Prosodic Phrase In Spoken Czech

Prosodic Phrase in Spoken Czech

The monograph Prosodic Phrase in Spoken Czech provides a missing source of information on a crucial element in the sound structure of the Czech language: the prosodic phrase. The introductory chapters offer a concise lead-in even to non-specialists: they explain the nature and typical approaches to speech prosody and offer an overview of the commonly used hierarchy of prosodic units. The core of the study is based on speech material that was produced with legitimate communicative intents: storytelling, newsreading and poetry reciting. Prosodic phrases in the given material are described in terms of their phonetic structure, acoustic properties, and a specific syntactic issue. Moreover, the perceptual importance of prosodic phrasing is discussed together with a presentation of original perception experiments. A short chapter is dedicated to automatic detection of prosodic breaks by artificial neural networks. Apart from interesting facts about a core unit of prosodic structure, the prosodic phrase, the book can serve as a source of data in designing further experiments with natural language.

Effective and attractive communication signals in social, cultural, and business contexts

English Prosody in First and Second Language Speakers

Discover the intricate dynamics of L2 prosody with this pioneering study, which examines how advanced learners from Czech, German, and Spanish backgrounds engage with British and American English intonation. By employing a multidimensional approach - spanning phonetic, phonological, discourse-pragmatic, and sociolinguistic perspectives - this book provides a comprehensive overview of L2 prosodic features, highlighting patterns of intonational phrasing, f0 range, and the use of tones and uptalk. Building on foundational works by Pierrehumbert, Mennen, and Gut, this work bridges significant gaps in the field by comparing different L1 and L2 varieties, integrating diverse linguistic variables, and proposing a multifactorial model of L2 prosody. Relevant for linguists, language educators, and researchers in SLA, the findings offer valuable insights for reducing foreign accents and enhancing intelligibility, making it an essential resource for improving language teaching methodologies and learner outcomes. Dive into this essential guide and elevate your understanding of L2 prosody and its impact on effective communication.