Записки з романо-германської філології (Apr 2015)
Peculiarities of the oral information perception in the English lecture (a comparative analysis of perceptual and acoustic parameters of tempo)
Abstract
The article contains the results of an experimental phonetic study of the temporal organization of a lecture in English. In the course of the experiment a comparative analysis of perceptual and acoustic parameters has been carried out. Statistically relevant indicators of tempo of speech that affect cognitive mechanisms of perception have been identified. The aim of the article is to present the results of an experimental phonetic study of the temporal organization of a lecture in English. The choice of such an object of research is supported by the fact that information contained in a lecture is mostly perceived audibly, thus a research into how a lecture is framed prosodiacally is of key importance in the understanding of the specific nature of the complex and multi-factored process of perception. Relevance of such an investigation is motivated by the fact that the degree to which tempo influences cognitive processes in reception and modification of sensor information during speech perception has never been adequately studied. It is obvious that in the process of audial perception the first stage is recognize the sonic signal which serves as the basis for further decoding and processing of information retrieved. Our hypothesis states that in the process of reception information that is actualized at the level of prosody will influence the way other levels of speech are understood, and as such knowledge codified in a message will reach its maximum potential transmission effect. Out of components of prosody tempo is one of the basic speech characteristics which determine perception of information orally. Statistically relevant change of tempo was identified in the slots which presented new information during experimental lectures. In “good” samples tempo of presenting new information is slower than in “bad” samples by 30,86%. Based on our methodology within blocks of new information the difference in slowing up is 1,45, which gives us grounds to say that this parameter of prosody imfluences greatly effective prosodiac actualization of cognitive strategies in English-speaking lecture discourse. In terms of general tempo of samples, as well as tempo in blocks of background knowledge, no relevant differences were identified. Based on the research done we can say with a high degree of certainty that the quality of perception of information in a lecture decreases as the tempo increases. It is best to take moderate tempo for the majority of a lecture and modify it at certain slots of a lecture.
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