OBJECTIVES:
a. name the different prosodic features;
b. write a script wherein prosodic features
are used inappropriately; and
c. act out the written script in front of the
class.
PROSODIC
FEATURES
EJ DEANNE G. LOGARTA
PROSODIC FEATURES
- also called as suprasegmental features
- aspects of speech which go beyond
phonemes and deal with the auditory
qualities of sound
- a collective term used to describe variations
of pauses, pitch, stress, volume and
tempo
ACTIVITY #1
Read sample sentences. Using context clues and
suprasegemental features, identify the differences in
meaning of each sentence.
1. You love him.
You love him?
2. *Observe how Geo projects his emotions
in acting.
*The SSG Officers funded the school’s Air
Conditioning project.
PROSODIC FEATURES
Pauses
Pitch
Stress
Volume
PAUSE
Pause as hesitation is a non-fluency
feature. However, intentional pauses are
used to define units of grammatical
construction, such as sentences or
clauses. These can be indicated in writing
by full stops, colons, semi-colons and
commas.
PAUSE
Pause / as hesitation / is a non-fluency
feature. However, / intentional pauses / a
re used / to define / units of grammatical
construction, / such as sentences / or
clauses. These / can be indicated in
writing / by full stops, / colons, /
semi-colons / and commas.
Example:
Let’s eat Grandma!
vs.
Let’s eat, Grandma!
*note: Use comma, it saves lives
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman; without her, man is nothing.
Example:
I’ve been staring at the edge of the water
As long as I can remember
Never really knowing why
I wish I could be the perfect daughter
But I come back to the water
No matter how hard I try
Every turn I take, every trail I track
Every path I make, every road leads back
To the place I know, where I cannot go
Where I long to be
PITCH
intonation
the way speakers raise the pitch at the end
of a question, and this is indicated by a
question mark in writing
patterns of rise and fall can also indicate
feelings (astonishment, boredom or
puzzlement) and these can be shown in
writing or in verbal communication
Example:
A foreigner visited the Philippines. He
wanted a tour around Manila, so he rode a
jeepney. While inside the jeep, he hear
d a conversation between the driver and a
passenger.
Driver: Bababa ba?
Passenger: Bababa!
Foreigner: Are you minions?
STRESS
- relative emphasis that may be given to
certain syllables in a word, or a certain
word in a sentence
- a stressed word or syllable is usually
preceded by a very slight pause, and is
spoken at slightly increased volume
Example:
Word Level –
proJECT (verb) – PROject (noun)
Sentence Level –
I love you
I love you
I love you
VOLUME
Apart from the slight increase in loudness to
indicate stress, volume is generally used to
show emotions such as fear or anger. In
writing, it can be shown by the use of an
exclamation mark, or typographically with
capitals or italics (or both).
ACTIVITY #2
Construct two similar sentences. Add a prosodic feature,
and explain how these two sentences became different
from each other.
EXAMPLE:
intonation: You live in that house.
You live in that house?
explanation:
The first sentence states a declarative sentence, where the
speaker is telling someone he lives in that house. The second
sentence it looking for clarification on whether the person he is
talking to lives in that house.
GROUP ACTIVITY
On a ½ crosswise, write a script depicting
different scenarios in which prosodic features
were used inappropriately. Each group will
perform in front of the class
Criteria:
Prosodic Features Present 5pts
Script 5pts
Group Participation 5pts_
TOTAL 15pts
