What role does prosody play in conveying meaning and nuance in spoken language? Could you provide examples of how changes in intonation, rhythm, and stress can alter the interpretation of a sentence or discourse?
Dear Ahmad,
A very important question. A lot of phoneticians argue that the tone of voice rather than the lexical content provides the message the speaker tries to convey.
There are both classic and recent texts that deal with this in detail:
Duncan Jr, S., & Niederehe, G. (1974). On signalling that it's your turn to speak. Journal of experimental social psychology, 10(3), 234-247.
Palmer, F. R. (1970). Prosodic Analysis. Language and Language Learning [Series] Number 25.
Knowles, G. (2014). Patterns of spoken English: An introduction to English phonetics. Routledge.
Beňuš, Š., & Beňuš, Š. (2021). Prosody II: Intonation. Investigating Spoken English: A Practical Guide to Phonetics and Phonology Using Praat, 211-234.
Yenkimaleki, M., van Heuven, V. J., & Moradimokhles, H. (2023). The effect of prosody instruction in developing listening comprehension skills by interpreter trainees: does methodology matter?. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 36(5-6), 968-1004.
There is, beyond that, the prosodic features which are 'not visible to the naked eye'. Following J.R. Firth, John Sinclair and Bill Louw speareheaded research into prosodic lexical features. The best starting point here is:
Louw, B. (1993). Irony in the text or insincerity in the writer? The diagnostic potential of semantic prosodies. Text and technology: In honour of John Sinclair, 157, 176.
Hope this is helpful!
Dear Md Farid,
There are two poles in conversation namely sender and receiver whom we generally know as speaker and listener(s).When it happens within two persons or more, the sender subconsciously or contiously expects all the listeners to believe the messages without question. Here prosody works as mechanism for 'effective communication'. Applying the properties of prosody chiefly 'pitch', 'frequency','pause' 'repetition' and sometimes 'phonemic segments' alliance the speaker transmits either factual or hypothetical messages to the listener(s).
Prosody plays a crucial role in conveying meaning and nuance in spoken language. It encompasses various elements such as intonation, rhythm, pitch, tempo, and stress patterns. Here's how changes in these prosodic features can alter the interpretation of a sentence or discourse:
1. **Emotional Expression**: Prosody can convey emotions. For example, a sentence like "I can't believe you did that" can have different meanings depending on the prosody used. With rising intonation, it might convey surprise, whereas with falling intonation, it might express anger or disappointment.
2. **Questions vs. Statements**: Intonation patterns are fundamental for distinguishing between questions and statements. A sentence like "You're coming?" with rising intonation is a question, while "You're coming." with falling intonation is a statement.
3. **Emphasis and Focus**: Stress patterns in prosody can highlight specific words or phrases, altering the focus and meaning of a sentence. For instance, "I didn't say she stole my money" can have seven different meanings depending on which word is stressed.
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (Someone else said it).
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (I only implied it).
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (She stole someone else's money).
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (She borrowed it).
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (She stole something else).
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (She stole, but not necessarily my money).
- "I didn't say she stole my money" (I said something else about it).
4. **Sarcasm and Irony**: Prosody can convey sarcasm or irony. For instance, saying "Oh, great" with a flat or falling tone can indicate sarcasm, implying the opposite of the literal meaning.
5. **Attitude and Politeness**: Changes in intonation and rhythm can signal politeness or attitude. For example, elongating the word "pleeease" with a rising pitch can make a request sound more polite and sincere.
6. **Narrative Flow**: Prosody helps convey the flow and structure of a narrative. Pauses, tempo changes, and rhythm adjustments can signal transitions between ideas, create suspense, or emphasize key points in a story.
7. **Speaker Identity**: Prosody can provide cues about the speaker's identity, including their age, gender, regional accent, and even their emotional state. This helps listeners contextualize and interpret the message.
8. **Group Dynamics**: In group conversations, prosody can indicate turn-taking and participation. A change in pitch or rhythm may signal that someone wants to speak or that a listener is engaged and interested.
9. **Conveying Complex Information**: In scientific or technical presentations, prosody can help convey complex information. For example, variations in pitch and rhythm can highlight key findings or guide the audience's attention to critical details.
In summary, prosody is a multi-dimensional aspect of spoken language that significantly influences how we interpret and understand spoken communication. It adds layers of meaning, emotion, and nuance to the words themselves, making it a vital component of effective and expressive oral communication.
Dear Ahmad,
You can also find some information in this article: Article The Backyard of EFL Teaching: Issues Behind L1 Prosodic Inte...
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