You know the world of English is a fun exciting place to be. I'm so glad you could join me for another lesson.
Hi everybody, this is Misterduncan in England. How are you today? Are you OK?… I hope so! Are you happy?… I hope so! In this lesson we will take a look at the way we say words or as it is more commonly known… Intonation.
So, what is the difference between pronunciation and intonation? Pronunciation relates to the standard formulation or construction of any particular word. Each letter within a word has its own function or use and correct pronunciation is the result.
On the other hand, intonation relates to the tone or note of a word. It can add deeper meaning and extra stress to a word. In many ways, intonation is just as important as the way a word is pronounced.
Listen carefully to the following example. "I'm so happy to meet you." What is wrong with this sentence? The pronunciation is perfect… but the intonation is not. The words in the sentence are positive… but the tone of the words are flat and make the whole sentence sound negative. It should be… "I'm so happy to meet you!" That example is a simple way of showing the importance of intonation within the English language.
Here is another example. "I'm sorry to hear that your Bike was stolen!" Do you think this sentence is correct? Once again the pronunciation is perfect but the intonation is not. In this sentence I should sound serious and even a little sad because I want to show the other person that I feel their pain! "I'm sorry to hear that your Bike was stolen." That's better!
Of course sometimes we can use a positive sentence in a negative way. For example… Imagine if I was late for work… and I had just missed my Bus. I feel… annoyed… and a little… angry. I say… "Oh That's great." The sentence should be a positive one… but my intonation is negative. This shows that I'm actually annoyed because I will be late for work.
Now here's another example… My friend has just won… Ten thousand Pounds on the Lottery. After they tell me the news… I reply… "Oh you are so lucky… Congratulations." Do you think I'm happy to hear the news? The words are positive… but if you listen closely to my intonation: "Oh you are so lucky… Congratulations." You may think that perhaps I could be a little jealous… resentful or envious on hearing the news.
So speaking English in the correct way is not only about pronouncing words correctly, but also making sure that you say what you mean… and you mean what you say.
Thank you all for joining my global class. This is Misterduncan in English saying… I hope you can join me next time and thanks a bundle for watching. Bye-bye for now.