. Who S The Speaker 4 Iii [610323]

1
Interpreting Texts

Chapter 11

Who’s the s peaker? – Image, Meaning and Attitude

a. Dialect & Accent
Text 1. Pavel Stratan, Lulu ța
a. Standard English : British vs. American
Text 2. Hugh Grant vs. Julia Roberts in Notting Hill
b. Accents
Text 3 a&b. 24 acc ents
Text 4 a -c: Accents Spoken in England: Geordie, Scouse & West County
b. Paralanguage & body language
i. Paralanguage:
Text 5. The Godfather
ii. Body language:
Text 6. Derek Faye
c. Improving social status & personal image
Text 9. Kurt Vonnegut , Bluebeard
Text 1 0 a-d. My Fair Lady
d. Manipulating personal image & socio -linguistic appropriateness
Text 7. Mickey Blue Eyes
Text 8 a -b. Trainspotting
Case study : Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia & Iron Lady
Task : Colin Firth in Femme fatale, Pride & Prejud ice, Shakespeare in Love, King sman

1 For the theoretical background of the entire chapter, see Annexes 1 (B. Analyzing the speaker ; C.
Manipulating personal image & social distance ); Annex 2. Phonetics & phonology (A. Phonemes &
allophones ; B. Accent & dialect ; C. Connected speech : 1. The foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2.
Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 4. Prosody ; 5. Oral Paralanguage ; 6.
Paralanguage vs. body language ), Annex 3. A (Morphology & s yntax ); but references are also made
to Annex 4 . Sources of the vocabulary & lexical creativity : (A. Loan words/Borrowings ; B. Word
formation ; C. Change/Transfer of meaning ); and Annex 5: Semantics (A. Types of meaning ; B. Social
status & social distance; C. Sense relations ; D. Figures of speech & rhetorical devices ; E. Idioms ; F.
Register & style : 1. The formality scale ; 2. Idioms & style ); etc.

2
Interpreting Texts (1)

Who’s the Speaker?
Meaning, Image & Attitude

A. Dialect & accent2
To help students understand the role of phonetics and, at the same time, to build a positive
atmosphere in a classroom of new arrivals (phonetics is studied in the first year), I generally begin my
course with a Romanian example: it is not only a very popular song, but also one whose speaker has a
very powerful regional accent; furthermore, the text of his song gives clear eviden ce of the speaker’s
social and educational background and status.
Text 1
Luluța
Pavel Stratan
Azi la noi în sat îi sărbătoari pentru tăț'
Nimeni nu rămâne -acasă, peste tăt' lacăți,
Lasă lumea să -nțileagă că eu îs plecat
Cu băieții mă -ntâlnesc la club î n sat.
Ieu ieu cara și chitara, restu' tăț' să ie
Zina n -are și adușe, d -aia vine ie',
O mai ie și pe Luluța, ghini c -o putut,
Ghiță vini cu căruța și am dispărut.

Dealu -i mare, da' ca calu' nimen' nu -i,
Când ajunjiem în pădure jin îi dăm șî lui.
Și mai am șeva cu și să ne distrăm,
Calu -l las' să pască iarba, noi o s -o fumăm.

Stăm cu toții grămăjioară, focul fași fum,
Uite -o șioară cari zboară, d -amu -i în șiaun,
Jinu' curji -ncet din cară, lunecă pi gât,
Eu mă sprijin în chitară și șeva mai cânt.
Când mă uit da' d -amu' Ghiță cu Luluța lui,
Șe-o făcut da' între dânșii loc delocu' nu -i,
Da' și Zina -mi fași semni, asta o -nsemnat
Să ni dușem ''după lemnii'', gata am plecat ……

http://Versuri.ro/w/hhgm – Stratan
Analysis
1. Pronunciation/Accent:
– Regional allophones :
– consonants:

2 For the theoretical background see For the theoretical background see Annex 1: B (Analyzing the
speaker ); Anne x 2. A (Phonemes & allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected speech : 1. The
foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2. Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 5. Oral
Paralanguage ); Annex 3 . A (Morphology & syntax ); also Annex 5. A (Types of me aning ); B (Social
status & social distance ); E (Idioms ); F (Register & style : 1. The formality scale ; 2. Idioms & style );

3
– /Ʒ/ (fricative -palato -alveolar) < /v/ (fricative labio -dental), e.g. jinu’ < vinul
– /∫/ (fricative) < /t∫/ (affricate) – ceva /∫e’va/ < /t∫e’va/; …
-/g/ (plosive velar) < /b/ (plosive bilabial) – ghini < bine;
– dark [l]: Lasă lumea să-nțileagă
– vowels :
– /ə/ more open, closer to / ʌ/, e.g. caruța <căruța
– /ə/ (central, mid -open, unrounded) < /o/ ( back, mid -open, rounded) , as in tăț' <toți
– ieu<iau, etc. …………………….
– Positional allophones : [i] < [e] in word f inal position:
– e.g. curji < curge; sărbătoari < sărbătoare; /n-ari/ < /n-are/
– final /î/ < /i/, e.g. șî < și; …
– /și pi/ < /șî pi/ the second /i/ influences the quality of the first;
– /uite -o/ – /eo/ < /io/ – both /e/ and /o/ are half -open;
– clipp ed endlings: final /i/ is not pronounced, as in restu' tăț'
– Specific regional pronunciations : lacăț’ *la’kəts+, ….
– jin < vin; curji < curge, șioară < cioară ….
– Personal allophones : slightly slurred speech, suggesting habitual drinking
– his vow els are more close, suggesting drunkenness, laziness
– Rhythm of speech : a song, so it has both rhyme
– regular feet (rhythmic groups), i.e. the strong syllables occur at regular intervals
– two tone groups in each verse – conveys a sense of musicalit y
// ‘Zi na / ‘n -are / ‘și a/ ‘du șe,// ‘d -a ia / ‘vi ne / ‘ie//
– Intonation : flat, suggesting lazy, careless enjoyment
\Ieu ieu 'cara 'și chi'tara // 'restu \tăț să 'ie
– Prosodic effects :
– alliteration: focul fași fum , Lasă lumea să -nțileagă
– euph ony: Ieu ieu cara și chitara ;
– rhyme & rhythm: Zina n -are și adușe, d -aia vine ie' ; …
– cacophony: da' ca calu' , da' d -amu' Ghiță , …;
2. Word choice :
– simple words/words belonging to the basic word stock
– regionalisms: e.g. cara < carafa; amu’ < acum
– typical Moldavian features: diminutives (grămăjoară)
Polite 2nd pers. pronoun: dânșii
Dialect (accent + regionalisms): Moldavian
3. Grammar: – accuracy: correct, but very simple sentences,
+ semantic anomaly (illogical constructs): Dealu -i mare, da ' ca calu' nimen' nu -i, …
– complexity: a chain of juxtaposed simple main clauses,
e.g. Uite-o șioară cari zboară, d -amu -i în șiaun. …
4. Style (word choice + grammar )
– colloquial/familiar
– no “dirty language,” specific Moldavian delicacy, indirectness
– polite indirectness: sex described euphemistically by:
– metaphor: Să ni dușiem „după lemnii”
– circumlocution: între dânșii loc delocu' nu -i = sex
5. Paralanguage: slow, slurred voice, suggesting drinking, laziness;
6. Social distance between S / H : close social distance (friends)
7. Social context/situation : in nature, having fun with friends
8. Subject matter :

4
– holiday at the country side
– going out with the boys
– fooling around/having fun, drinking, giving wine to the horse, smoking, eating, sex . ..
Conclusion : Who’s S?
– Social status: sex: male, age: young
– Geographical background: from Moldavia, from the countryside
– Educational level: little education
– Personal characteristics: lazy, loving easy enjoyment, fond of drinking, …
Such a simpl e introductory survey will facilitate comprehension and analysis of more complex English texts.

1. Standard English : British vs. American3
Text 2 .Notting Hill (1999), directed by Roger Michell, screenplay was by Richard Curtis
Subject matter: William, owner of an independent travel bookshop in Notting Hill, meets Anna Scott,
a Hollywood superstar, in his bookshop, where they collide and Anna spills orange juice on
her clothes. He offers his house nearby for her to change, Now she is leaving and they are
saying goodbye, but Anna returns because she has forgot her bag.
Social context : in William’s apartment, saying goodbye after an unexpected, meeting;
Social background of S & H : both educated; different geographic background (the UK vs. the USA)
Social distance between S & H : distant (strangers, different social classes and financial statuses)
Gender stereotypes: reversed: the male, who is traditionally viewed as dominating and in control, is
confused and embarrassed, while the woman is calm and collected.

WILLIAM: So, It was nice to meet you. Surreal
but nice. Sorry… (closes the door behind
Anna); (to himself): 'Surreal but nice.'
What was I thinking?
ANNA: Hi!
WILLIAM: Hi !
ANNA: I forgot my other bag.
WILLIAM: Right, right. … (kisses him).I‟m very
sorry for the 'surreal but nice' comment.
Disaster…
ANNA: ‟ts okay. I thought the apricot and
honey thing was the real low point.
WILLIAM: (there is someone at the door) Oh my God. My flatmate. I'm sorry, there's no excuse for him…
ANNA: „ts probably best not tell anyone about this.
WILLIAM: Right. No one. I mean, I'll tell myself sometimes but … don't worry, I won't believe it.
ANNA: Bye.
WILLIAM: Bye.
https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=_6O2sYLkuO4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notting_Hill_(film)

3 For the theoretical background see Annex 1 . B (Analyzing the speaker ); Annex 2 . A (Phonemes &
allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected speech : 1. The foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2.
Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 5. Oral Paralanguage ); Annex 3 . A
(Morphology & syntax ); also Annex 5 . A (Types of meaning ); B (Social status & social distance ); E
(Idioms ); F (Register & style : 1. The formality scale ; 2. Idioms & style );

5
Analysis
William : RP Pronunciation (Standard British
English) Anna : American English, with Hollywood/California
pronunciation (Western Accent)
Sounds more dramatic, due to: Sound s more open and smooth -flowing, due to:
Regional allophones :
– vowels & diphthongs:
[æ] more open, e.g. flatmate
[כ] more close, e.g. sorry, was, what
[i:] longer, e.g. surreal, believe
[a:] longer and more open, e.g. disaster
[əu] more cent ralized, e.g. don’t, won’t
– consonants:
[r] lateralized, Right
[t] alveolar, e.g. to meet you
[θ] & [ ð] more dentalized, e.g. thinking
Rhythm of speech: slower
Intonation: more modulated, more emphatic
e.g. I'll \tell my'self some 'times but …
(Tone 1+, marked)
A stutter typical for educated RP speakers:
e.g. I mean; Right, right
More formal and elaborate cultural
stereotypes:
e.g. I’m very sorry , there's no excuse for
… Regional allophones :
– vowels :
[æ] more close, e.g. bag
[כ] more open, e.g. forgot
[i] shorter, e.g. the real
[a:] shorter and more close, e.g. disaster
[ou] more retracted, e.g. low
– consonants:
[r] rhotic, e.g. probably,
[t] glotalized e.g. forgot, best not tell
[θ] & [ ð] more alveola rized, e.g. thought, this
Rhythm of speech: faster
Intonation: flatter
e.g. I for'got my \other 'bag.
(Tone 1, unmarked)
Smooth flow:
‘ts probably best not tell anyone about this.
More informal, abbreviated cultural stereotype s:
e.g. ’ts okay.
Word choice & grammar : elaborate,
sophisticated: e .g. 'Surreal but nice.' What
was I thinking? Word choice & grammar : more basic, clipped:
e.g. ‘ts probably best not [to] tell anyone about
this
Style : formal Style : info rmal
Para/body language : confused
– tone of voice: hesitating
– facial expression: embarrassed and
nervous
– eye contact: casts furtive glances at
Anna
– gestures: wide (rubs his forehead and
brushes his hair with his hand) Para/body language : collected, in cont rol
– tone of voice: soft, cool, calm
– facial expression: smiling, friendly;
– eye contact: looks William directly in the eyes
– gestures: restrained (erect body, hardly moves
arms)
Type of person & reaction to the unexpected
– person who lives a normal every day life
– is shocked and nervous while talking to a famous
person of the opposite sex Type of person & reaction to the unexpected
– rich and famous, used to dealing with uncomfortable
situations
– cool, collected and in control;

As brief conclusions we must note that the difference resides in a multitude of factors: linguistic,
cultural, social, situational, personal, etc.

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2. Accents4
A simple exercise to study pronunciations can be achieved with the help of YouTube spots where
people “do accents.” T he reliability of such texts may be questionable (the one analyse d below is
produced by a teenager doing it for mere fun and continuously revising his work), but the exercise is
useful both for its simplicity and fun. Furthermore, it shows that differences in pronunciation are
always accompanied by other types of differences, such as rhythm of speech, tone of voice or para –
/body language. In addition, even though the speaker insists that what he says is not important, that
people should only listen to his p ronunciation, he is quite good at catching cultural stereotypes in
terms of subject matter, too.

Text 3a: Doing accents

British – Southern English – Formal RP
Great! Great! Fantastic! Thanks a lot. Oh and don‟t forget
to bring the briefing documents a nd the insurance papers.
Yes, great! Thank you!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=24+accents
Analysis
1. Pronunciation :
– Received Pronunciation (RP) – the standard educated British pronunciation
– regional/social allophones:
– vowels: /æ/ – quite open, longer than standard, e.g. Fantastic! Thanks …
/כ/ – quite close, e.g. documents
/eu/ < /əu/ (the glide is wider, from front to back), e.g. don’t;
– consonants: /θ/ uttered with greater friction, Thank you …
/r/ rolled: bring, briefing …
– intonation – modulated , but no great ups and downs : points to no great emotional involvement
e.g. ' Oh and \don’t for 'get to 'bring the \briefing 'documents … (Tone 1, unmarked)
– rhythm of speech: slow, lengthened vowel (very long [i:] in briefing )
– tone of voice – affected, wants to sound sophisticated
2. Word choice
– long educated words of Latin/French origin, neologisms ( briefing docum ents ),
– cultural/social stereotypes:
3. Grammar :
– accuracy : correct sentences
– complexity : grammatically complex sentences

4 For the theoretical background see Annex 1 . B (Analyzing the speaker ); Annex 2 . A (Phonemes &
allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected speech : 1. The foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2.
Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 5. Oral Paralanguage ); Annex 3 . A
(Morphology & syntax ); also Annex 5 . A (Types of meaning ); B (Social status & social distance ); E
(Idioms ); F (Register & style : 1. The formality scale ; 2. Idioms & style );

7
4. Style : formal (elegant, careful …)
5. Subject matter : documents, insurance policy ….
6. Para/body language: clear speech, fr iendly voice, smile, gestures: restrained ….
7. Social/situational context : formal/business telephone conversation
8. Social distance between S & H : distant, official
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
– Social status: male, middle aged, educated, a businessm an, financially well off
– Geographical background: British, Southern English, living/working in the city

Text 3b. Doing accents

British – Southern English East London – Cockney
Yo, it‟s Dave here. Yo mate! How‟s it goin‟ son? I‟m fine mate……
just d oing a bit of DIY, this place is a fucking shithole, but I‟ll have
it sorted in no time.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=24+accents
Analysis
1. Pronunciation :
– regional allophones : [a] is moreclose; [ou]instead of [ əu] – the glide is more retracted,
narrower
– ends of words clipped: mo’, How’s it goin’?
– rhythm of speech: accelerated (speaks very fast)
– intonation: highly modulated, constant ups and downs ( highly emotional, upset)
'How ’s it \goin’ /son (mark ed: Tone 4+ )
2. Word choice:
– words belonging to the basic word stock (simple)
– informal/slangy interjections: Yo, son, …
– slang: mate, DIY, How’s it goin’?
– argot (4 -letter words) : a fucking shithole
– cultural/social stereotypes (typical words/phras es), e.g. How’s it goin’ son?
3. Grammar :
– accuracy: elliptical: (because), sorted (out) in no time
– complexity: simple sentences
4. Style : colloquial, slangy
– using the language creatively, imaginatively, metaphorically ( DIY)
– playing with the langua ge – for fun (not for conveying info)
5. Subject matter : talking about his new place ( doing a bit of DIY )
6. Para/body language :
– tone of voice: harsh voice, shouts (emotional)
– body language: moves head, dynamic facial expression (emotional involvement : angry)
7. Situational context/activity type : highly informal telephone conversation
8. Social distance between S & H : close (friends, belong to same social class)
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?

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– Social status/image: – male, young, probably not highly e ducated
– low social class, independent, creative
– Geographical background: British, East London, Cockney

Task 2. Perform similar analyses for 2 of the following texts. Compare pronunciations in the texts you
have chosen with those pr ovided as phonetic transcriptions in a Cambridge or an Oxford Dictionary,
or on howjsay.com.

2. British (Jamaican influenced) – Southern English – London street/slang/chav/thug
Woa gone…? What are you saying? Naah, school fan … Woa? Abla we talking about ? Abla don‟t
fuck help ye … What the fuck? Pussyo … And what the fuck you looking at?
4.British – Southern English – Posh upper class accent (annoying British stereotype)
I mean if you ask me there are great numbers of individuals on that list, who I most deeply despise.
One of them has been my family‟s archrival in the mid 18th century. Yeah!

6. British – Northern English – Manchester
The guy who was interviewing me, was a fucking nub head, no, seriously, like he asked me if I was
Irish or Scottish I me an just because I don‟t like sun light one of them fucking Southern fatties.
12. U.S. American – General accent
Dude, I‟m not an asshole, I don‟t like talking to people like that, but that bitch had it coming …
Seriously, the end of the day some people jus t take the piss … I was really good to her and she
treated me like a fucking doormat, and that is not cool. Anyway, I got to go, I‟ll see you later dude
14. U.S American – Southern/ Redneck
I can‟t understand what you‟re saying you‟re stupid retard. I‟m go nna‟ sit here try to figure it out
what kind a mambo jambojibojambo bullshit came out of you‟re stupid cheapen mouth. Mary
Ann! Mary Ann! Give me another beer. And make sure it‟s cold this time, bitch!

2. Accents Spoken in England: Geordie, Scouse & West Country (Brizzle or Bristle )5
A more reliable example on YouTube comes from One Woman, 17
British Accents – AnglopheniaEp 5, where Siobhan Thompson not only
does and explains accents, but also gives examples of famous people
using a given accent, e. g. Martin Freeman and BBC speakers – for RP,
Ewan McGregor ( Trainspotting ) or Maggie Smith (as professor
McGonagal, in Harry Potter) – for Edinburgh/Scottish, Hagrid (Harry
Potter) – for Bristol/West Country, Richard Burton – for
Cardiff/Southern Wales, Oz zy Osbourne – for Birmingham/West
Midland , the Beatles – for Liverpool (S couse accent), Liam Nielson – for
Belfast/Northern Ireland, etc.

5 For the theoretical background see Annex 1 . B (Analyzing the speaker ); Annex 2 . A (Phonemes &
allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected speech : 1. The foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2.
Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 5. Oral Paralanguage ); Annex 3 . A
(Morphology & syntax ); also Annex 5 . A (Types of meaning ); B (Social status & social distance ); E
(Idioms ); F (Register & style : 1. The formality scale ; 2. Idioms & style );

9
Here are some examples:
Text 4a. The Geordie Accent , represented here by Cheryl Cole

Reporter: …and the headlines so negative.
Cheryl: Maybe sometimes it‟s become a problom for me,
especially after the last couple of yahrs. I‟ve stopped readin‟
everything because I can‟t coupe with it. So, it‟s easiah for me to
be oblivious to that. So I can deal with it. So I‟m not, I‟m not…
sure of all the bad stoff. I know what‟s going on obliviously. Eh…
I hahve experienced negative press before…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie – cite_note -env1-8

Analysis
1. Pronunciation :
Regional allopho nes:
Vowels & diphthongs :
– [a:] (open, long, back) < / æ/ (half -open, short, unrounded front), e.g. have [h a:v] < [hæv];
– [ɔ] (open, back, short, slightly rounded) < / ə/ (half -open, short, unrounded, central),
e.g. problem *pro’blɔm] < *‘probl əm];
– [ɔ:] (half -close, back, long, rounded) < / ʌ/ (central, short, half -open, unrounded),
e.g. stuff [stɔ:f] < [stʌf]
– [ʌ] (half -open, central, short, unrounded) diphthongized to /əu/ (closing, falling and wide),
e.g. couple *‘kəupl+ < *‘kʌpl];
– [ou] < / əu/ (i.e. narrower glide), e.g. cope *‘koup+ < *‘k əup];
– [ja:] < /ji ə/ (the diphthong is flattened out)
Consonants:
– [r] is not pro nounced unless it’s followed by a vowel;
– Have is pronounced [h æʔv], with a glottal stop
Positional variants :
– in final position, before the consonant /r/, /a/ (open, front) < / ə/ (half -open, short, central),
e.g. sure [ʃu:a] < [ʃu:ə]; easier *‘i:zia] < [‘i:ziə]; years [ja:z] < [jə:z];
– /ə/ < final / ŋ/, reading *‘ri:d ə] < ['ri:di ŋ];
– /ʔ/ < /t/ before a syllabic nasal or intervocalic, e.g. button [‘bʌʔn], pity[‘piʔi];
– rhythm of speech: accelerated (speaks very fast)
– intonation: not much modulated (t ries to control her emotions)
I’ve \stopped 'readin ' everything be 'cause I \can’t /coupe with it.
(marked: Tone 4 instead of Tone 1)
2. Word choice:
– words belonging to the basic word stock
– educated words: to be oblivious to …, to experience …
– slang: bad stuff
3. Grammar :
– accurate, but simple sentences, e.g. I have experienced negative press before.
4. Style : neutral, informal
5. Para/body language :
– tone of voice, facial expression: neutral (non -emotional)

10
– eye contact looks interviewer directly in the eyes (to show the world that she is sincere)
– body language: restrained (non -emotional or controlled)
6. Situational context/activity type : formal, pretending to be informal (a television interview about
the personal life of a star)
7. Soc ial distance between S & H : distant (TV host vs. guest)
8. Subject matter : the negative press received by Cheryl Cole
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
– Social status/image: female, young, probably educated
– Geographic background: British, Newcastle upon T yne, England, or its environs
– Personal features: a star, independent, creative; tries to ignore negative press and preserve
self-respect.

Text 4b. The Scouse Accent (Liverpool) , represented here by Paul McCartney (the Beatles)

Paul: Nofingrilly. I fingh the main changes are in people‟s attitude …
attitude‟s to yeah.
R: How?
Paul: I don‟t k now. Um… It‟s people who change rahve‟ dan you. We fil
exactly the same, rilly. Got a new suit, dough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm8frWeoBA0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scouse

Analysis
1. Pronunciation
Regional allophones:
Vowels
– [i] (front -retracted, close, short) < /i:/ (front, close, long): feel [fil] < [fi:l];
– [a] (central, open, short) < / a:/ (back, open, long):
– final [e] < [ ə], as in rather *’raʔve+ (with a glottal stop) < *’ra: ðə];
– [i] < diphthong [i ə], e.g. really *‘rili+ < *ri əli], fil [fil] < [fi:l]
Consonants :
– [f] (fricative, labio -dental) < /θ/ (fricative, dental), as in:
nothing *‘nʌfiŋ+ < *‘nʌθiŋ]; think [fiŋx] (with a glottal stop) < [ θiŋk ];
– [v] (fricative, labio -dental voiced) < /ð/ (fricative, dental, lenis and voiced) , as in:
rather *’raʔvə+ < *’r a:ðə];
– [d] (plosive, alveolar, lenis and voiced) < /ð/ (fricative, dental, lenis and voiced) , as in
though [dəu] < [ðəu]; than [dan] < [ ðan];
– [ʔ]/[x] < /k/, as in: think [ θiŋk ] is pronounced [ fiŋx];
– clipped endings: yeah…
Rhythm of speaking : fast, highly accented
– Blends words in rapid speech), e.g. Nofingrilly *‘nʌfinrili]
Intonation : a range of rising and falling tones (not typical of most of northern England);

11
\Nofi ng/rilly (emotional ; marked Tone 1+)
It’s \people who 'change \rahvedan 'you. (emphatic, to highlight and item ; Tone 1+ )
2. Word choice:
– words belonging to the basic word stock
– educated words: main change s …, people’s attitude to…
3. Grammar :
– accurate, but simple sentences, e.g. We feel exactly the same, really.
4. Style : neutral, informal
5. Para/body language :
– tone of voice: neutral (non -emotional)
– eye contact: direct (openness, sincerity)
– body language: restrained (non -emotional or controlled)
6. Situational context/activity type : formal, pretending to be informal (a television interview about
the changes that happened in their lives after they became famous)
7. Social distance between S & H : distant (TV host vs. guest)
8. Subject matter : the changes that took place in their lives after they became famous: people’s
changed attitudes, a new suit;
It’s people who change rahve’ dan you. We fil exactly the same, rilly. Got a new suit, dough .
Conclus ions : Who’s the speaker?
– Geographic background: Liverpool, England.
– Social status/image: male, young, not highly educated
– Personal features: a star, independent, creative, upset by the changed attitude of former friends.

Text 4c. The West Country A ccent (Brizzle or Bristle ), represented here by Robbie Coltrane,
as Rubeus Hagri d of the Harry Potter series :
Hagrid : Firrrst, and underrrstand this, ‟arry, 'cause it's very
imporrrtant. Not all wizarrrds are good. Some of 'em gowl bed. A
few years ago t‟ere was one wizarrrd who went as bed as you ken
gowl. And ‟is name was V – … ‟is name was V – …
Harry : Maybe if you wrote it down?
Hagrid : No, I ken't spell it. All right. Voldemort.
Harry : Voldemort?
Hagrid : Shh! … It was darrrk times, ‟arry, darrrk times.
Voldemortstarrrted to gater some followers, broght 'em over to
the dark sid e. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead. Your
parents foght against ‟im, but nobody lived once ‟e decided to kill
'em. Nobody…not one. Except you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp4oAZHgySw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bristol

Analysis
1. Pronunciation: Regional allophones:
Vowels and d iphthongs
-[ar] (phoneme) < / a:/ (back, open, long, rounded
e.g. dark [dark] < [d a:k];
-[e] (open, front and short) < /æ/or / a:/ (open cardina l vowel)
e.g. can’t [kent] < [k a:nt]/[k a:nt];
-[ɔ] (short, slightly rounded, back, open, tense) < / ɔ:/ (long, rounded, back, mid -open):

12
e.g. fought [fɔt] < [fɔ:t]; brought [brɔt] < [brɔ:t];
– [ou] </ əu/ – narrower glide : e.g. go [goul] <[g əu];
– [er] < [εə], i.e. diphthong flattened to monophthong, e.g. there [ter] < [ð εə];
– [ur] < /u ə/, e.g. follower *‘folour+ < *‘fol əuə]
Consonants
– arhotic dialect, i.e. [r] is fully pronounced, i.e. [ ər]/[ɔr] < / ə:/[ɔ:],
e.g. first [fərst] < [fə:st], brought [brɔt] < [brɔ:t]
e.g. gather *‘gatər] < *‘gaðə]; first [f ərst] < [f ə:st];
– the [h]s are dropped: e.g. ’arry < Harry, 'im < him, 'e < he;
– [t] (plosive, bilabial) < / ð/ (fricative, dental), gather *‘gatər] < *‘gaðə];
Positional Variants
– in final po sition, a specific Bristol [l] is added, as in:
e.g. go [goul] < [g əu];
– beginnings of words clipped, 'cause < because, 'em< them;
Rhythm of speech : slow, highly accented;
Intonation : intentionally flat, suggesting Hagrid’s imposed self -control in informi ng Harry of the
terrible facts ; Marked Tone 1 (instead of Tone 1+)
\Not all wizarrrds are \good. \Some of em gowl \ bed.
2. Word choice:
– words belonging to the basic word stock
– regional phrases, e.g. No, I ken't spell it (spell < say/utter)
– idiomatic , e.g. as bed as you ken gowl , but no slang
3. Grammar :
– accurate, but simple sentences,
e.g. t’ere was one wizarrrd who went as bed as you ken gowl .
e.g. Anyone that stood up to him ended up dead.
– a few grammatical mistakes, It was darrrk times ( subject-predicate disagreement)
4. Style : familiar, colloquial
5. Para/body language :
– tone of voice: low, grave, serious (to make Harry understand how serious the problem is)
– eye contact: direct (intimate, confidential)
– body language: wide gestures (em otional involvement)
6. Situational context/activity type : colloquial, familiar (a discussion between a child and a new
friend)
7. Social distance between S & H : close (child -father figure, trusted on first sight)
8. Subject matter : adult tells a child tha t he is in fact a wizard, that there is a wizard (Voldermort)
who ”turned bad,” and explains the circumstances of his parents’ death;
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
– Geographic background: West -country, England
– Social status/image: male, middle aged, u neducated (can’t spell);
– Personal features: a kind -hearted simple man; rather shy; responsible: trusted with secrets.

Task 3. Record other interviews and analyse them along similar lines.

13
B. Paralanguage & body language6
The act of communication d oes not rely exclusively on words and language; a large part of the
informational content of the speaker’s message is carried “supra -linguistically,” by “gestures” such as
tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, etc. Such features can function as:
– para language, if they are intentional, i.e. S wants H to understand what his gesture means,
– body language, if they are non -intentional, i.e. S’s behavio ur discloses some aspect of his
personality he would rather have under lock, or a trait he is not even aw are about;
Thus, the same gesture may function either as paralanguage, or as body language, according to
the speaker’s communicative intention.
The examples below aim to illustrate ways in which speakers make a helpful, trusted servant out
of paralanguage, and conversely, how they may be betrayed by insidious body language.

a. Paralanguage7
Text 5: The Godfather (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola , screenplay by Mario Puzo & F.F. Coppola.

Don Corleone : Why did you go to the police? Why didn't
you come to me first?
Bonasera : What do you want of me? Tell me anything,
but do what I beg you to do.
Don Corleone : What is that?
Bonasera (whisper s his request in the Don's ear): I want
them dead.
Don Corleone : That I cannot do.
Bonasera : I will give you anything you ask.
Don Corleone : We've known each other many years, but
this is the first time y ou ever came to me for counselor
for help. I can't remember the last time that you
invited me to your house for a cup of coffee, even
though my wife is godmother to your only child. But let's be frank here. You never wanted my
friendship. And, uh, you were afraid to be in my debt.
Bonasera : I didn't want to get into trouble.
http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Godfather.html

Analysis
1. Subject matter : Bonasera, who always tried to avoid being indebted to the Godfather, has come to
ask for a huge favour from him. Don Corleone reprimands him for his former pride and
independent attitude and for having gone to the police for justice.
2. Situational context/activity type : formal meeting,
– clan leader grants interview to member of the clan asking for favour
3. Social distance between S& H :

6 For the theoretical background see especially Annex 2 . C (6. Paralanguage vs. body language );
7 For the theoretical background see Annex 2 . C (6. Paralanguage vs. body language ); also Annex
1: B (Analyzing the speaker ); Annex 2: A (Phonemes & allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C
(Connected speech : 1. The foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2. Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked
vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 5. Oral Paralanguage ); Annex 3: A (Morphology & syntax); also
Annex 5 : A (Types of meaning ); D (Idioms ); E (Register & style : 1. The formality scale );

14
– distant: the Don (undisputed Godfather) vs. a member of his clan, formerly fiercely independent
– power: – Corleone is th e undisputed Don of the clan;
+ Bonasera is asking for a huge favour, so the Don’s power position is even greater.
4. Pronunciation :
– regional allophones: overtones from his native Italian
– personal allophones: very close -mouthed speech,
e.g. [ai] in why is very narrow
– lengthened vowels: e.g. can’t rem ember, go to the pol ice
– rhythm and music of speech: very slow, rhythmic tone groups
e.g. // We've 'known each / 'other /’many / 'years, …//
– intonation: Italian singsong diction, but rather fla t (no ups and downs), very low pitch (Tone 1)
e.g. I \can't re 'member the 'last time that you in \vited me to your 'house for a 'cup of \coffee
5. Word choice & grammar :
– words belonging to the basic word stock, complex sentences (subordination)
e.g. I can't remember the last time that you invited me to your house for a cup of
coffee, even though my wife is godmother to your only child.
– cultural stereotypes:
e.g. Let’s be frank here
e.g. my wife is godmother to your only child
6. Style : informal, but ca reful; rhythmic, but conversational
7. Paralanguage :
– tone of voice: – flat – shows that S is in control both of his emotions and of the situation;
– soft: scolding, but apparently without malice or ranco ur;
– facial expression: unsmiling, sl ightly hurt, slightly scornful
– eye contact: direct, but looks at him laterally (suggesting Bonasera’s secondary importance)
– sitting (powerful), while Bonasera is standing (claimant come for favour)
8. Body language : restrained, utterly controlled (sugg esting huge inner strength)
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
– Geographical background: American of Italian descent (orphan from Sicily come to the USA at a
very young age)
– Personal features: self -made man, risen to position of clan leader by his own abil ities;
– in control of personal emotions and difficult situations
– Social status: leader of clandestine group
– male, old, of low social origin and probably not highly educated, but gone through
the school of life;
– Social image: can grant/refuse to gr ant highly risky favours (murder)

b. Body language
Text 6. Derek Faye – Double bed (from the Catherine Tate Show, 2005 )
Derek Faye is a character in the popular English sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show. In each
episode Derek – who is always accomp anied by his friend Lennard – is accused of being gay.

15
Travel agent : As a holiday for two men, the computer’s
automatically given you a twin room with two
beds. I’m afraid our booking system is a bit
archaic in that respect. Would you like me to
change i t to a double room for you?
Derek : I beg pardon?
Travel agent : Your apartment has two single beds.
Would you like a double instead?
Derek : What on earth are you insinuating?
Travel agent : Sorry, I just assumed …
Derek : How very dare you! What’s the world c ome to
when two men can’t enjoy a simple holiday together without being accused of sexual
perversion.
Travel agent : I never said anything about sexual perversion …

Analysis
1. Subject matter : Derek and Lennard , who have booked a holiday together, are talking to the tourist
agent, who suggests to exchange their single -bed apartment (selected by the computer) with
one having a double -bed. Derek is extremely upset at being considered gay and overreacts.
2. Type o f text: official face -to-face conversation
3. Situational context/activity type : at a tourist agency, collecting a service
4. Social distance between S & H : distant (tourist agent vs. client)
5. Pronunciation :
– accent: British, Southern English – Posh up per class accent
-dare (pronounced *dǽi:+) – the diphthong is closing instead of opening and lengthened
– accused [ə‘kju:zd] – pronounced as a diphthong, wider and longer than standard
– rhythm of speech: very slow, very emphatic
e.g. How \very \dare y ou! (Marked: combined Tone 1+1+ )
– intonation: very modulated, voicing his anger
e.g. I \beg /pardon? ( Marked: Tone 4+ )
6. Word choice & grammar:
– educated words, elaborate grammatical structure:
e.g. What’s the world come to when two men can’t enjoy a simple holiday together
without being accused of sexual perversion.
7. Style : formal; words & catchphrases:
– impertinent – used to describe the person who mentions his homosexuality
– How very dare you! – to voice his outrage
– What on earth are you insin uating ?
– I’ve never been so insulted!
8. Paralanguage :
– tone of voice: raised, outraged: wants to convey his irritation
– facial expression: angry, resentful
– eye contact: direct, defiant
9. Body language : he is camp, i.e. talks and behaves in a way that suggests he is homosexual
– quality & modulation of voice: thin, highly modulated, with typically female ups & downs;
– in the end is shrieking (a female trait)
– mimicry, especially movements of the mouth: feminine, affected
– gestures, body postur e: effeminate (e.g. moves head, waves his hands just like a woman);

16
– physical appearance, dress code: very careful (an elegant man)
He becomes extremely offended and defensive when people assume he is gay
The more upset he is, the more his betrays his d enied sexuality

Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
A middle aged male homosexual in denial about his sexuality.

C. Improving personal image & social status8
Improving one’s social status is a natural aspiration for many people. One way to achieve this is to
embrace very careful pronunciation.
Text 9: Climbing the ladder (i.e. i mproving social status)

My accent was as synthetic as […] Marilee‟s. […] Marilee and I, a coal miner‟s daughter and an American
shoemaker‟s son, […] had sense enough not to pretend to be upper class British. We obscured our humble
origins in vocal tones and inflections which … are known as “trans -Atlantic” – cultivated, pleasant to the ear,
and neither British nor American. Marilee and I were brother and sister in that regard: we so unded the same.

Kurt Vonnegut, Bluebeard , the Autobiography of Rabo Karabekian (1916 –1988) (1987)
Analysis
1. Pronunciation : “trans -Atlantic,” “synthetic” (i.e. artificially created)
– intonation: restrained, educated
2. Word choice : educated words: cultivated, pleasant to the ear, and neither British nor American
3. Grammar : complex verb and noun phrases:
e.g. … had sense enough not to pretend to be upper class British
4. Style : formal
5. Social distance : distant (the writer is “talking” to his readers, i.e. strangers).
6. Subject matter : People of modest social origin know that they should not attempt to “sound”
upper -class,” so they embrace a safe, if “synthetic,” variant viewed as educated speech.

Text 10 . My Fai r Lady , directed by George Cukor (1964)9
As shown above, the speaker’s geographic, social and educational background affects the way s/he
speaks and behaves in society. Henry Higgins, the highly skilled phonetician in George Bernard Shaw’s
Pygmalion (or rat her, George Cukor’s My Fair Lady , book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner), points out the
painful effects of a bad personal image in a keenly class -conscious society, such as the English one,

8 For the theoretical background see Annex 5 . B (Social status & social distance); F (Register & style :
1. The formality scale ); also Annex 2 . B (Accent & dialect ); Annex 3. A (Morphology & syntax );
9 For the theoretical background see Annex 1: B (Analyzing the speaker ); C (Manipulating personal
image & social distance ); Annex 2: (Phonemes & allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected
speech : 1. The foot & the rhythm of speech ; 2. Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones
(FSP); & Paralanguage vs. body language ); Annex 5 . A (Types of meaning ); B (Social status & social
distance); F (Register & style : 1. The formality scale ; 2. Idioms & style );

17
An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him
The mo ment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him
This “verbal class distinction” also affects one’s chances in life :
It's ‘aoow’ and ‘garn’ that keep her in her place
Not her wretched clothes and dirty face ……
If you spoke as she does, sir, inste ad of the way you do?
Why, you might be selling flowers, too!
Thus, with every word he utters, with every gesture he makes, the speaker conveys not only a variety
of meanings and attitudes , but also an image of him/herself ; which, in their turn, carry furt her
meanings.
In the act of communication, the speaker conveys two types of information:
 Intentional information , by way of:
o what his words say (i.e. by the words’ conceptual content)
o his intonation (his feelings and his attitude)
o his paralanguage: his tone of voice, explanatory gestures, mimicry, etc
 Non -intentional information , i.e. S gives information about who he is by way of:
o his pronunciation
o the quality and inflections of his voice
o his grammatical accuracy and the complexity of his sentences
o his body language, e.g. body posture, non -intentional gestures, etc.

By analyzing excerpts from My Fair Lady , we can become aware of how a person can improve his/her
personal image and what traps s/he would be wise to avoid.
Eliza Doolittle – a poor Cockney flower girl – meets Henry Higgins – a highly skilled phonetician, but
an emotionally ruthless person – by mere accident. Higgins is disgusted by Eliza’s accent but, with
Colonel Pickering – another industrious phonetician – also present, he makes a bet: th at in six
months he can teach that incarnate insult to the English language to speak such perfect English that
she can be accepted in the highest social circles. Eliza does not care about the Embassy Ball, but she
is thrilled at the prospect of a better jo b, selling flowers inside a shop – but that requires better
English. To improve her situation, she decides to take lessons from Higgins.

Text 10a. In the street, Covent Garden, evening

Eliza : Look where you're goin', dear. Look where you're goin'!
Freddy: I'm so sorry.
Eliza : Two bunches o' violets trod in the mud. A full day's wages.
(to Lady E -H) He's your son, is he? If you'd done your duty as
a mother should you wouldn't let 'im spoil a poor girl's flow'rs
and run away without payin'.
Lady Eynsford -Hill: Go about your business, my girl.
Eliza (to lady E -H): And you wouldn't go off without payin',
either. Two bunches o' violets trod in the mud. …………..
Eliza (to Colonel Pickering): Cheer up, Capt'n, buy a flow'r off a
poor girl.
Colonel Pickering : I'm sorry, I haven't any change.
Eliza :I can change 'alf a crown. Take this for tuppence. …
http://www.script -o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/my -fair-lady-script -transcript.html

18
Analysis
1. Social/situational context : in the street, flower girl talking to high -class people
2. Social distance between S & H : distant: total strangers, belong to very different social classes
3. Subject matter : – Eliza is upset at having her flowers ruined:
e.g. Two bunches o' violets trod in the mud. A full day's wages.
– she is trying to sell her ware: buy a flow'r off a poor girl
4. Pronunciation : Cockney speech
– regional allophones:
– wider glides: / au/ (from open to close) < [ əu] from central to close, e.g. going /gauiŋ/;
/ai/ < /ei/, e.g. payin' /paiŋ/
– triphthongs flattened to long monophthongs, / a:/ < [ auə], e.g. flowers /fla:z/;
– consonant /h/ dropped, e.g. 'alf a crown ;
– ends of words clipped: bunches o' violets ; goin’, payin’ ;
– contraction: Capt'n ,
– rhythm of speech: accelerated (shows emotional involvement)
– intonation: highly modulated (ups and downs) , highly emotional; Marked Tone 4+)
\Look where you're /goin', dear.\Look where you're /goin'!
5. Word choice :
– words belonging to the basic word stock
– specific interjections: aoow , ‘ga’n
– typical swear words: blimey, bloody, bloomin’
– specific honorifics: Capt'n, Governor
– imaginative slang: bloke, busybody, absobloominlutely
– typical terms of address/en dearment: Cheer up , Capt'n , dear,

6. Grammar :
– accuracy: faulty grammar: trod(den) in the mud ; I ain't done nothin' wrong
– complexity: simple sentences
7. Style : colloquial, slangy
8. Appropriacy :
– Eliza uses the language inappropriately (does not ad apt her language to the H’s social status/age …):
– dear – to total stranger, male, upper class
– scolds/criticizes older lady: If you'd done your duty as a mother should you wouldn't let
'im spoil a poor girl's flow'rs and run away without payin'.
9. Pa ralanguage : emphatic
– tone of voice: accusing, scolding
– facial expression: a defiant frown – to show that she is justly angry
– body language: wide gestures of the arms, because she wants to emphasize her just anger.
10. Body language : uncontrolled
– tone of voice: irritated, shrieking, complaining (like a helpless child)
– facial expression: changes quickly from defiance to fright (when she thinks the police want to
arrest her)
– body language: uncontrolled wide gestures,
– overall image: dirty, dressed in black, crawling on the ground to pick up her flowers, i.e. a
true “prisoner of the gutters,” as Higgins calls her.

Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
– Social status/image: female, young, basic education; lowest social class, fiercely independent
– Geographical background: British, East London, Cockney

19
Text 10b. Eliza wants to learn better English

Eliza: Good mornin', my good man. Might I 'ave a word with you?
Higgins: Oh, no. This is the girl I jotted down last night. She's no use.
…………
Eliza: Don't be so saucy. You ain't 'eard what I come for yet. (toMrs
Pierce): Did you tell 'im I come in a taxi?
Mrs. Pearce: Nonsense. Do you think a gentleman like Mr. Higgins cares
what you came in?
Eliza: Oh, we are proud. He ain't above givin' lessons, not 'im. I 'eard 'im
say so. I ain't come here to ask for any compliment, and if my money's
not good enough, I can go elsewhere.
Higgins: Good enough for what?
Eliza: Good enough for you. Now you know, don't ya? I'm come to 'ave
lessons. And to pay for 'em, t oo, make no mistake. Well!
Higgins: And what do you expect me to say?
Eliza: Well, if you was a gentleman, you might ask me to sit down, I think. Don't I tell you I'm bringin' you
business?
Higgins: Should we ask this baggage to sit down or shall we just t hrow her out of the window?
Eliza: I won't be called a baggage. Not when I've offered to pay like any lady.
Col. Pickering: What do you want, my girl?
Eliza: I want to be a lady in a flow'r shop 'stead of sellin' at the corner of Tottenham Court Road. But they
won't take me unless I can talk more genteel. He said 'e could teach me. Well, 'ere I am ready to pay 'im.
Not asking any favor and he treats me as if I was dirt.

http: //www.script -o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/my -fair-lady-script -transcript.html
Analysis:
1. Subject matter : Eliza has come to ask Higgins to teach her to speak correctly so as to get a job in a flower
shop ( I've offered to pay like any lady ), but Higging tre ats her rudely.
2. Social/situational context :
– Higgins’ place (she has come to take lessons and pay for them)
3. Social distance between S & H : distant (belong to very different age group and social classes):
4. Pronunciation :
– Cockney: drops her /h /s: not 'im. I 'eard 'im say so ; /ai/ < /ei/, e.g. to pay ;
Clipped words: … flow'rshop 'stead of sellin'…
but more careful: It's business of a [ei] personal nature ;
– intonation: emphatic (ups and downs), emotional;
– initially, because she wants to i mpress:
e.g. \Might I 'ave a 'word with /you (Marked Tone 4+)
– later on: she breaks down under Higgins’ rudeness:
Well, \ere I /am / 'ready to \pay im. \Not asking any \favor and he 'treats me
'as if I was \/dirt. (Marked: Tone 4 and Tone 4+)
– rhythm of speech: initially slower, but becomes faster as she gets emotional;
5. Word choice: the basic word stock, but carefully
– uses longer words and makes up complex sentences (to butler: My name is of no concern to
you whatsoever .);
– slang: Don't b e so saucy; unless I can talk more genteel ;
– honorifics: my good man
6. Grammar :
– accuracy: faulty grammar: I ain't come here to ask for any compliment
You ain't 'eard what I come for yet.
– complexity: more complex: Might I 'ave a word with you ?
7. Style : informal, but more careful

20
8. Appropriacy : uses the language inappropriately because:
– she does not perceive social distance correctly;
e.g. to Mrs. Pierce: Oh, we are proud. ; to Higgins: my good man
– she does not understand the relative va lue of money, i.e. she thinks she can afford to pay
for lessons and that Higgins should be pleased to earn some;
9. Paralanguage : emphatic
– tone of voice: confident, demanding
– facial expression: proud, demure
– gestures: more restrained
10. Body langu age: uncontrolled
– tone of voice: shrieking, over -confident, then angry, complaining
– facial expression: changes quickly from pride to anger (at Higgins’ rude behaviour)
– to fright (e.g. when Higgins mentions 60 pounds for a lesson)
– gestures: initia lly more (straight back, raised head, no wide gestures),
– but she still moves her head and shoulders too much;
– Later: wide gestures, raised panicky voice, …
– overall image : still dirty, in spite of her attempts to clean up ( I ain't dirty! I washed my face
an' hands before I come, I did .);
– still dressed in black, but with a spot of red on her hat;
– upright posture, proud appearance
– attempt at putting on an impressive image: she has come by taxi;
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
Social status/ima ge: Eliza no longer wants to appear as a poor flower girl, but as a proud,
experienced and well -behaved person who is paying for a service (lessons)
BUT: this image is just a pose: it collapses under the pressure of Higgins’ rudeness.

Under Higgins and Pickering’s guidance, Eliza learns to speak more correct English. She also looks
much better thanks to the beautiful clothes her tutors buy for her. She now seems to be ready to
make her appearance in high society. Before the Embassy Ball, however, Higgins w ants to try her out
at a lesser event, so that he takes her to the Ascot Races. Higgins has also given her strict instructions
about the topics she may discuss: “she is to keep to two subjects, the weather and everybody’s
health,” as he assures his mother to whose box they take her. And yet, the result is far from
satisfactory:

Text 10c. The Ascot Races

Colonel Pickering : May I introduce Miss Eliza Doolittle?
Mrs. Higgins : My dear Miss Doolittle.
Eliza : How kind of you to let me come. ………….
Eliza (to Fredd y): How do you do?
Freddy : How do you do? …
Mrs. Higgins : Will it rain, do you think?
Eliza : The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. … But in
Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly
ever happen.
Freddy : How awfully funny.
Eliza : What is w rong with that, young man? I bet I got it
right.
Freddy : Smashing.
Mrs. Higgins : Has it suddenly turned chilly? I do hope we won't have any unseasonable cold spells. They
bring on so much influenza. And the whole of our family is susceptible to it.

21
Eliza : My aunt died of influenza, so they said. But it's my belief they done the old woman in.
Mrs. Eynsford -Hill: Done her in?
Eliza : Yes, Lord love you. Why should she die of influenza when she'd come through diphtheria right enough
the year before. Fairly blue with it she was. They all thought she was dead. But my father, he kept
ladling gin down her throat. Then she come to so sudden she bit the bowl off the spoon.
Mrs. Eynsford -Hill: Dear me!
Eliza : Now what call would a woman with that strength in her have t o die of influenza? And what become
of her new straw hat that should have come to me? Somebody pinched it. And what I say is: Them 'as
pinched it, done her in.
Mr. Eynsford -Hill: Done her in? '"Done her in,'" did you say? Whatever does it mean?
Higgins: That's the new small talk. '"To do somebody in'" means to kill them.
Mrs. Eynsford -Hill: But you surely don't believe your aunt was killed?
Eliza : Do I not? Them she lived with would have killed her for a hatpin, let alone a hat.
Mr. Eynsford -Hill: But it ca n't have been right for your father to pour spirits down her throat like that. It
might have killed her.
Eliza : Not her. Gin was mother's milk to her. Besides, he poured so much down his own throat he knew the
good of it.
Mr. Eynsford -Hill: Do you mean tha t he drank?
Eliza : Drank? My word. Something chronic. …………………
Freddy: I don't know if there's time before the next race to place a bet …. I have a bet on number seven. I
should be so happy if you would take it. You'll enjoy the race ever so much more.
Eliza: That's very kind of you.
Freddy: His name is Dover. ……………………………..
Speaker: "There they are again … Lining up to run … Now they're holding steady … They are ready for it.
Look! It has begun.”
Eliza: Come on. Come on, Dover…. Come on…. Come on, Dover! … C ome on! …. Come on, Dover! Move your
bloomin' arse!

http://www.script -o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/my -fair-lady-script -transcript.html

Analysis
1. Subject matter : Eliza attends a highly sophisticated social event of London society, but she speaks
of killing and stealing. She tops it all by over -enthusiastically encouraging a horse in the race.
2. Social distance between S & H :
– distant: total strangers, belong t o very different social classes
3. Social/situational context :
– a very important gathering of the high classes;
4. Pronunciation :
– Vowels: she now pronounces rain [rein], not [r כin]; cup of *‘kʌpəv+, not *‘k ʌpə];
– Consonants: she no longer drops her word -initial /h/s, as in hurricane ,
– Intonation: correctly modulated , slightly exaggerated
e.g. How \kind of 'you to 'let me 'come. (unm arked Tone 1+)
5. Word choice:
– more elabo rate words and phrases: influenza , chronic , It is my belief …,
– idioms, class -specific phrases, e.g. … was mother’s milk to her , Lord love you. …
– but also slang: done (her) in , pinched it , …
– during the race, she uses swear words: Move you bloomin ’ arse’.
6. Grammar
– complex sentences,
e.g. Why should she die of influenza when she'd come through diphtheria …
– accuracy: still makes mistakes,
e.g. They done the old woman in; Them 'as pinched it, done her in.
7. Style : formal, careful
– but mixes in slang and makes grammatical mistakes

22
8. Paralanguage : less emphatic, but still more than necessary
– tone of voice: melodious, singsong
– facial expression: smiling, friendly, trying to impress
– gestures: restrained (no wide gestures);
9. Body langua ge: controlled, but loses control in emotional moment (the race)
– tone of voice: affected (too modulated);
– at the race: over -emotional (louder and louder, and finally screams)
– facial expression: smiling, friendly, then excited
– gestures: at the race : wide gestures,
– body posture: straight back, raised head)
– overall aspect: very elegant, beautiful clothes;
10. Appropriacy : inappropriate,
– she wants to be the center of attention: she speaks too much, uninvited
– her subject matters (pinching, d oing people in) do not match the audience
– she scolds Freddy, her social superior: What are you sniggering at?

Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
Although Eliza looks and sounds like a lady, she makes a fool of herself because
– She talks and moves too muc h (her dynamism and topics clash with the characteristic
restraint of the English upper classes)
– she uses slang typical for her own class;
– her topics are not appropriate for the social environment;
– she becomes overemotional (she overenthusiastically encourages her horse: Come on,
Dover! Come on! Come on! Come on! )
– she swears, using a 4 -letter words: Move your bloomin' arse!

Text 10d . The Embassy Ball
In the Embassy Ball scenes we cannot hear Eliza speak at all; we can merely see her smile and move
about/behave very elegantly. She does not betray her humble origins even to Karpathy, the
“imposterologist” – trained in phonetics and paid by the members of the aristocracy to detect
impostors. What we get is Higgins’ recounting of Karpathy’s conclusions :

“Her English is too good,” he said,
“That clearly indicates that she is foreign.
Whereas others are instructed
In their native language
English people aren't.
Although she may have studied
With an expert dialectician and grammarian
I can tell that she was born Hungarian.
Not only Hungarian but of royal blood.
She is a princess. Her blood,” he said,
“is bluer than the Danube is or ever was.
Royalty is absolutely written on her face …”
http://www.script -o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/my -fair-lady-script-
transcript.html
How did Eliza manage to fool everybody and appear as a true princess? It may be
– her changed look: she is clean; she wears exquisite clothes (white, not black) and jewels
– her body language: delicate and restrained (her mysterious smile seems to hide a romantic
secret);
– her educated language: pronunciation, grammar, word choice, style …
– her more select choices in subject matter, etc.
But the main reason is probably that

23
– she has learned to keep silent in high society when it is not absol utely necessary to speak.

So: Who is Eliza?
Answer: a well educated person.

Task 4. Analys e the changes in personal image of Vivian Ward, the protagonist of Pretty Woman
(1990, directed by Garry Marshall, screenplay by J. F. Lawton & Garry Marshall), alo ng the lines
of Eliza Doolittle’s development. Select at least three moments in her evolution.

D. Manipulating p ersonal image & socio -linguistic appropriateness10
Personal image and social status are not rigid and permanent, but rather, flexible and adap table:
appropriateness is a mark of the speaker’s socio -linguistic competence. The texts analyzed in the
section “Accents,” for example, show that a competent communicator knows how to adapt his
language (and not only) to the hearer and to the social conte xt in which the interaction takes place.
But speakers often manipulate their image and status so as to accomplish some more complex real –
world aim. This, however, is not easy, as the following example shows:

Text 7: Mickey Blue Eyes (1999), director Kelly Makin , script by Adam Scheinman and Ro bert Kuhn11
Michael Felgate (Hugh Grant) , an English art auctioneer in New York, must go to a meeting with
several members of the Mafia. In the famous taxi scene, Frank Vitale (James Caan) – his girlfriend’s
father, who is a member of the Mafia – is teachin g him how to pretend to be a mobster, too.

Frank: "Hey. Forged about it! "
Mickey : "Hey. Forget about it."
Frank: "Forget about it." No R's.
Mickey : "Fo‟get about it."
Frank: Now change the T's to D's.
Mickey : "Fogedaboud id."
Frank: "Id"?
Mickey : You sa id change the T's to D's!
Frank: Not the last one. Change them, but not the last one. Wait,
forget about it. Stop. Try this one here: "Get the hell outta here."
No Rs.
Mickey : "Get the hee‟ outta he‟e."
Frank: Not "hee." Here. (hands him a gun) Keep your m outh shut and
stick this in your pants. ….
Mickey : Oh, my God! “Hey, get outta he‟e.”
Frank: No, just forget about it.
Mickey : "Fo‟ged about it."
Frank: No, I mean, shut up. Please, shut up!

10 For the theoretical background see Annex 1 A (Communicative language competence ); C (Manipulating
personal image & social distance ); Annex 5 . B (Social status & social distance);
11 For the theoretical background see Annex 1. B (Analyzing the speaker ); C (Manipulating personal
image & social distance ); Annex 2. A (Phonemes & allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected
speech : 2. Intonation patte rns; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 6. Paralanguage vs. body
language ); also Annex 5. A (Types of meaning ); E (Register & style : 1. The formality scale );

24
Mickey : "Fo‟ged about it."
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mickey+blue+eyes+forget+about+it
Analysis
1. Pronunciation :
– Mickey: British English
– Frank: American English, with Italian/Mafioso overtones:
– Fran k’s social allophones: final /d/ < /t/, /r/ dropped, e.g. fo(r)ged
– lengthened / ^:/ & /e:/< outta /^:tə/
Voice paralanguage:
– rhythm of speech:
Franks: a little faster than ordinary, to suggest anger at being bothered about non –
important things
Mickey’s: slowed down, artificial, exaggerated: … fə'ge:də'baud iiid .
– intonation:
Franks’: sing -song, in typical Italian/Mafioso fashion: For \get about it.
Unmarked: Tone 1 ( discards smth. the int erlocutor said as non -important)
Mickey’s: artificial, e.g. /f ə'ge:də'ba:ud\iiid/ (Marked: Tone 1+)
2. Word choice:
– Mafioso clichés: “ Forget about it !” and “ Get the hell outta here! ”
3. Para/body language :
– Frank: irritated tone of voice, wide gestures, dynamic facial expression (connoting that he is
not afraid, that he is superior to the others and in control)
– Mickey: desperate tone of voice, exaggerated/ar tificial facial expression (connote, inability,
4. Situational context : in Frank’s car
– on the way to a Mafia meeting, where Mickey must appear as a fearsome mobster
5. Social distance between S & H : distant (different age groups, social classes, preoc cupations)
6. Subject matter : Frank tries to teach Mickey two cultural/social clichés
– instructions: " No R's .”; “…change the T's to D's .”
– Mickey tries hard
– to flatten his diphthongs (outta / ^:tə/) and lengthen his vowels (about / ə’b^:t/)
– to prono unce consonants the way he was told (/d/ </t/) and no /r/);
– to imitate the Mafioso body language (tone of voice and facial expression, …)
but fails to present himself as someone else.
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
Mickey: male, young, educated, obvious ly not a mobster; he is very frightened;
Frank: male, older, not educated, a man who has probably killed before;

Writers and speakers often manipulate language according to
a. the social context, e.g. who they are talking to, when and where the activity ta kes place …
b. the real-world goal they want to accomplish, e.g. get a better grade from a reluctant teacher,
or impress a person – as in the following texts:

25
Text 8 a: Speech in writing12
Text from the novel Trainspotting, by Irvine Welsh ( 1993 );
Pictures: from the film Trainspotting (1996) , director Danny Boyle
Texts 8a -c are from Irvine Welsh’s novel Trainspotting . Set in the late 1980s, in Leith , Edinburgh , the
characters are young men of the lower classes, most wasters and drug addicts and engaging in all
kind of destructive activities.
To a non -native English speaker, the novel is especially hard to read because the writer tri es to
reproduce in writing his characters’ Scottish English .

The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling. Ah
wis jist sitting thair, focusing oan the telly, tryi n no tae notice the
cunt. Hewis bringing me doon. Ah tried tae keep ma attention
oan the Jean -Claude Van Damme video.
As happens in such movies, they started oaf wi an
obligatory dramatic opening. Then the next phase ay the picture
involved building up the tension through introducing the
dastardly villain and sticking the weak plot thegither. Any
minute now though, auld Jean -Claude's ready tae git doon tae
some serious swedgin.

Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting
Analysis
1. Social context : familiar: at home, watching TV
2. Social distance between S & H : close: two young men, friends
3. Subject matter : Rents (one of the characters) is trying to watch a Jean Claude Van Damm movie
– Sick Boy (the other character) is suffering from drug withdrawal; he wants to g o to
buy some heroin from his dealer, Mother Superior.
4. Pronunciation :
Regional allophones:
– vowels :
– diphthongs/glides flattened to long vowel: e.g. Ah [a:] < I [ai]; ma [ma:] < my [mai]; doon
[du:n] < down [daun]; [heid ] <head *hed+; …
– front close [i] < back/central/more open [ כ]/[ʌ]/[ə]/[e], e.g. wis<was; jist<just; git<get;
– monophthongs turned into glides: oaf [ əuf] < off [כf]; goat < got; oan< [ כn+; …
– wider glides or changed direction: [auld] < [ əuld]; thair [ðair] < there *ðεə]; ain<own ;
– consonants :
– [r] trilled, e.g. trembling ;
– [ð] < [t] thegither [ð ə'giðə] < [tə'geðə]
– blends words together: oafay < out of/off of ;
– ends of words clipped: swedgin’ ; wi’< with ; no’ tae take < not to take ; ma’ attention ; …
– intonation& rhythms of speech : written text, but still it conveys a sense of
– Rents: modulated intonation (succession of high falls) – showing that he is upset/angry,
e.g. He wis \bringing me \doon. (Marked: Tone 1+)

12 For the theoretical background see Annex 1. B (Analyzing the speaker ); C (Manipulating personal
image & social distance ); Annex 2. A (Phonemes & allophones ); B (Accent & dialect ); C (Connected
speech : 2. Intonation patterns ; 3. Marked vs. unmarked tones (FSP) ; 6. Paralanguage vs. body
language ); also Annex 3. A (Morphology & syntax ); Annex 3 (Morphology & syntax ); Annex 5. A
(Types of meaning ); B (Social status & social distance ); E (Idioms ); F (Register & style : 1. The
formality scale );

26
– alert and rhythmic, showing Sick Boy’s urgency: Ahve 'goat tae 'see …
5. Word choice:
– words belonging to the basic word stock: sweat, tremble,
– longer/educated words, neologisms, e.g. focus, phase, obligatory dramatic opening,
– archaic: dastardly, villain
– slang: swedgin ’; auld Jean Claude; radge, vi sage (< French, generally poetic)
– scatological vocabulary (argot/4 -letter words) : cunt = 4-letter word for female sex organ
= metonymy for “woman”; in fact, in this case, the term is used to refer to a man, not
necessarily homosexual (suggesting: weak male person, a failure/waister)
6. Grammar :
– accuracy: mistakes in face -to-face conversation, e.g. Aw, ah sais.
– long complex sentences (subordination) in the monologues, pointing to S’s education
e.g. As happens in such movies, they started oaf wi an obligatory dramatic opening .
e.g. Then the next phase ay the picture involved building up the tension through
introducing the dastardly villain and sticking the weak plot thegither.
– typical Scottish patterns: I dinna ken <I don’t know (from other text);
7. Style : mixture of colloquial and educated/almost formal:
8. Appropriacy :
– slang in the dialogues: S adapts his speech to:
– the close social distance between S & H
– the familiar context: at home, watching TV
– educat ed/complex: due to S’s educational background (he thinks in more educated terms)
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker (Rents)?
– Social status: – male, young, educated
– low social class, independent, destructive
– Geographical background: Scottish, Leith , Edinburgh
– Social distance between S & H: close (friends, belong to same social class)
– Social background/context of the in teraction/activity type: highly informal (watching TV).

Text 8b : Sick Boy wants to impress a young woman, so he tries to appear educated and
sophisticated. In the new social environment, even his friend Renton’s personal comments, a passive
observer of t he event, become formal and educated:

… he moved over and slid into the seat beside the woman.
– Excuse me. Sorry, I'm going to have to join you. My travelling
companions' behaviour is a touch immature for my taste.
………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………….
Renton observes, with a mixture of admiration and distaste, the
metamorphosis of Sick Boy from waster into this woman's ideal man.
Voice modulation and accent subtly change. An interested, earnest
expression comes over his face as he fires seduc tively interrogative
questions at his new companion.
Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting

Analysis:
1. Social context : travelling, in a train compartment
2. Subject matter : To get close to a young woman in the compartment, Sick Boy changes his manner
of speech co mpletely. Renton, his friend, is impressed by the change.
3. Pronunciation : Both Standard British English (RP)

27
– intonation
Sick Boy: restrained, educated, e.g. I'm 'going to 'have to \join you. (Unmarked: Tone 1)
Renton: modulated 4+ (surprise), e.g. … with a \mixture of admiration and dis /taste …
4. Word choice :
Sick Boy: educated words: companions, immature , …
o euphemistic: a touch immature for my taste .
Renton: educated words: a mixture of admiration and distaste, metamorphosis
5. Grammar :
Sick Boy : complex verb and noun phrases:
e.g. I'm going to have to join you; My travelling companions' behavio ur;
Renton: complex verb and noun phrases:
e.g. … as he fires seductively interrogative questions at his new companion .
6. Style :
Sick Boy: formal, eu phemistic: e.g. a touch immature for my taste .
Renton: formal, euphemistic:
e.g. … the metamorphosis of Sick Boy from waster into this woman's ideal man.
Conclusions : Who’s the speaker?
1. Sick Boy social image: male, young, educated, sexually attracted to m embers of the opposite sex.
2. Renton’s social image: male, young, educated
How does Sick Boy manage to change his social image?
Renton’s observations: every level of Sick Boy’s behavio ur has changed:
– Voice modulation and accent
– Para -/Body language: An interested, earnest expression comes over his face
– Subject matter: … as he fires seductively interrogative questions …
Social distance :
Sick Boy – young woman: distant (male -female; strangers), but open/accessible.
Sick Boy – Renton: distant (his fri end has turned into a stranger).

Task 5. Analyse the way actors manipulate their personal image (geographic background, profession …)
according to the role they embody:

Suggestions :
1. Colin Firth in: a. Femme fatale (199 1) b. Pride and Prejudice (1995)
c. Shakespeare in Love (1998) d. Kingsman: The Secret Service (201 4)
2. Brad Pitt: a. Seven Years in Tibet (1997) b. Meet Joe Black (1998)
b. Snatch (2000) d. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)
3. Gwyneth Paltrow: a. Shakespeare in Love (1998) b. Sylvia (2003)
b. Proof (2005) d. Mortdecai (2015)
4. Johnny Depp: a. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003 -17) b. Chocolat e (2000)
c. Edward Scissorhands (1990) d. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
5. Sandra Bullock: a. The Heat (2013) b. The Blindside (2009)
c. Crash (2004) d. The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers (2013)
6. Helena Bonham Carter : a. Fight Club (1999) b. Where the Angels Fear to Tread (1991)
b. The King’s Speech (2010) d. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of
Fleet Street (2007)

28
Project13: Colin Firth
As Joseph Prince , in Femme Fatale (1991)

Joseph Prince: Elijah, Elijah, just forget it, it`s ok… she`s left me
Elijah : That was quick… a drag
Joseph Prince: Found this… yesterday .
Elijah : Coffee?
Joseph Prince: The wedding was just three day ago… I mean
tomorrow we were supposed to go to Hawaii… the big island, see the
volcanoes and, uhm, a honeymoon, you know? I don ‟t understand it,
it‟s completely insane…

Joseph Prince: You know, she said she was happy… I mean wh at
was that? Was she lying? We were happy… there was no fight or
anything, we were just so…

Elijah: Wonderful, happy, lovely.
Joseph Prince: Yes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTe_ -XNWN0Y&list=PLeZfpI1851Ycunbg8VypJ1vq5sn3CSguf

As Mr. Darcy , in Pride a nd Prejudice (1995)
MR DARCY (panting): In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will
not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire
and love you.
[Elizabeth looks slightly down.]
MR DARCY : In declaring myself thus, I a m fully aware that I will be going
expressly against the wishes of my family, my friends, and, I hardly nee d
add, my own better judgment.
[Elizabeth looks up at him.]
MR DARCY : The relative situation of our families is such that any alliance
between us mu st be regarded as a highly reprehensible connection. Indeed,
as a rational man, I cannot but regard it as such my self, but it cannot be
helped.
[Elizabeth looks down, and her expression is slightly cross.]
MR DARCY : Almost from the earliest moments of ou r acquaintance, I have come to feel for you a passionate
admiration and regard, which, despite all my struggles, has overcome every rational objection, and I beg you,
most fervently, to relieve my suffering and consent to be my wife.
ELIZABETH : In such cas es as these, I believe the established mode is to express a sense of obligation, but I cannot.
[Darcy holds his breath, hands clasped behind his back.]
ELIZABETH : I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I am
sorry to cause pain to anyone, but it was most unconsciously done, and I hope will be of short duration.
[Darcy looks upset and walks over to the mirror. He turns back to face her.]
MR DARCY : And this is all the reply I am to expect? I might wonder wh y, with so little effort at civility, I am rejected.

13 For the theoretical background see Annex 1 . B & C; Annex 2 . A – C; Annex 3. B; Annex 5 . A, B & F.

29
As Wessex in Shakespeare in Love (1998)

WESSEX: My lady Viola.
VIOLA: My lord.
WESSEX: I have spoke n with your father.
VIOLA: So my lord? I speak with him every day.
WESSEX (scowls; the dance separates them).
VIOLA finds herself opposite WILL again. WIL stares at her
entrance.

VIOLA: Good sir… ?
WILL has lost his tongue.
VIOLA: I heard you are a poet.
WILL nods in his trance and she smiles at him.
VIOLA: But a poet of no words?
WILL tries to speak but the silver tongue won't work. He is
dumb with adoration. Suddenly WESSEX takes him affably by the elbow and leads him into an alcove.

WESSEX (smiling e villy): Poet?
WILL (coming round form the anaesthetic and not noticing the danger): I was a poet till now, but I have seen
beauty that puts my poems at one with the talking ravens at the Tower.

To his surprise he finds a lordly dagger at this throat.
WILL (startled): How do I offend, my lord?
WESSEX: By coveting my property. I cannot shed blood in her house but I will cut your throat anon. You have a name?
WILL (gulps): Christopher Marlowe at your service.
WESSEX shoves him through the nearest door.

As Harry Hart aka "Galahad" in Kingsman: The Secret Service (201 4)

Valentine : Mr. DeVere. It's a pleasure to meet you .
Harry Hart : I'm awfully sorry. I seem to have my
dates muddled up.
Valentine : Oh, no no no. I cancelled the gala
because of you. Anybody willing to donate that
much deserves a private dinner. Come in.
Harry Hart : Thank you.
Vale ntine : Gotta admit, I was really intrigued to
meet you. There aren't many billionaires I don't know.
Harry Hart : I don't doubt it.
Valentine : Obviously, I've had my people looking into your… affairs and that's some pretty old money you're
from. How'd yo ur folks make it?
Harry Hart : Property, mostly. Property in the markets. Nothing personal, if that's your concern.
Valentine : Look, I'm just in to find out what kind of person you are. I'm sure you understand that.
Harry Hart : I most certainly do.
https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl8F -8tR8to&hd=1

30

31

32

33

Movie summary:
Donna, a middle -aged woman living on a Greek island,
doesn’t know who is the father of her daughter because on
the summer she was conceived she had brief affairs with
several men.
Sophie, her daughter, is going to marry shortly, so wants to
find her father.
Excerpt context & summary:
two friends have come for Sophie’s wedding and is Donna
hosting them in the hotel she manages.
she apologizes for the laundry hanging in the yard and for
the poor condition of the hotel.Mamma Mia! (2008)

34

Mamma Mia!
Excerpt:
(in the yard)
Donna : I meant to get the laundry down before you came.
Someone : Tanya's going home!
Donna : And you'd think with all this new technology, they would
figure out a machine that would make the beds.
Sophie : And if they did, you'd be going along behind it, making them
again. I know you, Mom.
Donna : But I am good at modern… Tell them about the
Internets. He's gonna put me on the line.
Sophie: Online.
[…]
(in the house)
Donna : Okay, now, the thing about the toilet, if it doesn't flush …
right away, just go and come back in a while, and it should… Nothing works around here,
except for me. I've been running this hotel for 15 years, and I have never had a day off.
Someone : Oh, my God! Sorry

35

Mamma Mia!
Paralanguage:
tone of voice: ringing voice (very loud andclear),
facial expression: calm, funny (as between friends)
Body language:
tone of voice: quivering when embarrassed (when she says the toilet doesn’t work properly
stutters when emotional
natural facial expression, gestures, body movement: natural (doesn’t think about what to do next)
Appearance:
casual , simple, clean
Conclusion:
geographical background: born American, living in Greece for many years
social status: owner of a hotel
female, middle -aged, not highly educated, but lots of good sense
personal characteristics: loving, lively, funny , energetic , ambitious

36

The Iron Lady (2011 )
Movie summary:
Margaret Thatcher’s struggle with dementia and
with a sense of powerlessness that comes with old
age, while looking back on defining moments in her
personal and professional life
theme of the film : the price that Thatcher had to
pay for power
Excerpt context/summary :
The UK wants to get theFalkland Islands back
from Argentina
The US Secretary of State tries to persuade her
to give up, but Thatcher stands her ground firmly

37

38

Bibliography
• Vizental, Adriana, Phonetics and Phonology: An introduction ,Third edition , revised, Editura Universității Aurel
Vlaicu, Arad, 2008
• http://changingminds.org/techniques/body/parts_body_language/eyebrows_body_language.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid -Atlantic_accent
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/200912/the -body -language -the-eyes
• http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus -category/british/words -used -to-describe -someone -s-voice