Prosodic Patterns in English Conversation (Hardcover)

Nigel G. Ward

ISBN 10: 1107181062 / ISBN 13: 9781107181069

Published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2019

About this Item

Hardcover. Language is more than words: it includes the prosodic features and patterns that we use, subconsciously, to frame meanings and achieve our goals in our interaction with others. Here, Nigel G. Ward explains how we do this, going beyond intonation to show how pitch, timing, intensity and voicing properties combine to form meaningful temporal configurations: prosodic constructions. Bringing together new findings and hitherto-scattered observations from phonetic and pragmatic studies, this book describes over twenty common prosodic patterns in English conversation. Using examples from real conversations, it illustrates how prosodic constructions serve essential functions such as inviting, showing approval, taking turns, organizing ideas, reaching agreement, and evoking action. Prosody helps us establish rapport and nurture relationships, but subtle differences in prosody across languages and subcultures can be damagingly misunderstood. The findings presented here will enable both native speakers of English and learners to listen more sensitively and communicate more effectively. A comprehensive resource that catalogues the most common and useful prosodic patterns in English, explaining how we weave together intonation, loudness variation, and timing to frame words, tie meanings together, and achieve our goals in conversation. Ideal for courses on phonetics, pragmatics, and English as a second language. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781107181069

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Prosodic Patterns in English Conversation (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
• Publication Date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1107181062
• ISBN 13: 9781107181069
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Language is more than words: it includes the prosodic features and patterns that we use, subconsciously, to frame meanings and achieve our goals in our interaction with others. Here, Nigel G. Ward explains how we do this, going beyond intonation to show how pitch, timing, intensity and voicing properties combine to form meaningful temporal configurations: prosodic constructions. Bringing together new findings and hitherto-scattered observations from phonetic and pragmatic studies, this book describes over twenty common prosodic patterns in English conversation. Using examples from real conversations, it illustrates how prosodic constructions serve essential functions such as inviting, showing approval, taking turns, organizing ideas, reaching agreement, and evoking action. Prosody helps us establish rapport and nurture relationships, but subtle differences in prosody across languages and subcultures can be damagingly misunderstood. The findings presented here will enable both native speakers of English and learners to listen more sensitively and communicate more effectively.

About the Author

Nigel G. Ward is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas, El Paso. He has published widely in human-computer interaction and speech technology as applied to spoken dialog systems, information retrieval, and second language learning, and is Chair of the Speech Prosody Special Interest Group of the International Communication Association.