First and second language prosodyA study on speech production, perception and pragmatic features

Resumen

In this seminar we explore the prosody of first and second languages and their interface with pragmatics and spoken discourse features in English, Spanish and Swedish. Speech prosodic features involve multiple and complex acoustic and perceptual physical parameters that become crucial in spoken communication. However, prosody is not only the physical manifestation of speech. It is an important organizing principle influencing not only the expression of attitude and emotion but also the interpersonal and textual metafunctions. A language prosody has a powerful role to create relevance to both the message and the social and linguistic context. Therefore, the relationship between prosody and discourse is central to the understanding and interpretation of speech and its pragmatic meaning (cf. Johns-Lewis, 1986; Pierrehumbert and Hirschberg, 1990; Couper-Kühlen and Selting, 1996; Brazil, 1997; Heritage, 1997; Wichmann, 2000; Ramírez-Verdugo, 2008). Given its importance, it should be a key competence when teaching and learning a second language.