1.2. Style forming factors

• the purpose of communication – to deepen and broaden the listeners’ understanding of the truth through artistic expression of actual events

• the speaker’s attitude – artistically and pshychologically involved, emotionally coloured

• the form of communication – monologue, dialogue performances

• the degree of formality – depending upon the characters of the play, resembling life – like situations

• the degree of spontaneity – prepared in advance and acted out.

1.3. Invariant phonostylistic peculiarities

P itch patterns (tunes) P itch patterns (tunes)	(normal, high Pre-head) + High one peak Head + Fall-Rise (divided, undivided)
	High one peak Head + High Fall-Rise
	Low level Head + level-Rise
	High one peak Head + High Rise
	(pre-head) + Fall incomplete + level-Rise
	(high pre-head) + Ascending Stepping Head + Fall with the initial Rise + Fall-Rise
	High Fall with initial Rise + High Fall with initial Rise (emphatic) + Low Fall incomplete + Low Rise
	High pre-head + Fall-Rise undivided
	(pre-head) + Fall with initial Rise + Fall with initial Rise
	Fall with initial Rise + Fall with initial Rise emphatic
	(pre-head) + Descending Sliding Head + Fall-Rise undivided
	(pre-head) + Descending Scandent Head + Fall with initial Rise (Rise-Fall)
Rhythm –	characterized by both rhythmic (regular), as well as arythmic recurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables
Rate (tempo) –	is mostly changeable – moderate (normal), slow and fast
Pauses –	varieties, predictable by the emotional setting and semantic value
Loudness (volume) –	varied according to the message and emotional setting

4. Tempo

The tempo of speech is the rate at which utterances and their smaller units are pronounced. It may vary depending on the size of audience, the acoustic qualities of the room, the individuality of the speaker and other extralinguistic factors. But most significant for the linguistic study is how variations in tempo correlate with changes in meaning. Normally, by slowing down the tempo of speech we can make an utterance or part of it more prominent and by increasing the speed of utterance we diminish prominence, i.e. the actual semantic importance of what we say.

Tempo can also be used to express speakers attitude or emotions (excitement, joy, anger, etc.). Phoneticians generally distinguish normal, fast and slow tempo. Pausation is closely related with the rate of speech. The number and length of pauses affect the general tempo of discourse.

It should be noted that normal tempo is unmarked, while fast and slow tempo is marked:

fast tempo ----- f -----

slow tempo ----- s -----

Focus on:

Try these stretches to observe variation of the presentation rate. Keep to the marks and practise over the examples adequately.