Scholarly record

PERCEPTUAL CORRELATES OF ENGLISH SPONTANEOUS AND READ-ALOUD SPEECH

Y. Filyasova

Abstract

Spontaneous speech is perceptually different from its read-aloud speaking mode variant. The question is: What particular prosodic features make this difference possible? A number of attempts have been made to identify the role of certain prosodic parameters in differentiating spontaneous from read-aloud speech. This paper presents the results of a comparative perceptual analysis of spontaneous and read-aloud speech, obtained on identical material, characterized by neutral pronunciation style. Spontaneous speech (monologue) was produced and then read by a native speaker of British English. Hesitation pauses, filled and unfilled, were then deleted. Perceptually, spontaneous and read-aloud types of speech were identified by 52% and 55% of respondents, respectively. Comments, made by the respondents, showed that at the initial stage of prosodic information analysis, 75% of them were able to distinguish between these two types of speech correctly, indicating distinctive features; however, the final interpretation of these prosodic characteristics at the decision-making stage was different. It can be concluded that F0 alone, in the absence of hesitation phenomena, did not appear to be perceptually a sufficient prosodic parameter for differentiating spontaneous from read-aloud speech.

Publication Impact Profile

No metrics available.

PLUMX see details

DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2018/3.6/S14.059

Publication details

Back to publication list