Answers
Mar 27, 2013 - 04:30 AM
Other than Sonia, the tutors and voice actors are native Italian speakers, so in my opinion we should try to intonate the questions as they do.
Mar 27, 2013 - 02:38 PM
Thanks Carol, that's kind of what I figured. Still curious though, are we hearing the "authentic Tuscan accent here?" Just wondering if anyone can confirm.
Apr 06, 2013 - 10:43 AM
I love this question! I have noticed the same thing. I feel like my voice is much lower when I speak Italian. And often I realize that my intonation of a phrase is not quite what the native speaker is doing, and I try to adjust it.
Apr 06, 2013 - 11:49 AM
How would you describe what you hear? I think I hear more of a flat or dropping intonation in questions than would be normal for English. For example, "`E lontano da qui?" The intonation of "qui" rises but immediately drops. In "Sei stata al museo?" I hear the "o" in "museo" as definitely dropping down after the "e", although perhaps not quite as low as the beginning of the sentence. Is that the key -- that it must be at or above the main tone of the question? If it were a sentence, "Sei stata al museo," the ending would be lower than the beginning of the sentence. Is that how you hear it, Riff251?
Apr 07, 2013 - 11:01 AM
Erin, I can’t speak to your specific examples but I’ve definitely noticed similar examples throughout the course. (I’m currently in level 1, session 26) I first noticed the Italian intonations in level 1, session 1, with the pronoun Lei. This definitely sounds like a two-syllable word to me; (Lay′-e) with the final “e” much less pronounced, lower in pitch, and quickly cut off. I suppose the quicker one speaks it disappears completely but other pronouns are also two syllables (io, lui, loro) so why not ‘lei’?
In general, I think I’m noticing that unlike english questions, italian intonation starts high at the beginning and drops lower toward the end. The final word (or syllable) sometimes slightly rises again. Compare in english, “Do you speak english?” to the italian, “Lei parla inglese?”
Could this be their spoken clue that they are asking a question? In this way you know from the first word or two a question is coming, unlike english where we use words like Do you, Can I, etc. to indicate a question.
In general, I think I’m noticing that unlike english questions, italian intonation starts high at the beginning and drops lower toward the end. The final word (or syllable) sometimes slightly rises again. Compare in english, “Do you speak english?” to the italian, “Lei parla inglese?”
Could this be their spoken clue that they are asking a question? In this way you know from the first word or two a question is coming, unlike english where we use words like Do you, Can I, etc. to indicate a question.
Apr 10, 2013 - 01:43 PM
Two things about this. (1) There are differences in pronunciation among native Italian speakers even on the Fluenz disks themselves. For instance, in lesson 4/3. there are varying emphases on the "s" in "svegliarsi." (There were stronger examples earlier in the course.) To me, that just reflects the varying pronunciations throughout Italy, some of which have the status of distinct dialects. We need to get used to it. (2) This is a side issue that has nothing to do with Italian, but I have noticed a tendency among American young people to end declarative sentences on an up-note, as though it's a question. CNN's Jeanne Moos does this all the time. I find it very distracting, as though she's not sure of what she's saying. I think it's part of the Valley Girl speech pattern.