Volume 13 - Issue 80 / August 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.80.08.10
How to Cite:
Shkvorchenko, N., Rozhelyuk, I., Sharapanovska, Y., Stoianova, T., & Sieriakova, I. (2024). The power of the voice: how prosody shapes the news we hear. Amazonia Investiga, 13(80), 109-121. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2024.80.08.10
The power of the voice: how prosody shapes the news we hear
Сила голосу: як просодія формує новини, які ми чуємо
Received: July 10, 2024 Accepted: August 15, 2024
Written by:
Nataliia Shkvorchenko
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7146-7244
WoS Researcher ID: GDC-8016-2022
Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Romance and Germanic Languages and Foreign Language Teaching, International Humanitarian University, Odesa, Ukraine.
Iryna Rozhelyuk
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3972-1636
WoS Researcher ID: LIF-7568-2024
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, The Department of Romance and Germanic Languages and Foreign Language Teaching, International Humanitarian University, Odesa, Ukraine.
Yuliia Sharapanovska
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5397-2941
WoS Researcher ID: GDH-2931-2022
Doctor of Philosophy degree, Lecturer of Department of Foreign languages of professional communication, International Humanitarian University, Odesa, Ukraine.
Tetiana Stoianova
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0424-6783
WoS Researcher ID: LIF-3088-2024
Senior teacher of the Department of Translation and Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, candidate of philological sciences, South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K.D. Ushynsky, Ukraine.
Iryna Sieriakova
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6446-7070
WoS Researcher ID: N-2467-2018
Doctor of philological sciences, professor, professor of the department of philology and translation of Kyiv National University of Technology and Design, Ukraine.
Abstract
Research on prosodic influences on syntactic structures is particularly relevant in the context of modern media, where the quality and impact of speech are crucial. Contemporary news discourse is characterized by high competition for the audience's attention, so understanding the role of prosodic elements can aid in creating more engaging and effective content. With the rapid development of technology and changing ways of consuming information, researching such aspects of speech contributes to adapting news formats to the needs of the modern listener. The aim of this study is to analyze how intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress can alter or emphasize syntactic constructions in speech, specifically in news discourse. The research methodology includes methods such as analysis, psycholinguistic methods, and content analysis. The study concludes that in news discourse, prosodic elements are essential for conveying information in a way that is understandable, attention-grabbing, and memorable for listeners. For example, a pause before important information or a rise in pitch to emphasize certain news can significantly affect audience perception. Prosody, which includes intonation, rhythm, and stress, plays a crucial role in shaping the perception and understanding of information by listeners. Specific examples from news programs are analyzed, where prosodic characteristics change or enhance the meaning of individual syntactic constructions. It has been established that the correct use of prosody can improve the communicative effectiveness and impact of news content. Cases are also examined where prosodic elements contribute to creating certain emotional reactions in listeners, thereby influencing their opinions about the presented information.
Keywords: prosody, syntactic structure, discourse.
Özet
Дослідження просодичних впливів на синтаксичні структури є особливо актуальним у контексті сучасних медіа, де якість та впливовість мовлення мають вирішальне значення. Сучасний новинний дискурс характеризується високою конкуренцією за увагу аудиторії, тому розуміння ролі просодичних елементів може допомогти у створенні більш привабливого та ефективного контенту. Крім того, у зв'язку зі швидким розвитком технологій та зміною способів споживання інформації, дослідження таких аспектів мовлення сприяє адаптації новинних форматів до потреб сучасного слухача. Метою дослідження є аналіз того, як інтонація, ритм, паузи та наголос можуть змінювати або підкреслювати синтаксичні конструкції в мовленні, а саме в новинному дискурсі мовлення. Методологію дослідження складають такі методи як метод аналізу, психолінгвістичний метод, метод контент-аналізу. У результаті дослідження підсумовано, що у новинному дискурсі просодичні елементи є важливими для передачі інформації таким чином, щоб вона була зрозумілою, привертала увагу та залишилася в пам'яті слухачів. Наприклад, пауза перед важливою інформацією або підвищення тону для підкреслення певної новини може значно вплинути на сприйняття аудиторії. Просодія, яка включає інтонацію, ритм та наголос, відіграє важливу роль у формуванні сприйняття і розуміння інформації слухачами. Аналізуються конкретні приклади з новинних програм, де просодичні характеристики змінюють або підсилюють значення окремих синтаксичних конструкцій. Встановлено, що правильне використання просодії може покращити комунікативну ефективність та впливовість новинного контенту.
Ключові слова: просодія, синтаксична структура, дискурс.
Introduction
Research into non-verbal communication is significant in various fields of human interaction, such as psychology, politics, rhetoric, education, culture, and more. Paralinguistic means of communication affect self-expression, listeners' perception of the conversation topic, communication effectiveness, interpersonal relationships, and conflict resolution. The diversity of non-verbal means indicates the richness of their interpretations in the process of verbal interaction. The use of non-verbal components by the speaker contributes to a fuller understanding of the message or its correct interpretation, enhances the speaker's communicative intentions, and increases the effectiveness of their implementation during communication. In this regard, the relevance of this research is determined by the need to study the corresponding non-verbal communication means that affect the realization of the speaker's communicative intentions in news discourse.
Prosodic elements of speech include intonation, rhythm, pauses, tempo, and stress, and play a key role in information transmission and influence the audience's perception of news. The main problem of the research is to identify how prosodic means affect the formation, structuring, and perception of syntactic constructions in news speech. This includes studying how intonation and rhythm can change the meaning and clarity of syntactic structures, as well as how pauses and stress help structure information.
The subject of the research is the prosodic elements (intonation, rhythm, pauses, stress) and their impact on syntactic structures in news discourse. The object of the research is news discourse, which encompasses the spoken speech of television and radio presenters, reporters, and announcers.
The aim of the research is to determine and analyze the prosodic influences on syntactic structures in news discourse and to develop recommendations for the optimal use of prosody to enhance communication effectiveness in news broadcasting. The research tasks include:
Regarding the key definitions of concepts, the following should be noted:
Regarding the research questions raised in this article, they can be formulated as follows:
How do prosodic elements such as intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress affect the formation and perception of syntactic structures in news discourse?
In what ways do prosodic variations impact the clarity and effectiveness of communication in news broadcasts?
How can prosodic elements be optimally utilized to enhance the communicative effectiveness of news discourse?
Structure of the Article:
Theoretical Framework / Literature Review
This section will explore key concepts and previous research on prosody, syntactic structures, and news discourse. It will define prosodic elements (intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress) and explain their roles in communication, particularly within the news broadcast context. Existing studies on the intersection of prosody and syntactic structure will be reviewed, establishing the foundation for the current research.
Methodology
This section will outline the research design, including the data collection methods. The analysis will focus on samples of spoken news discourse, such as broadcasts from television and radio presenters. The prosodic features of speech will be studied in relation to the syntactic structures used by speakers. Detailed steps for analyzing how prosody impacts comprehension and the structuring of information will be provided.
Results and Discussion
The findings on how prosodic elements influence syntactic structures in news discourse will be presented. The effects of different prosodic features on the perception and interpretation of news by listeners will be discussed. This section will also evaluate the role of prosody in improving or impairing the clarity and effectiveness of news communication.
Conclusion
A summary of the research findings will be offered, alongside practical recommendations for using prosody to optimize syntactic structures and communication in news broadcasts. The conclusion will also address potential areas for future research on prosodic influences in various forms of public communication.
By outlining these sections explicitly, the article ensures clarity in its progression and helps the reader follow the research trajectory, from theoretical foundations to practical conclusions.
Theoretical Framework or Literature Review
Babchenko (2016) examined the features of mass media discourse and advertising vocabulary in the French language. It was noted that French mass media discourse is characterized by the use of specific vocabulary that combines official style with colloquial elements. This gives the texts both informativeness and accessibility to a broad audience. In French advertising vocabulary, there is an active use of emotionally charged words and expressions aimed at creating a positive image of a product or service. Epithets, metaphors, and hyperboles play an important role in enhancing the emotional impact on the consumer. Advertising texts often include wordplays, puns, and allusions, creating memorability and attracting the audience's attention. Media discourse in France is constantly changing under the influence of new technologies and social networks, contributing to the emergence of new forms of communication and changes in the style of presenting information. This includes text shortening, the use of visual elements, and interactivity.
Bondarenko (2022) examined prosodic features of speech behavior in various communicative situations. The study highlights the importance of prosodic features in forming speech behavior and their ability to influence the perception and interpretation of communicative acts in different situations.
Vinnikova & Barna (2020) revealed the essence of the concept of prosody as the intonational aspect of speech. Prosody is considered a complex of intonational characteristics of speech, including elements such as rhythm, tempo, melody, stress, and intonation. These elements together form the intonational pattern of speech and are crucial for the perception and understanding of oral speech. We agree with the authors' conclusions and believe that the study underscores the importance of prosody as the intonational aspect of speech, playing a key role in meaning formation, emotional expression, and ensuring effective communication.
Vintoniv, Vintoniv & Mala (2018) examined syntactic means of expressivization in Ukrainian political discourse. The main conclusions of this study include the extensive use of various rhetorical figures in political discourse, such as anaphora, antithesis, rhetorical questions, and inversion. These figures help enhance the emotional impact of speech, making it more memorable and persuasive. Emphatic constructions are often used to emphasize the importance of certain parts of the statement, adding expressiveness. This allows politicians to highlight key points and aid in their better retention. Inversion, or the change of the standard word order in a sentence, is often used to give the utterance greater expressiveness. This helps to highlight certain words or phrases, making them central in the message. Parallelism as a syntactic device is widely used to create a rhythmic pattern in political speech texts, enhancing their emotional impact and aiding in easier perception and memorization. Syntactic means used in political discourse are multifunctional. They not only increase the expressiveness of speech but also help structure information, create logical connections between parts of the text, and influence the audience. Politicians consciously adapt syntactic constructions to the target audience, using simpler or, conversely, more complex sentences depending on the educational level, social status, and expectations of the listeners. Through syntactic means, politicians can create a certain emotional background that supports the main idea of the speech and influences the emotional state of the listeners, eliciting desired reactions (support, enthusiasm, indignation, etc.).
Verbych (2017) established that the main criteria for macrosegmentation are thematic unity, structural organization of the text, as well as intonational and prosodic features of speech. These criteria help determine the boundaries of segments and their functional role in the text. Intonational means such as pauses, intonational completions, and tone changes play an important role in determining the boundaries of macrosegments. They signal the beginning or end of a certain semantic part in the dialect text. Dialect texts typically have a less clear structure compared to literary texts. This is due to the more spontaneous nature of dialect speech, affecting segmentation and text organization. It is concluded that macrosegmentation is an important tool for dialect researchers, as it allows for better analysis and understanding of the structure of dialect speech, which is useful for various linguistic studies, particularly in dialectology and textology.
Zagnitko (2007) emphasizes the combination of structural and functional approaches to the study of syntax. The structural approach focuses on analyzing the formal aspects of syntactic units, while the functional approach examines their meanings and communicative functions in speech. The author also discusses modern trends in the development of syntactic theory, including the influence of cognitive linguistics and pragmatics on syntactic studies. The importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of syntax is highlighted.
The research by Kalmykova, Kalmykov, Lapshina, & Kharchenko (2008) explores the psychology of speech and psycholinguistics, particularly the psychological aspects of the speech process, tools, and methods used for studying the psychology of speech and psycholinguistics, as well as practical approaches to researching speech processes.
Ostrovska's (2022) study, in our opinion, provides a comprehensive review of theoretical problems of modern Ukrainian syntax, including its structure, functions, and new approaches to syntactic analysis. It is noted how social and cultural factors can influence syntactic structures. The study examines how dialects, regional variations, and cultural contexts shape syntactic features.
In the work by Shulhina & Zhukovska (2022) the influence of news discourse on international mass media (IM) is considered. It is noted that news discourse plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion, especially in the context of international events. It not only informs but also interprets events, influencing the audience's perception of various global events and trends. The authors emphasize that international mass media often use news discourse as a tool for manipulating public opinion. This can occur through the selection of certain facts, their presentation in a specific context, or through the choice of certain linguistic constructions that create specific associations in the minds of news consumers. There is a trend towards the standardization of news discourse in international mass media, driven by the globalization of the media space. This leads to a similarity in the style of presenting information in different countries but can also reduce the diversity of perspectives and impact cultural specificity. News discourse is used as a tool for political influence, especially by governments and corporations that can control or influence the mass media. This becomes particularly noticeable when news is used to legitimize political decisions or to mobilize public support. Thus, the study emphasizes the multifaceted role of news discourse in international mass media, including its influence on public opinion, political processes, and ethical standards of journalism.
The work of Robbins, Judge, Millett, & Boyle (2011) examines key aspects of organizational behavior. The authors emphasize the importance of motivation as a key aspect of organizational behavior, presenting theoretical foundations and practical strategies for improving motivation and productivity of employees in organizations.
Of particular importance, in our opinion, is Falk's (2013) study on the communicative functions of rhythm in oral discourse, particularly in radio broadcasting. It is noted that rhythm is a key aspect of oral discourse, playing an important role in forming communicative effectiveness. It affects the perception and interpretation of speech by listeners, helping to organize information and maintain attention. In radio broadcasting, rhythm is used for several communicative purposes, including rhythmic patterns that help structure and organize the presented information, making it easier to perceive and remember; rhythm can influence the emotional state of the listener, creating a certain mood or atmosphere; rhythmic changes are used to highlight key points, enhance expressiveness, and draw attention to important parts of the broadcast. Rhythmic structures in radio programs can vary depending on the type of program and genre. For example, news may use a fast rhythm to create a sense of urgency, while cultural programs may use a smoother rhythm to relax listeners. Intonation and pauses are important elements of rhythm that help reveal the structure of the utterance, emphasize important informational blocks, and create a dramatic effect. Intonational changes can mark the end of a thought or transition to a new topic. Rhythmic elements affect how listeners perceive and respond to radio programs. Well-organized rhythm can improve listener engagement, maintain their attention, and enhance overall satisfaction with listening. The importance of rhythm also manifests in the interactive aspects of radio broadcasting, such as the interaction between hosts and guests and listeners. Rhythmic elements help manage the pace of conversation and ensure a smooth transition between different parts of the program.
Zou, He, & Zhu (2009, 2010) concluded in their research, which we agree with, that news programs have characteristic prosodic phrases that differ from other forms of speech. These phrases help structure information in a way that makes it more comprehensible and easier for listeners to process. Prosodic phrasing plays an important communicative role in news broadcasts, facilitating the clear transmission of key points and accents, thereby enhancing the clarity and effectiveness of the message. The study showed that prosodic phrases in news speech are closely linked to syntactic structures. Prosodic units often correspond to syntactic units, such as sentences and parts of sentences. The study examined how syntactic structures influence the formation of prosodic phrases and how prosodic phrases reflect and emphasize syntactic relations. Models were developed to describe the correlations between prosodic and syntactic units, which can be used to improve automatic speech recognition and generation systems.
Savino, Wehrle, & Grice (2024) found that the prosodic characteristics of Italian news speech have changed over time. This includes changes in intonation, tempo, rhythm, and other prosodic aspects that have affected the perception and expressiveness of news.
Lang (2000) proposes a model demonstrating that the processing of media messages is limited by human cognitive resources. To increase the effectiveness of media content, it is important to consider these limitations and adapt the information to avoid overloading the consumer. Rodero (2015) noted that in radio news, prosody serves the function of contrastive and distinctive coherence. This means that prosodic elements (such as intonational changes and rhythmic pauses) are used to create clear contrasts between different parts of the information, helping listeners recognize and organize information more effectively. It is summarized that prosody not only emphasizes the semantic aspects of information but also helps listeners establish semantic connections between different parts of the news message. This contributes to overall understanding and retention of information.
Nissen & Randle (2020) explore how prosodic elements, particularly vocal tone, are used to convey information in broadcast journalism. The research results indicate that there are stylistic differences in the use of vocal tone among different journalists and programs. This may be related to individual preferences, professional standards, or news program formats. Using an appropriate vocal tone can increase audience engagement. Journalists who skillfully manage their vocal tone can better retain listeners' attention and more effectively convey the emotional content of the news.
Klofstad & Anderson (2018) studied how voice pitch (vocal tone) affects electoral outcomes and perceptions of leadership abilities. The study found that voice pitch is a significant predictor of electoral attractiveness of candidates. Candidates with lower voices have a higher chance of being elected than those with higher voices.
The work of Dilley, Mattys, & Vinke (2010) investigates how different aspects of prosody and semantic context affect word recognition in speech. Prosody (intonation, rhythm, and pauses) is an important factor in the word segmentation process. Proximal prosody (prosodic signals that directly precede or accompany a word) has a significant impact on word recognition. It helps determine word boundaries through accents, pauses, and intonational changes, providing word segmentation in the speech stream. Distal prosody (prosodic signals that are not directly related to the recognition of a specific word but to the broader speech structure) also matters, but its impact on word segmentation is less significant compared to proximal prosody. Semantic context (the meaning of surrounding words and phrases) also affects word segmentation, but its effect is less strong than that of proximal prosody. Semantic context helps fill in gaps and facilitates word recognition when prosodic signals are insufficient. The interaction of prosody and semantic context in the word recognition process shows that prosodic signals can assist in word segmentation, especially when the semantic context is not clear or when prosodic signals are particularly distinct. In summary, the study shows that proximal prosody is the most important factor in the word recognition process, providing critical cues for speech segmentation. Distal prosody and semantic context also have an impact, but their effect is less significant compared to proximal prosody.
The article by Chattopadhyay, Dahl, Ritchie, & Shahin (2003) examines how the speech characteristics of presenters affect consumer perception and reaction to advertisements. In summary, the study shows that the speech characteristics of presenters have a significant impact on the effectiveness of advertising messages. Advertisers can use these findings to optimize their advertising campaigns by selecting presenters with speech characteristics that best match the campaign's goals and target audience.
The article by Kravchenko, Prokopchuk, Pozhar, Kozyarevych-Zozulya, & Rozhkov (2022) introduces the concept of illocutionary pragmatic adaptation (IPA) as a local translation adaptation aimed at replacing, de-intensifying or strengthening the modality in Ukrainian translations of the English-language soft law texts. The idea of IPA is based on the premises of illocutionary forces–modality correlation, their graded nature added by the concept of pragmatic translation adaptation, its types, criteria, and strategies.
Kozak, V., Posmitna, V., Shutenko, S., Leshchenko, A., & Romaniuk (2023) tried to examine the sociolinguistic dimension of language legislation in Ukraine. Their study focuses on the impact of the “language issue” on Ukrainian society in the context of war as well as to analyse linguistic representations, ideologies, and attitudes and their impact on the linguistic behaviour of Ukrainians.
Summarizing the key trends in scientific research:
Studies show that prosody (intonation, rhythm, pauses) actively interacts with syntactic structures. For example, intonation contours can highlight syntactic boundaries such as sentence or phrase endings, helping listeners better understand the structure and hierarchy of information.
Intonational patterns and accents in news speech help highlight important parts of information. They can indicate which part of the sentence is the main one and which is additional or explanatory.
Pauses and rhythmic changes in speech play an important role in forming syntactic structures. For instance, long pauses can indicate the ends of large syntactic units such as subordinate clauses or large phrases.
In news discourse, prosodic tools are used to emphasize the relevance of information. Changes in prosody can help adapt the message to changing conditions and contexts, such as attracting listeners' attention or highlighting key facts.
News formats (radio, television, online media) can influence how prosodic elements integrate with syntax. For example, television can use more expressive prosodic elements due to visual accompaniment, while radio relies more on prosody to convey information without visual cues.
Studies also point to changes in prosodic practices over time. Media can adapt prosodic strategies according to changing stylistic and cultural norms.
Overall, scientific research on prosodic influences on syntactic structures in news discourse focuses on how prosodic elements (intonation, rhythm, pauses) affect the perception and structure of syntactic units. Key trends include the study of prosody-syntax interaction, analysis of intonational patterns, the role of pauses and rhythm, and the impact of media formats and changes in prosodic practices. These studies have practical significance for optimizing media communication and improving the understanding of news speech.
Methodology
To investigate the prosodic influences on syntactic structures in news discourse, the following methods are used:
For detailed analysis of prosodic elements (intonation, rhythm, pauses, stress) in news speech, examining their impact on syntactic constructions and information presentation methods, the analysis method was employed. This method established that certain prosodic elements, such as pauses and changes in intonation, significantly affect sentence structure in news discourse. For example, pauses are often used to divide complex sentences into more comprehensible parts. Stress and rhythm are used to highlight key points of the message, making it more memorable for listeners.
To study the perception and understanding of news speech by listeners, measuring listeners' reactions to different prosodic variations, including reaction time and accuracy of understanding, the psycholinguistic method was used. Research showed that listeners better perceive and understand news speech when proper prosodic elements are used. Specifically, faster reaction times and higher accuracy of understanding were recorded when appropriate intonation contours and rhythmic patterns were used. Additionally, it was noted that listeners focus more on key words and phrases when they are prosodically emphasized.
Systematic analysis of news programs to identify typical prosodic patterns, determine the frequency of certain prosodic elements, and their impact on syntactic structures was carried out using content analysis. Content analysis of news programs revealed that successful and popular news presenters effectively use prosodic elements. They frequently use intonation variations and pauses to emphasize important points. Frequency analysis showed that certain prosodic patterns are repeated in news discourse, helping to create a recognizable speaking style and enhancing information transmission effectiveness.
The application of analysis methods, the psycholinguistic method, and content analysis demonstrated that prosodic elements play a crucial role in the formation and perception of syntactic structures in news discourse. Proper use of intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress can significantly improve the communicative effectiveness of news speech and ensure better understanding and retention of information by listeners.
Results and Discussion
On the Primary Prosodic Elements Used in News Broadcasting
Prosodic elements are vital components of news broadcasting, encompassing intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress. Let's explore these elements in detail and their impact on news discourse.
Intonation determines the melodic contour of speech and plays a crucial role in structuring news messages.
The functions of intonation include:
Rhythm dictates the pulsation and rhythmic structure of speech, affecting the perception and understanding of information.
The functions of rhythm include:
Pauses are crucial for delineating parts of speech and ensuring clarity of information.
The functions of pauses include:
Stress defines the emphasis on individual words or phrases, helping to highlight important parts of the message.
The functions of stress include:
Prosody not only complements the verbal message but can also change its meaning, influencing the listener's perception. In formal situations (e.g., meetings, presentations), a level tone, moderate pace, and clear articulation are typical, enhancing clarity and formality of the message. In informal situations (e.g., friendly conversations), there is greater variability in intonation patterns, faster speech tempo, and more emotionally colored pauses, emphasizing a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. For persuasive effects, intonation rises often attract attention to important parts of the message, while pauses create dramatic effects or enhance the significance of the spoken content. In situations aimed at building trust (e.g., consultations or interviews), a soft tone, slower speech pace, and descending intonation are used to foster an atmosphere of openness and sincerity. Prosodic characteristics of speech can vary depending on the speaker's individual traits, such as personality, emotional state, cultural and social context.
Successful communication largely depends on the speaker's ability to adapt their prosodic characteristics to the specific communicative situation. Inability to manage prosody can lead to misunderstandings or distortion of the message content.
Given the above, prosody performs several important functions in speech, including:
Effective use of these prosodic elements enhances the perception and understanding of news broadcasts, ensuring clarity, structure, and comprehensibility of information for listeners.
On the Influence of Intonation, Rhythm, Pauses, and Stress on Syntactic Structures in News Discourse
Let's examine the influence of intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress on syntactic structures in news discourse in more detail.
In Bondarenko's article (2022), the features of prosody in different types of communicative situations are discussed, noting that intonational characteristics of speech significantly affect how the message is perceived by the listener. A mismatch between the verbal content and prosody can lead to misinterpretation or elicit certain emotional reactions from the listener that were not intended by the speaker. Prosodic features of speech reflect the individuality of the speaker, their cultural and social context, as well as their emotional state. This makes prosody an important tool for conveying personal nuances of meaning in communication. We agree with the researcher’s observation and believe that prosody is crucial for the perception of news.
In the study "Hearing voices: The impact of announcer speech characteristics on consumer response to broadcast advertising" (2003), authors Chattopadhyay, Dahl, Ritchie, and Shahin investigate the impact of announcer voice characteristics on consumer response to radio advertisements. The authors emphasize the importance of the announcer's voice. The choice of announcer significantly affects how consumers perceive and react to the advertisement. The announcer's voice can substantially influence listeners' attention, emotions, and memory of the advertisement. Ads voiced by announcers with more emotional, enthusiastic, or energetic tones elicited stronger emotional responses from listeners, leading to better brand recall and a higher likelihood of positive attitudes towards the brand. It is important that the tone and style of the announcer's voice match the content of the advertising message. For instance, more serious products are better advertised by announcers with deep and serious voices, whereas lighter or more cheerful products are better suited to announcers with more playful and friendly tones. Response to the announcer's voice can also depend on individual preferences and psychological characteristics of the listeners. Some consumer groups may respond better to certain types of voices, which should be considered when developing advertising strategies. Introducing unusual or unique voices can pique increased interest and attention to the advertisement, ultimately improving its effectiveness.
This is also reflected in the following:
Intonation defines the emotional tone and structure of news speech. Changes in intonation help listeners distinguish between important and secondary parts of information. Clear definition of intonational boundaries between different parts of the message facilitates better perception and understanding of news. Listeners more readily recognize key points and can more easily follow the logic of the presentation.
Rhythm and tempo of speech influence the perception of the dynamics of the news message. A slow tempo is often used for complex and detailed news that requires additional time for processing and comprehension. Conversely, a fast tempo can be used to convey urgency and emphasize the news's relevance. Rhythmic variations also help maintain listeners' attention and reduce cognitive load.
Pauses in news speech serve as important tools for segmenting information and emphasizing key points. They allow listeners to process and remember the provided data and offer opportunities for handling complex syntactic structures. Incorrectly placed pauses can complicate the understanding of news, while their proper use can significantly enhance the clarity and structure of the message.
Stress highlights key words and phrases, helping listeners focus on the most important aspects of the news message. Correct use of stress can significantly improve the perception and understanding of information, emphasizing important details and giving them more weight. Stress also helps distinguish primary and secondary parts of the message, simplifying the perception of syntactic structures.
On the Perception and Understanding of News Broadcasts by Audiences with Different Prosodic Characteristics
As previously mentioned, the perception and understanding of news broadcasts are significantly influenced by the prosodic characteristics of speech, such as intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress. These elements not only shape the structure of speech but also affect the cognitive processes of listeners, including their ability to perceive and comprehend information.
Intonation provides structure and emotional context, helping listeners recognize different types of information and emotional nuances.
Rhythm and tempo organize information and maintain listener engagement, facilitating the processing and retention of news. An interesting study showed that listeners performed better when stressed syllables in words appeared at regular time intervals. Moreover, even non-verbal rhythmic regularity preceding nonsense improved phonological processing. These results indicate that a regular rhythmic structure enhances the processing of phonetic and phonological aspects of speech across various languages (Falk, 2013).
Pauses contribute to the separation of information and ensure the clarity of the message.
Stress highlights important parts and affects the interpretation of information.
Understanding these prosodic elements allows news broadcasters to effectively convey information, improving its perception and comprehension by listeners. Moreover, temporal coordination between speakers plays a vital role in structuring successful interaction and conversation. Given that studies on gesture coordination with speech and neural motor activation during speech perception indicate that speech rhythm has a significant physical dimension, a comprehensive analysis of rhythmic structure and speech functions should also include these embodied perspectives on language.
At the same time, comparing the prosodic characteristics of news broadcasting across different historical periods demonstrates how social and cultural changes have influenced prosodic practices. For example, early news broadcasts differ from contemporary ones in terms of tempo and intonational patterns, reflecting the evolution of stylistic and formal norms in media communication. This includes a greater emphasis on expressiveness and emotional engagement.
Falk (2013) emphasizes that speech rhythm helps radio announcers achieve two primary goals: engaging listeners and meeting broadcast time constraints. The author identifies key rhythmic strategies used to achieve these goals, particularly in French radio broadcasting, including:
However, the absence or excess of these elements can impair perception.
Changes in prosody affect how news is perceived by the audience. Contemporary prosodic practices aim to enhance clarity and listener engagement through the use of more dynamic intonational and rhythmic patterns.
Conclusion
Regarding the study of basic prosodic elements used in news broadcasting: The analysis of prosodic elements such as intonation, rhythm, pauses, stress, and voice variations reveals that intonation helps structure information by distinguishing main and secondary parts of a news message. It plays a key role in emphasizing important facts and creating logical pauses, which facilitate comprehension and understanding for listeners. Rhythm and speech tempo affect the dynamics of news discourse. Changes in rhythm can emphasize important news moments or indicate transitions between different parts of the message. Proper rhythm helps maintain listener attention and enhances clarity of information. Pauses are used to highlight important moments and break complex phrases or sentences into understandable parts. They also help listeners process information and allow emphasis on key aspects of the message. Voice variation (changes in pitch, timbre, and loudness) conveys the emotional coloring of news, impacting how the news is perceived, such as creating a sense of urgency or calm. Stress highlights key words or phrases, increasing focus on the most important details of the news message. This enables listeners to quickly identify main points and understand the meaning of the information. Prosodic elements can significantly impact the effectiveness of communication, enhancing clarity and appeal of news. They help create clarity and focus in the message, making it more accessible and enjoyable for listeners. At the same time, prosodic practices in news broadcasting can change over time due to shifts in the media environment and evolving speech standards, including adaptation to new technologies or changes in stylistic preferences.
Regarding the impact of intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress on syntactic structures in news discourse: Content analysis shows that these prosodic elements are critically important for shaping and perceiving syntactic structures in news discourse. They ensure the clarity and coherence of the message and help listeners more easily process the information. The application of these prosodic elements in news broadcasting allows for high communication effectiveness and ensures the clarity and structure of news messages. The impact of prosodic elements can vary depending on the context and format of the news broadcast. For example, in short news clips, accents may be placed differently than in longer analytical reports. It is concluded that for effective news broadcasting, it is important to consider the use of intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress in preparing and delivering news. This includes training in managing prosodic elements to improve speech clarity and appeal.
Regarding the assessment of perception and understanding of news broadcasts by listeners with different prosodic characteristics and recommendations for using prosody to improve syntactic structures in news discourse: The use of prosodic elements in news broadcasting has a significant impact on the perception and understanding of information by listeners. Intonation, rhythm, pauses, and stress contribute to creating a clear and understandable syntactic structure in news messages. Effective use of these elements helps enhance cognitive perception of news and ensures better understanding and retention of information. Psycholinguistic analysis shows that prosodic elements not only influence emotional perception but also cognitive processes such as memory and comprehension. Using prosody to support syntactic structure aids in optimizing perception and reducing cognitive load.
Recommendations for improving syntactic structures are as follows:
At the same time, key issues in news discourse have been noted. For instance, improper use of prosodic elements, such as inappropriate pauses or incorrect stress, can disrupt speech coherence, leading to difficulties in message comprehension for listeners. Additionally, the effectiveness of prosodic means often depends on the context and type of information being conveyed. For example, serious events may require a slower tempo and more expressive intonation, while less significant news might suit a more dynamic style of speech. In news broadcasting, it is often challenging to maintain a consistent prosodic style due to the variety of topics and genres, which can impact the coherence of syntactic structures and their perception. The importance of prosody in news broadcasting underscores the need for specialized training for broadcasters, including work on intonation, rhythm, and speech tempo to improve the quality of information delivery.
Future Research Directions
It is deemed necessary to investigate how cultural differences among listeners affect the perception and understanding of news broadcasts with different prosodic characteristics.
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