II. Skills Development

1. You are going to listen to two samples of fairy tales. Try not to forget that the imagery effect of tales is gained through the dynamics of textual contrasts, modality and emotions.

2. Listen to the samples observing the timing specifics of the narrative and dialogical parts. Delimit the messages observing the use of silent pauses.

3. Try to listen to the samples again to consider the rate (tempo) of the narrative and dialogical parts. Focus on the pauses preferable in theses structural parts of the samples. Is the rate constant or variable? Why? Reason your argument.

4. Focus on the volume variability while listening to the samples. Try and identify the correlation between the plot development and the volume characterization.

5. Listen to the samples to try and practise the pitch patterns. Consider the structural components of the tunes and specify their sound image.

Sample A

e.g. … once upon a time

… they were both very beautiful

… and very kind

… they all lived very happily together

… in a little cottage

… by a big forest

… during the days

… would help with all the housework

… and at night

… and listen to their mother reading them stories

… of far away lands

… and palaces and things

… one night

… when it was bitterly cold

… and the snow was falling fast and thick

… when there was a loud

Knock at the door

… and went to open the door

… that the bear would eat them up

Sample B

… there was once a prince

… who had everything he wanted

… so he was never sad

… he was called the Happy Prince

… his people were sad about that

… although the statue was made of lead

… it looked just like the happy prince

… when the statue was ready

… they put it on top of a tall pillar

… in the middle of the town

… the winters were very cold

… the swallows flew away

… to a warmer place

… this year however

… one little swallow

… he stayed behind

… that he was the only one left there

… when a drop of water

… fell on his head

… they were falling from the eyes of the statue

2.6. Auditory Test

• Delimit the stretches of the fairy tales. Mark the pauses.

• Single out the rhythm groups schematically.

• Mark the reduced articulation syllable sequences.

• Focus on the pitch patterns. Specify each constituent of the tunes.

• Consider the expressive means observed (emphatic static and kinetic tones, high irregular pre-head, nuclear shifts, compound tunes).

• Specify the nuclear tone sequences of the combined tunes.

E.g. He rode over hill and dale asking many people, but nobody had seen the princess.

1) □  □ □  □  2)  □  □  □

3) □  □ □  □ □ 

1) pre-head + descending stepping head + Fall incomplete Low level, double peak head;

2) broken descending head + Fall incomplete Low level, double peak head, expressive;

3) pre-head + descending stepping head + Fall Low level complete, double peak head;

4) preposed subordination.

Analyse these stretches:

1. This is the story of Snow White and Rose Red. Soon they were all tired and went to bed.

2. When she opened it to their horror an enormous brown bear pushed his head in.

3. They were so frightened that they all ran into a corner of the room and huddled together.

4. It’s just so cold outside, I wonder if I might rest by the fire for a while.

5. Then she told Snow White and Rose Red to brush the snow from his fur and bring him some warm milk.

6. And he was such a gentle and polite bear that soon noone was frightened of him anymore.

7. He looked up again and saw that it was not rain that had made him wet.

8. It was tears! They were falling from the eyes of the statue!

9. She has nothing to give her little boy but water.

10. I cannot take it to her because my feet are fixed to this pillar.

11. Please little swallow, stop here just one night and do as I ask.

12. So the swallow pecked out the red jewel and flew off with it in his beak.