Abstract and Key Words

Abstract: This paper takes several dialogues in Friends as examples, discussing the characteristics and the communicational functions of English intonation, which aims to illustrate the composition, the different characteristics and the different uses of tunes. The idea - tunes will not change the meanings of vocabularies in sentences, but the meanings of sentences will change when different tunes are used – is put forward. This paper considers that different tunes may give the same sentences different meanings, sometimes even the opposite. Obviously, in oral English, tunes play a very important role in conveying meanings.

Key words: English intonation; tune; characteristics; functions

摘要：本文以美剧《老友记》中多个对话为例，讨论了英语语调特点及交际功能，旨在对英语语调的组成、功能特点以及不同声调的运用一一求证。本文提出了“语调不会改变句子里词汇的意思，但语调使用的差异会使句意产生差异”的观点。本文认为，不同的语调能使同一句话表达不同的、有时甚至是截然相反的意思。因此，在英语的口语表达中，语调占有非常重要的位置。

关键词：英语语调；声调；特点；功能

1. Introduction
Languages that use pitch to signal a difference in meaning between words are referred to as tone languages, for example Chinese. In Chinese, pitch changes are used to distinguish meanings of words. Unlike Chinese, English words do not own a fixed pitch. One word can be said in any pitches. English is called an intonation language which means tones functions at sentences level.
In oral communication, intonation plays an important role no less than the meanings of the words, phrases and grammar. Some phoneticians even say that intonation study is prior to other linguistic studies. Roger Kingdom once said “Intonation is the soul of a language, while the pronunciation of its sounds is its body”. By using different tunes, speakers are able to express different meanings, to show different feelings, attitude, particular emotions and mood. And this is also true to the listeners.
In the passed years, phoneticians have done a lot of researches and many theories are put forward. With a train of reasoning afterwards, then came the systems: Armstrong and Ward’s Scalar system, Roger kingdom’s tonetic stress-mark system, Halliday’s graphic system, Harold E. Palmer’s tonal indicator system, David Brazil’s system and Kenneth L. Pike’s system..
Although English intonation has already been lift up and its functions have been defined gradually, these are not so easy to be comprehended by college students. Intonation and its functions are still strange to our students. So the paper will pick some dialogues in popular TV series Friends to discuss the characteristics and functions of English intonation.