Prosody:Articulating Speaking and Listening

Bryan P. Antunes

CELIN - UFPR

STRESS

• It is both the strongest syllable and the signature of a word.

DESERT / DESSERT

RECORD / TO RECORD

PERFECT / TO PERFECT

FOREING / FOR RAIN

HIS STORY / HISTORY

MELODY

“In English, changes in pitch help listeners follow the speaker’s

meaning because these melodic signals provide cohesion and

contrast. Not only do they tell listeners what is new information, but

they also tell listeners how ideas relate to each other. They help

listeners to understand how the speaker intends to make connections

with what came before (orientation) and what will follow in the

conversation (prediction).” - Judy B. Gilbert

THOUGHT GROUPS

How do you say these in Portuguese? And in English?

2 + (3 x 4) vs (2 + 3) x 4

Danny arrived late so he missed half the movie.

I have finished my remarks and it is now your turn to speak

FOCUS WORD

Danny arrived late - so he missed half the movie.

I have finished my remarks - and it is now your turn to speak

CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LISTEN...

(Oprah) - … Did you know all was well was gonna be the last line you always

knew that

(J. K. Rowling) - Well that’s a really good question ‘cause for a long time the last

word was gonna be scar it was it was just worded differently and I had said that

to fans the last word would be scar and then I changed my mind I just wanted

the last words to be all was well yeah

1. Separate this extract in thought groupsusing ‘//’ to mark them.

(Oprah) - … Did you know // all was well // was gonna be the last line // you

always knew that//

(J. K. Rowling) – Well // that’s a really good question // ‘cause for a long time //

the last word was gonna be // scar // it was it was just worded differently // and I

had said that to fans // the last word would be scar // and then I changed my

mind // I just wanted the last words to be // all was well // yeah

2. Listen and circle the focus words you hear.

(Oprah) - … Did you know // all was well // was gonna be the last line // you

always knew that//

(J. K. Rowling) – Well // that’s a really good question // ‘cause for a long time //

the last word was gonna be // scar // it was it was just // worded differently //

and I had said that to fans // the last word would be scar // and then I changed

my mind // I just wanted the last words to be // all was well // yeah

2. Listen and circle the focus words you hear.

Implications of emphasis and de-emphasis

JOHN SAID THE BOSS IS LAZY

a) Were you in the bank on Friday?

b) Were you in the bank on Friday?

c) Were you in the bank on Friday?

d) Were you in the bank on Friday?

1. No, but my sister was.

2. No, I was there Saturday.

3. No, but I was near it.

4. No, I worked Friday.

CONNECTED SPEECHTHREE TYPES OF COMBINATION: WORD1 + WORD2

a) Final Consonant + First Vowel

What about a nice orange juice?

b) Final Consonant = First Consonant

I have very old clothes.

c) Final ‘T’ and ‘D’ disappear before First Consonant

What kind of music do you like?I don’t knowIt was a rapid change.

(Oprah) - … Did you know all was well was gonna be the last line you always

knew that

(J. K. Rowling) - Well that’s a really good question ‘cause for a long time the last

word was gonna be scar it was (…) it was just worded differently (…) and I had

said that to fans the last word would be scar and then I changed my mind (…) I

just wanted the last words to be all was well yeah

3. Predict possible connections in the extract

(Oprah) - … Did you know all was well was gonna be the last line you always

knew that

(J. K. Rowling) - Well that’s a really good question ‘cause for a long time the last

word was gonna be scar it was (…) it was just worded differently (…) and I had

said that to fans the last word would be scar and then I changed my mind (…) I

just wanted the last words to be all was well yeah

3. Predict possible connections in the extract