Falling Intonation - English Pronunciation with JenniferESL

Most of us probably take at least a couple thousand steps a day.

私たちは１日少なくても 2000歩は歩いていますが

But all of those steps aren't in one direction or one level, right?

いつも同じ方向に 平坦な道を歩いてはいません

We go up and down stairs, for example,

たとえば階段がありますね

and we may also go up and down hills.

坂道もあるかもしれませんね

It's kind of the same thing with our voice when we speak English.

英語を話すときにも 同じようなことが言えます

There are ups and downs.

声は上がって下がります

My goal is to help you understand

いつ・どのように高低が 起こるのか説明していきます

when and how our voice changes in pitch.

The two most common intonation patterns

イントネーションのパターンで 一番よくあるのは下降と上昇です

are falling and rising intonation.

In this lesson we'll practice falling intonation

今回のレッスンで学ぶのは 下降のイントネーションです

in statements and in wh- questions.

通常文と疑問文で説明します

[title]

Our voice falls at the end of a sentence

通常の話や確信をこめた話では 会話の最後は下がります

or anytime we wish to express finality and certainty.

I just gave you an example.

いまも語尾が下がりましたね

We use falling intonation for statements.

通常の会話は最後を下げます

I enjoy music. I can read musical notes.

I enjoy music.➘ I can read musical notes.➘

The different between those two sentences

２つの文の違いは「music」です

is that with "music" I have two syllables to work with.

「music」は２音節です

MU - sic

MU-sic

I'm going up in pitch on "MU"

「MU」は高く「sic」は低い音です

and then down in pitch on "sic."

In other words, I'm going up on a stressed syllable

ストレスのある音節を強調して

and then I used the following unstressed syllable to step down.

ストレスのない音節をつかって ステップダウンします

MU - sic

MU➚ - sic➘

I have to up a little first because if I want to come down,

まず声を高くするのは

ステップダウンしたときに 最初にいた場所に戻るためです

how can I jump down or step down

if I'm already standing on the floor?

So I have to go up a little in order to come down.

音をすこし高くして ステップで下がります

I enjoy music.

I enjoy mu➚sic➘

I'm making this key change in pitch on the word "music"

音の高低がある「music」は

because that's my focus word - the word that receives the most stress.

フォーカス・ワードといって もっとも強調される単語です

The word "enjoy" is a content word. It's stressed.

「enjoy」も内容語で強調されますが

But I can't stress "enjoy" and "music" equally

「music」のようには強調されません

It wouldn't sound natural. Let me try...

不自然に聞こえるからです

Sounds unnatural.

ヘンですね

I have to give stress to one of my content words.

ストレスは 内容語の一つに置きます

That's my focus word, and usually it's the final content word in a sentence.

フォーカス・ワードは たいてい文の最後の単語です

I enjoy music.

✖ I enJOY MUsic.

〇 I enjoy MUsic.

When we have two or more syllables to work with, as in "music,"

「MU-sic」のように ２つ以上音節がある単語では

Our voice can step down.

ステップダウンできるので 高低もつけやすいです

It's a bit easier to change our pitch.

But with a word like "notes" there's only one syllable.

音節が１つの「notesでは ステップダウンできないので

So we can't step down.

語尾を下げて表現します

Our voice has to glide or slide downward.

The syllable is long enough for us to change that pitch.

音節のなかで 高低をつくるのには

But again we have to go up a little first

まず少し音を高くしてから 語尾を下げます

in order to slide or glide down.

Notes.

I can read musical notes.

I can read musical notes.➘

Notes.

Go up a little and glide down.

少し上げて下げます

I can read musical notes.

My pitch changes on the word "notes."

音の高低がある「notes」は

That's the final content word, which makes it the focus word of the sentence.

会話の最後の内容語で フォーカス・ワードです

I can read musical notes.

I can read musical NOTES.➘

Does every sentence have only one focus word?

フォーカス・ワードは １つの会話に１つでしょうか

Well, if you've watched my Oral Reading Fluency series,

「Oral Reading Fluency」シリーズでは Thought groupsを扱います

you know about thought groups.

Longer sentences break into thought groups.

Thought groupというのは 意味のグループで

Each thought group has its own focus words.

各グループに フォーカス・ワードがあり

So we say each thought group with one intonation pattern.

各グループに イントネーションがあります

We're starting with shorter sentences so you can master one intonation pattern at a time.

まずは短い会話から練習して イントネーションを学びましょう

Later we'll work with longer sentences.

長い会話はあとで勉強します

We also use falling intonation in wh- questions.

下降イントネーションは WH疑問文でも使います

Those are questions for information, and they begin with words like When? Why? How?

情報をもとめる疑問文のことで When/Why/How で始まります

Listen.

聞いてください

When is the performance?

Who sang that song?

Again, you hear me either stepping down or gliding down in pitch.

ステッピングか グライディングで語尾を下げます

Try repeating sentences after me.

例文で練習しましょう

First, we'll step down from a stressed syllable.

まずはステップダウンの練習です

I'll say each sentence a few times before asking you to try.

私のあとにリピートしてください

Jason is a talented RAP➚per➘

（どうぞ）

I play the piA➚No➘

（どうぞ）

When did you start playing the SAX➚ophone➘

（どうぞ）

That's an acCOR➚dion➘

（どうぞ）

Who owns a XY➚lophone➘

（どうぞ）

Now we'll glide down on a single stressed syllable.

次はグライドダウンの練習です

Who sang that song➘

（どうぞ）

I didn't know you played the guiTAR➘

（どうぞ）

Why is the music so LOUD➘

（どうぞ）

Their new album is really GOOD➘

（どうぞ）

When do they go on TOUR➘

（どうぞ）

Remember to review on your own.

練習を忘れずに

Compare your speech to mine, so record if possible.

できれば録音して 比較してみてください

Here are the ten sentences again.

10の例文をおさらいします

I'll say each one only once this time.

各文を一度ずつ言います

That's all for now. Thanks for watching and happy studies!

よく頑張りましたね ご視聴ありがとうございました