Intonation in German Oral Presentations Intonation Tone Sentence stress Sentence melody RhythmPausesTempo

Tone The tone of a presentation allows us to judge the speaker’s emotions. Tone is often shown in the pitch difference between words. In some languages (such as Mandarin Chinese) tone can make a difference to the meaning of a word. Tip: Deliver your presentation with the emotion you want to convey Ich komme aus Deutschland. Ich wohne in Berlin.

Sentence stress Sentence Stress -Each sentence has at least one stress point. -In short sentences there is often only one stress point. -Syllables that are stressed are spoken more slowly, louder and more clearly. Syllables that are unstressed are spoken faster, quieter and less clearly. -Sentence stress changes meaning. Tip: Consider what to stress in your presentation. What is important? Katrin fährt heute mit dem Zug nach München.

Sentence melody In German there are three main sentence melodies: 1.Falling melody is used in assertions; in questions with question words; in questions with contrasts; in imperatives 2.Rising melody is used in questions without questions words; in closed questions; where questions are not grammatically marked as such 3. Falling-rising melody is used in enumerations; often in complex sentences 1.Falling melody: Bettina kommt aus Deutschland. 2.Rising melody: Kommt Bettina aus Deutschland? 3.Falling-rising melody: Bettina kommt aus Deutschland, aber sie wohnt jetzt in Portugal. Tip: Consider the purpose of the sentence. Are you giving information? Asking for information? Making a command?

Rhythm Rhythm describes the regular and flowing reiteration of a sequence of stressed and unstressed syllables in a language. Rhythm is often used to teach children language. Abzählreim Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben Eine alte Frau kocht Rüben Eine alte Frau kocht Speck Und du bist weg Tip: Try learning numbers or letters of the alphabet using rhythm. You may find it easier to recall them.

Pauses Pauses in sentences help you -to organise sentences into logical smaller intonation groups -to separate sentences or paragraphs -to catch breath -to emphasize information to come They also help your listener to process the information they receive Vor dem Frühstück lese ich jeden Morgen die Zeitung und höre Radio. Tip: If you use a script, consider where are you are going to stop and breathe. Mark pauses on your script.

Tempo Tempo shows the speed of speech. In comparison to Russian, for example, German uses a faster tempo. Tempo of speech is considered crucial for allowing the listener to process the information. Nach dem Kindergarten gehen alle Kinder mit sechs oder sieben Jahren in die Grundschule. Dort bleiben sie in der Regel vier Jahre. Tip: Don’t choose tempo over intelligibility. Consider instead whether what you want to say can be formulated more concisely.

Functions of intonation Intonation Tone Sentence stress Sentence melody RhythmPausesTempo  communicative  emotional/expressive  shaping/forming  communicative  emotional/expressive  shaping/forming

Tips for developing a spoken presentation Every speaking situation has its own conventions, structures, typical phrases and expected tone. Becoming aware of conventions in your own language will help you to recognise them in the target language. In a conversation, where you are faced with dealing with the unexpected, focusing not only on what people say but also on how they say it can help you to increase your range and accuracy and also adopt an appropriate range and tone when you speak. In preparing, planning and drafting an assignment it is important to recognise and be aware of the format that is expected.

Be aware of the audience and the purpose by considering the following questions:  What is your purpose? Are you trying to persuade, inform, complain, ask for advice….?  What does your role in the conversation involve? What is the context?  What are the linguistic resources you need to achieve your purpose? Do your textbook, grammar or dictionary provide appropriate expression?  Who is your audience? What tone, register and forms of address are appropriate for your audience? How will you make sure your audience follows you and is interested in what you have to say? Tips for developing a spoken presentation

Tips for delivering a spoken presentation When preparing your notes, index cards are useful for each section or point you wish to cover  Highlighting key words or those you find difficult can help  Use signposting such as “firstly, secondly… or for stressing points “not only… but also...” to help your listener through your talk.  Check the pronunciation of unknown and unfamiliar words in your dictionary beforehand, and then rehearse speaking your presentation  Consider your fluency. Did you stumble over any words? Were there any long pauses? Did you feel you stressed the correct word or words in a sentence? Did you distinguish between questions and assertions? Did you deliver the piece clearly, pronouncing all necessary endings? It may help to record yourself and listen back (even several times) to your presentation.

As your next step you could check Rundblick, Kapitel 8, Speaking Practice Übung 8.9: Intonation &section=1.9https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id= &section=1.9 Rundblick, Kapitel 10, Speaking Practice Übung 10.8: Intonation of questions &section=1.8https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id= &section=1.8 Tips for developing a spoken presentation adapted from Adinolfi, L, Pleines, C., Harper, F., Beaven, T., Smith, P., Hassan, X., Adams, H. and M. Nicolson ‘Developing competence in the language (2): writing and speaking skills. In: Hurd, S. and L. Murphy (Eds.) “Success with Languages”. Routledge, Abingdon. 2005,