SPEECH PROSODY — THEORIES, MODELS AND ANALYSIS

Modern study of speech prosody started almost as early as modern study of segmental aspect of speech (Cruttendon, 1997). Over the decades, many theories and models are proposed. While the diversity of approaches is a sign of creativity of the field, the situation could be confusing for readers who are new to the area. Even for seasoned researchers, if they have not given much thought to methodological issues, the key differences between the many approaches may not be immediately clear. This chapter offers an overview of the state of the art in prosody research mainly from a methodological perspective. I will first try to highlight the critical differences between the theories and models of prosody by outlining a way of classifying them along a number of dividing lines. I will then discuss a number of key issues in prosody analysis, with focus also mainly on methodological differences