Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In...
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![Page 1: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
ProsodicsLO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning
Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi Wolf and Deborah Cameron in the articles you read for homework.
• What is vocal fry? (Can you do it?)
• Why does it make women sound ‘less competent, less trustworthy, less educated and less hireable’?
• What is ‘uptalk’? Why is this speech pattern also seen as controversial?
• What reasons do some women give for using particular speech patterns?
• What reasons does Naomi Wolf give for persuading women to alter the way they speak?
• What does Deborah Cameron say about the origins of phenomena such as ‘vocal fry’ and uptalk?
• What does Cameron suggest about the inconsistencies of the criticisms of these vocal phenomena?
• In what ways is ‘policing’ women’s language like the beauty industry?
Thinking forward: these issues are also relevant to ‘Language and Gender’ which we will explore next
term.
![Page 2: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Prosodics is a non-verbal way of creating meaning• Prosodics includes:
• Variations in pitch and intonation (uptalk and vocal fry are examples of this)• Variations in volume• Variations in speed
• What variations do you notice in this clip? Make notes as you watch.
• Why do you think these variations occurred? Consider the context and who the text producers and receivers are.
• What about this speech? In what ways does the context of the speech influence the prosodics here?
![Page 3: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Thinking about prosodics in more detail• Different intonation patterns can considerably change meaning. How would
you change the intonation of ‘Well done!’ to sound either sarcastic or genuine?
• Rising intonation is often indicative of questioning, a lack of certainty, or seeking of agreement.• “I loved that film, didn’t you?”• Remember Deborah Cameron? Why are these assumptions about meaning here
dangerous?
• Similarly, the amount of tonal variation in someone’s speech also suggests different things: level of excitement, boredom, sadness etc.
![Page 4: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Thinking about prosodics in more detail• Pitch: research has suggested that pitch can also be indicative of
emotional state• A slow and lower, falling pitch might be indicative of sadness or depression
• Pace: consider Obama’s speech. His slow, measured pace conveys calmness and reassurance – a vital message to give as a newly-elected president! Fast, muddled speech, by contrast, may suggest anxiety or panic.
![Page 5: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Thinking about prosodics in more detail• Pauses: may reflect a number of things!
• They are a natural part of unplanned, natural speech!• They might suggest awkwardness between participants and could even be
menacing.• Most obviously, they may suggest uncertainty.
• Volume: loudness often reflects status, as superiors would be more likely to raise their voices to subordinates (consider a teacher in a classroom).
• Stress: we put stresses on particular words in order to emphasise them.
![Page 6: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Thinking about prosodics in more detail• Prosodics may also (perhaps unfairly/unintentionally) convey messages about personality.
• Extroverts, for example, tend to speak more loudly and more rapidly than others, and often at a higher pitch and with fewer pauses.
• Others may see this as assertive and it is often associated with competence.
• ‘Type A’ personalities (driven, ambitious and susceptible to sudden heart attacks!) speak with a loud, fast, ‘explosive’ style (Argyle, 1993).
• Thinking point: why might this be problematic? To what extent can we make these generalisations?
![Page 7: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Watch the clips again, this time using your notes to help you delve into more detail.• This clip is Obama’s inauguration speech.
• This speech is Andy Murray’s Wimbledon win.
• Extension: are there problems with the way we are interpreting these speeches? What assumptions might we, as an audience, be making that are erroneous?
![Page 8: Prosodics LO: to develop our understanding about how sounds are used to create meaning Starter: In pairs, discuss these issues that were raised by Naomi.](https://reader035.fdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022081821/56649f335503460f94c4fe5c/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Homework
• Next lesson we will be looking at graphology, the study of how layout, space, images, colour and font can help convey meaning.
• Find a text and be ready to talk about it next lesson. Remember to consider:• Layout• Space• Images• Colour• Font
• Advertisements and food wrappers are particularly good for this, but also consider children’s books.