PITCH HEIGHT AND PITCH RANGE IN SERBIAN EFL STUDENTS’ READING AND SPEAKING TASKS

Authors

  • Tatjana Paunović University of Nis, Faculty of Philosophy

Keywords:

intonation, prosodic cues, F0, pitch range, key, pitch height, pitch movement, Serbian EFL students

Abstract

The use of prosodic/intonational cues in spoken communication is attracting growing attention from both theoretical and research perspectives, which is particularly important for L2 teaching, where the appropriate use of prosodic cues is a vital communicative goal. In EFL study, the prosodic cues related to F0 and pitch range manipulation, used as markers of various intonation functions, are particularly important. In this paper, we present a study involving first-year English Department students and their use of F0-related prosodic cues – pitch range, pitch level, and movement – in reading and speaking tasks. The findings showed that EFL students used pitch-related cues appropriately to signal unit boundaries and prosodic prominence, while for interactional and illocutionary signals the use of both pitch range and pitch contours was much less appropriate. The pitch range used for reading dialogues was only slightly higher but not wider, and the participants neither expanded the pitch range for focused utterance parts, nor did they compress the pitch range for backgrounded and parenthesised parts. The reading task proved to be more challenging than speaking in some aspects, but the participants used a narrower, mid-level pitch range in speaking, as well as inappropriate, rising pitch contours.

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Published

12-31-2015

How to Cite

Paunović, T. (2015). PITCH HEIGHT AND PITCH RANGE IN SERBIAN EFL STUDENTS’ READING AND SPEAKING TASKS. Nasleđe, 12(32), 73–94. Retrieved from http://35.189.211.7/index.php/nasledje/article/view/695

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Thematic issue ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE: CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES