level and movingtones. In the second group, Brazil distinguishesbetween two broad categories. Thus, theinformation we parcel up into tone units servesto further a speakers purpose in either of twoways:PROCLAIMING TONE NEW( p / p+)

REFERRING TONESHARED ( r / r+)FUNCTION OF TONESPROCLAIMING TONES:It may include information which is not shared. When we tell someone something, we usually take that to mean that we have information that the other person doesnt yet have. This means, that well enlarge the area of common ground. We use proclaming tones ( p / p+)Eg. || p it was dark || || p it was winter||

TONES: PROCLAIMING REFERRING TONES

This refers to some part of the message about which a speaker and listener are both already aware, i.e., it may make clear what the speaker assumes is already common ground between them. We use ( r / r+ )

Eg. || r+ After the hospital || p "turn right ||

|| r if I remember co&rrectly|| p shes "living in somewhere in Kent ||TONES: REFERRINGA-Information value sense selection

B- Social value social selection

C- Role Relationship discourse control

COMMUNICATIVE VALUE OF INTONATION-THE IMPORTANCE OF MEANING-

When telling something:

1-a proclaiming tone means that you do not think your listener has certain information that you possess.

2-a referring tone means that this part of the message is already shared. Saying it will not, therefore impart any new information.

C V I: INFORMATION VALUETELLING SOMETHINGThe p/ r opposition: these two tones are most frequently found in many kinds of discourse:

a) || r "Mary &Brown || p is a teacher ||

b) || p "Mary Brown || r is a &teacher ||

Since these two utterances are identical in all otherrespects, there are differences between them as regardstheir communicative value. We can paraphrase both of them as follows:Talking of Mary Brown, shes a teacher. (given / new) Talking of teachers, Mary Brown is one. (new / given) C V I: INFORMATION VALUETELLING SOMETHINGa referring + tone refers to a piece of information already shared which is not vividly present at the moment and needs reactivaton. It also refers to the matter that is shared by both the speaker and the hearer.

Eg. A: || Where is the eggcup? ||

b) || in the &cupboard || ( where it alwas is) vividly present

b) || in the cupboard | ( why dont you ever remember..) needs reactivation

C V I: INFORMATION VALUETELLING SOMETHINGWhen asking:

a proclaiming tone is used meaning that your listener has some information that you do not possess: you need to find out.

Doctor: || Where do you get this pain? ||

Patient: || in my head ||CVI-INFORMATION VALUEASKING a referring tone is used meaning that you assume this part of the message is shared but you want to make sure by asking your listener to confirm it.

Doctor: || Do you get it in your &head? || Patient: || Yes. ||

CVI-INFORMATION VALUEASKING 10When you ask questions for mainly social reasons, you usually use referring tones.

Replies or part of replies, which do not answer questions directly have referring tones.Eg. a) || Are "you the new secretary? || (I dont know you. Please tell me who you are)

b) || Are "you the new &secretary? || ( Are you the person Ive heard so much about? It sounds more friendly in inofrmal social conversations )

CVI-INFORMATION VALUEASKING CVI- SOCIAL VALUEWhen you select a word as prominent, this word carries both a sense selection and a social connotation derived from the choice of the tone. Thus,

Referring tones have a social connotation which indicates: convergence intimacy solidarity agreement togetherness

This social meaning states that the speaker and the hearer are at one and the same time separate individuals and participants in some kind of social convergence. Sometimes, what speakers say is not in any real sense informaing and is usually marked as non-informing and therefore they are not made prominent. But there are times when such items are made prominent and tonic. Their communicative value derives from the social component. The use of referring tones serve to insinuate intimacy or solidarity. || & Actually || || To tell you the & truth || || & Frankly || || & Honestly ||

A: || Why dont you try the cake? || B: || & Frankly, || I "dont like sweets. ||

( Here there is evidence of the interprenetation of the two worlds the speaker / the hearer- and everyone else is excluded from the area of convergence. The participants we excludes the non-participants theyCVI- SOCIAL VALUEOn the other hand, the social meaning of proclaiming tones the speaker shows: SHdivergenceseparatenessdisagreementdistance

The speaker locates himself / herself outside the area of convergence. He / She is heard to be reserving his/her position. He /She estblishes his/ her status as one having an independent viewpoint before going on to make his / her assertion. This demonstrate that the contribution to the discourse is quite independent of the content of the assertion he/she chose.

CVI- SOCIAL VALUEIn this sense, there is a complementary set of items such as:

of course, in fact, indeed, I can assure you

They often occur with proclaiming tone and the social implications of this tone insinuates the speakers lack of agreement on a certain point or his/her point of view || in fact || I hadnt yet met him ||CVI- SOCIAL VALUEHaving selected in the P/R system, what further significance does the speaker attach to the tonic segment by his / her decision to realise the selection as p+ than p, or as r+ rather than r?

Taking into account the context of interaction, we need to understand which participant is in control of the development of the discourse at any one time.

CVI-ROLE RELATIONSHIP-WHO IS IN CHARGE?The rising version of referring tones (r+) is used by dominant speakers.Dominant speakers may:a) be appointed in advance, as in the case of a chairperson, doctor or teacher.

b) hold the position by unspoken agreement for the time being, as in the case of a storyteller.

c) seek to take control briefly in the course of a conversation in which speaker and listener have equal rights, as in the case of a conversation between two friends or husband and wife.

CVI-ROLE RELATIONSHIP-WHO IS IN CHARGE?Dominance , in a technical sense, indicates that the person has the greater freedom in making linguistic choices. The freedom to choose in the r / r+ system is only available to a dominant speaker.

The dominant speaker uses r+ either to evoke common experience, to remind but sometimes they use r+ to assert his/ her position as controller of the discourse.

They can also refrain from doing so and use the non-dominant fall-rise tone instead. The speaker assumes a non-dominant role.a) || After the &roundabout || we turned left || (non-dominant / non-dominant)b) || After the roundabout || we turned left || (dominant/ -non-dominant)

CVI-ROLE RELATIONSHIP-WHO IS IN CHARGE?What is the significance of the marked p+ option-the rise-fall? // p+ its ^ raining // ( dominant speaker)

This choice indicates surprise, horror. Here the speaker signals that he is simultaneously adding information to the common ground but also to his own store of knowledge. That is, the information is marked as doubly new. I am surprised , I also didnt know it was raining

Here the speaker also assumes a dominant role, that is, this choice makes evident the speakers intention for controlling the discourse.CVI-ROLE RELATIONSHIP-WHO IS IN CHARGE?REMINDINGTONESINFORMATIONSOCIALROLE RELATIONSHIPPROCLAIMING p FALL NEWSEPARATENESSDISTANCEDISAGREEMENTDIVERGENCE

NON-DOMINANT p + RISE -FALLDOUBLY NEWDOMINANTREFERRINGr+

RISESHARED

REMIND

INTIMACYSOLIDARITYTOGETHERNESSAGREEMENTCONVERGENCEDOMINANTrFALL-RISESHAREDNON-DOMINANTREMINDING