Discourse Analysis

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Discourse Analysis Phonology

• Phonology is a branch of linguistics, closely
  related to phonetics.
• It studies the manners of organization and usage
  of the speech sounds in natural languages.
• Phonetics deals with the smallest chunks of
  language, yet it is in connection with other
  linguistic disciplines like morphology, because
  adding morphemes may change the meaning of words
  and their pronunciation, frequently following
  patterns-eg. work er worker.
• Phonetics is also related with syntax, as
  depending on a function of a word in a sentence
  it can be pronounced differently with a shifted
  phrasal stress and with changed intonation-eg.
  Who are you? Who are you!
• Similarly, this branch of linguistics is
  connected with semantics because of intonation
  constraints. While phonetics studies the
  production and perception of the speech sounds
  (for instance, in the expression 'London
  photography', phonetics would analyze all the
  sounds present in the words 'London' and
  'photography', describing how they are produced).
  
• phonology is more interested in the abstract,
  that is mental aspects of these sounds. It
  inquiries into and describes the patterns of
  sounds and sound types which native speakers
  acquire intuitively.
• http//tlumaczenia-angielski.info/linguistics/phon
  ology.htm

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• Teaching has often focused on practicing of
  phonemes eg. /p/, /b/ ( in isolation) or in words
  eg. Pump bump
• Vowels in words are generally affected by the
  surrounding consonants .(Good morning Good
  Evening) refer to page 89 MC.

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• According to Pennington RichardsPronunciation
  is important to determine correct meaning of
  words.
• RhythmSegmental or phoneme-based
• -- Prosodicstress intonation
• Pronunciation can cause problem or difficulty in
  understanding each other.

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• Strong
• Beats/stress (Examples
  4.1- 4.3)
• Weak

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Important Element in The Teaching of Spoken
English

• English has
• i) rhythmicality of different degrees in speeches
  
• of
• broadcast
• fluent reading
• speeches
• monologues
• ordinary conversation
• ii) stress-timed L -
• --stress timing
• --syllable-timing
• --e.g the word extraordinary,
  mother, etc.

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• Prominence -
• Syllables which stand out in the flow of talk
• Because speaker has uttered them with greater
  intensity or duration or pitch duration.
• Sentence stress is also called tonic.
• e.g JA pan ESE, or
• Japan eSe, never
• JaPAnese.
• Good example 4.16

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• Word-stress Prominence
• The knowledge about syllables that may be
  prominent is useful.
• In context primary secondary stress is
  important.
• e.g When I was in college, I had many Japanese
  friends.

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Placing of Prominence

• e.g 4.17, 4.18 4.19
• Interactive choice is important.
• When we consider prominence in discourse, we are
  considering the extent to which speakers
  listeners worlds converge.
• e.g 4.21 ( I can take you right to the door if
  you wish).
• --The emphasis on to instead of door.
• e.g In Islam, one who seeks knowledge must
  practice humility.
• .

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• Good practiceActivity 5 (97).
• Function non-function words can be given
  prominence as well.
• e.g 4.22, 4.23 4.24.
• Problems with prominencemisunderstandings about
  word stress esp. in compound words.
• e.g You can publish your poem in the
• newsletter.
• Teacher needs to observe learners speech to seek
  problem in misplaced of prominence

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Intonational Unit.

• Intonation is essential to interprete meaning e.g
  sarcasm, surprise, querry, teasing etc.
• Cant really be taught but the more you are
  exposed to it, the more conversant you are about
  the right intonation for specific intention.
• According to linguists, intonation is related to
  information structure of utterances.
• Halliday believes that speakers decide how to
  segment information.
• e.g I know I am far from being a perfect
  Muslim. I am still unsure of the state I will be
  in when my Creator finally calls me up. I am
  worried whether I would pass the test, ie. the
  pain, the agony, especially during sakaratul
  maut (death throes).

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• Nuclear prominence projects what the speaker
  decides is new in the tone.
• e.g 4.30
• 4.31 words in bold are the
  newsworthy
• 4.32
• Speakers decide on the information that needs to
  be distributed in tone groups where tonic is
  placed.
• Decisions rests on assessing what needs to be
  highlighted to the listener.
• (new given)
• Info Background info (obvious in the
  context)

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• Prominence --
• may be used to draw the listeners attention to a
  wide variety of
• phenomenon in the discourse,
• including markings of the speakers turn
• a new topic
• emphasis on contrast or giving new info

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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)

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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

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Suggestions for Teachers.

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

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Opinions on tone

• 1) intonation has grammatical function.
• e.g Qscorrect interrogative
• intonation is essential.
• --tag qs
• --subordinate clause
• e.g The woman I saw yesterday
• is my mothers friend.

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

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• 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.

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• 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) WHATs the Time?
• 2) WHATs the Time?
• Speakers need to judge what tone to use.
• Open and Closed meanings?

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• 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)

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Good Reading

• SIGNAL ANALYSIS SOFTWARE FOR TEACHING DISCOURSE
  INTONATION
• Discourse Analysis

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