An Introduction to French Pronunciation

20
Intonation
20.1 Introduction
Intonation 145
20.1.1 ‘Intonation’ refers to the ‘melody’ of speech, i.e. to
the differences in pitch that occur in speech. When we speak,
we do not do so in a monotone: the level of the voice rises
and falls according to patterns that characterize the language
in question. There may well be considerable differences
among regional or social varieties of the same language, and
different individuals may use the particular patterns at their
disposal in varying ways or to varying extents, but all nativespeakers
conform more or less to the prevailing practice. Consequently,
if a foreigner aims to acquire ‘near-native-speaker’
proficiency, mastery of the intonation patterns of the target
language is essential: even if every vowel and every consonant
is perfect, a faulty intonation will betray the foreigner as a
foreigner.
20.1.2 The point is made in the introductory chapter to this
book (1.1.1) that it is impossible to give, in writing, a fully
adequate description of the pronunciation of a language. This
is even more true, certainly as far as French is concerned, in
the case of intonation than in the case of individual sounds.
One reason for this is the complexity and, to some extent,
the unpredictability of French intonational patterns. Another
reason is that, whereas well established systems of notation