<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The management of given and new information is one of the key components of accomplishing coherence in oral discourse, which is claimed to be a problematic area for language learners (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_005_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ab5Aa">Celce-Murcia, Dörnyei, and Thurrell 1995: 14</xref>). Research on discourse intonation proposes that instead of the given/new dichotomy, givenness should be viewed as a continuum, with different types of accessibility (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_002_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ab2Aa">Baumann &amp; Grice 2006</xref>). Moreover, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_033_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ac33Aa">Prince (1992)</xref> previously categorized information structure into Hearer-old/Hearer-new and Discourse-old/Discourse-new information. There is consensus on the fact that focus or prominence associated with new information is marked with nuclear pitch accent, and its main acoustic cue, fundamental frequency (f0) (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_042_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ac42Aa">Ward &amp; Birner 2001: 120</xref>). Non-native intonation has been reported to display numerous differences in f0 range and patterns compared to native speech (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_043_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ac43Aa">Wennerstrom 1994</xref>; <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_001_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ab1Aa">Baker 2010</xref>). This study is an attempt to address the issue of marking information structure in existential <italic>there</italic> sentences by means of f0 in non-native spontaneous speech. Data originates from task-based interactions in the Wildcat Corpus of Native- and Foreign-Accented English (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_011_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ac11Aa">Van Engen et al. 2010</xref>). This paper examines two issues: (1) information structure in relation to the notions of givenness and different types of accessibility (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_002_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ab2Aa">Baumann &amp; Grice 2006</xref>) and to <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_ausp-2016-0023_ref_033_w2aab2b8b3b1b7b1ab1ac33Aa">Prince’s (1992)</xref> multidimensional taxonomy and (2) the use of f0 peaks to mark the prominence of new information. Several differences were measured among native speakers regarding the use of f0, sentence type, and complexity.</p></abstract>

The management of given and new information is one of the key components of accomplishing coherence in oral discourse, which is claimed to be a problematic area for language learners (Celce-Murcia, Dörnyei, and Thurrell 1995: 14). Research on discourse intonation proposes that instead of the given/new dichotomy, givenness should be viewed as a continuum, with different types of accessibility (Baumann & Grice 2006). Moreover, Prince (1992) previously categorized information structure into Hearer-old/Hearer-new and Discourse-old/Discourse-new information. There is consensus on the fact that focus or prominence associated with new information is marked with nuclear pitch accent, and its main acoustic cue, fundamental frequency (f0) (Ward & Birner 2001: 120). Non-native intonation has been reported to display numerous differences in f0 range and patterns compared to native speech (Wennerstrom 1994; Baker 2010). This study is an attempt to address the issue of marking information structure in existential there sentences by means of f0 in non-native spontaneous speech. Data originates from task-based interactions in the Wildcat Corpus of Native- and Foreign-Accented English (Van Engen et al. 2010). This paper examines two issues: (1) information structure in relation to the notions of givenness and different types of accessibility (Baumann & Grice 2006) and to Prince’s (1992) multidimensional taxonomy and (2) the use of f0 peaks to mark the prominence of new information. Several differences were measured among native speakers regarding the use of f0, sentence type, and complexity.

Discourse Intonation and Information Structure: An Empirical Study of Existential <italic>There</italic> Constructions in Non-native Spontaneous Speech

Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Philologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Discourse Intonation and Information Structure: An Empirical Study of Existential  Constructions in Non-native Spontaneous Speech

The management of given and new information is one of the key components of accomplishing coherence in oral discourse, which is claimed to be a problematic...

Discourse Intonation and Information Structure: An Empirical Study of Existential There Constructions in Non-native Spontaneous Speech

Publié en ligne: 07 févr. 2017

Pages: 139 - 153

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ausp-2016-0023

Mots clés
non-native Englishes, discourse intonation, information structure, prominence, pitch accent

© 2016 Judit Nagy, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Discourse Intonation and Information Structure: An Empirical Study of Existential There Constructions in Non-native Spontaneous Speech

Publié en ligne: 07 févr. 2017

Pages: 139 - 153

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ausp-2016-0023

Mots clésnon-native Englishes, discourse intonation, information structure, prominence, pitch accent

© 2016 Judit Nagy, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
non-native Englishes, discourse intonation, information structure, prominence, pitch accent