From the course: Public Speaking for Non-Native English Speakers

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Three inflections to know: Part 2

Three inflections to know: Part 2

From the course: Public Speaking for Non-Native English Speakers

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Three inflections to know: Part 2

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- So we've learned about the importance of the downward or falling inflection and its relationship to sounding confident. Let's turn to the second inflection, the upward or rising inflection. Which is mostly used when asking a yes or no question. Are you going to the movies? Do you want something to drink? But often in the U.S. you'll hear this inflection being overused by both first language speakers and secondary language English speakers. Here's what it sounds like. We'll talk to the developers and they'll create a new API? But we want to make sure it's good? So, we'll review it thoroughly? Can you hear it, how it keeps going up at the end? That repetition is tiring for native speakers to listen to continually because it almost demands that we answer by nodding our head or saying mm hmm, mm hmm, as if we're answering their question all the time. And there is research to suggest that this constant use of the upward…

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