Special Occasion Public Speech: Rhetorical and Prosodic Aspects

Current research focuses on the modern British special occasion speech, particularly the genre of receiving an award. The aim of this work is to identify the rhetorical and prosodic features of the British special occasion speech. This aim suggests the following objectives: 1. studying the genre-specific features of the modern special occasion speech; 2. describing the rhetorical characteristics of the special occasion speech; 3. identifying the national specific characteristics of the British special occasion speech; 4. establishing and describing the prosodic features of public speeches at the award ceremony. To accomplish the goals of this study a complex method of research was used, it comprised a critical analysis of literature, rhetorical and phonetic analysis of the speech material. The results of this research can be useful for mastering the skills of oral speech, pronunciation studies and the basics of public speech in English. The observations made in the course of the research, can be used to develop the phonetic and rhetorical competence of EFL students.