Discourse Analysis & Phonology

Turn-taking

• Speakers can signal a desire to continue a speaking turn by :
• using low pitch
• pause to stop or continue
• low pitch for ending statement
• syntax, lexis, non-verbal communication & context
• Types of tones are not easy to separate. (good example p. 105 4.39)

Pitch Across Speakers

• Matching or concord in pitch between speakers is a phenomenon.
• e.g: 4.59
• 4.60
• 4.61
• Phonology is complex. Not straightforward pedagogy.
• Several parts of the system can be scrutinized.
• But the entire discourse is significance.
• Levels of choice of speakers.
• Importance of speakers’ choice.
• Changing role of participants in conversations

Suggestions for Teachers.

• Expose students to basic everyday functions
• --simple fall/fall-rise
• Expose them to contextualized key system
• --through dialogues.
• Pitch—through prepared talks & anecdote telling.
• *All these done in a discrete manner.

Opinions on tone

• 1) intonation has grammatical function.
• e.g: Qs—correct interrogative
• intonation is essential.
• --tag qs
• --subordinate clause
• e.g: The woman I saw yesterday
• is my mother’s friend.

• 2) Attitudinal Approaches
• Good example
• (p.10)
• —some intonations express surprise, detachment, etc.
• Good activity (p.107)--*9.

• Stress and intonation deal with attitudes, moods and emotions.
• Attitude and emotions are complex combination of vocal cues, intonation, lexis, context and non verbal behaviour.

• Choice of tone is independent of the choice of grammatical form. It is the speakers’ assessment of the conducive character of the question that is important.
• e.g: 1) WHAT’s the Time?
• 2) WHAT’s the Time?
• Speakers need to judge what tone to use.
• Open and Closed meanings?

• Key.
• The relative level of pitch can move and are interchangeable.
• e.g : 4.57
• The jump from high to low key is important cues in management.
• (high key initiation)
• (low key ending)

Good Reading

• SIGNAL ANALYSIS SOFTWARE FOR TEACHING DISCOURSE INTONATION
• Discourse Analysis