A Prosodic Analysis of Unfilled Pauses in English Advertisements
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.9.2.11Keywords:
prosodic features, unfilled pauses, syntax-prosody alignment, isomorphic and non-isomorphic relationships, commercial advertisementsAbstract
This study investigates the forms and functions of unfilled pauses in English commercials within the framework of commercial discourse, therefore addressing a major gap in prosodic studies of scripted, monologic genres, which remains understudied compared to conversational or political speech. It focuses on how advertisers intentionally manipulate pauses as language tools for syntactic demarcation and persuasive strategies to enhance audience engagement. By using Praat, the research analyses a dataset of 25 British English advertisements and detects two primary types of pauses: short (0 to 500 milliseconds) and long (exceeding 500 milliseconds). Moreover, it explores the interplay between these pauses and syntactic frameworks, alongside their implications for semantic emphasis. The data reveal that pauses demonstrate isomorphic relationships (55.9%) corresponding with syntactic boundaries, alongside non-isomorphic relationships (44.1%) linked to significant information. The findings emphasise the importance of strategically employing pauses to enhance language coherence, act as persuasive instruments to engage the audience's attention, and underscore information pertinent to the product in question. This study seeks to deepen the comprehension of prosodic features, including pauses, in mediated communication through the synthesis of concepts from cognitive theories and cross-linguistic examinations.
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