About Lesson
- Why Intonation Matters
Intonation (the rise and fall of your voice) can change meaning completely:
- “You’re coming.” (flat tone = statement)
- “You’re coming?” (rising tone = question)
- “You’re coming!” (excited tone = surprise)
- Basic Intonation Patterns
- Rising Intonation (↗)
Used for:
- Yes/No questions: “Do you like coffee↗?”
- Incomplete thoughts: “When I was young↗…”
- Falling Intonation (↘)
Used for:
- Statements: “I live in Cairo↘.”
- WH-questions: “Where do you work↘?”
- Rise-Fall Intonation (↗↘)
Used for:
- Lists: “I need eggs↗, milk↗, and bread↘.”
- Surprise: “You did WHAT↗↘?!”
- Common Intonation Mistakes
❌ Arabic Speakers Often:
- Use flat tone for questions: “Your name is Ahmed.” (should rise)
- Overuse rising tone: “I went to the store↗?” (should fall)
✅ Fix It:
- Record yourself asking: “Is this your bag?” vs. “This is your bag.”
- Notice the difference!
- Emotion Through Intonation
|
Emotion |
Pattern |
Example |
|
Surprise |
Sharp rise |
“You won the lottery?!” |
|
Anger |
Sharp fall |
“I told you NO.” |
|
Boredom |
Flat tone |
“Whatever you say.” |
- Practice Exercises
- Mark the intonation (↗, ↘, or ↗↘):
- Are you serious___?
- I love chocolate ice cream___.
- First___ then___ and finally___.
- Say these with different emotions:
“Really?” (try: happy, angry, bored) - Intonation Dictation:
Listen to short dialogues and mark the patterns.