Chapter 7. Syntactic segmentation of spoken corpus data
-
Karin McClellan
Abstract
Most corpus-based syntactic segmentation schemes rely on transcriptions alone, which can lead to segmentation difficulties, especially when analyzing spontaneous conversations. We therefore suggest an approach to segmentation that complements syntactic segmentation techniques with prosodic analyses and describe correspondences in syntactic and prosodic segmentation as well as the exact syntactic contexts in which prosodic analyses are necessary to avoid ambiguities and potential inaccuracies. Using 10 recordings from the Louvain Corpus of Native English Conversation, utterances are independently and manually segmented and annotated for various linguistic variables. While the results of our analyses indicate a considerable overlap of intermediate phrases and clausal units, we also showcase syntactic contexts where prosody is needed for disambiguation (e.g. monologs, discourse markers, dysfluencies, and adverbials).
Abstract
Most corpus-based syntactic segmentation schemes rely on transcriptions alone, which can lead to segmentation difficulties, especially when analyzing spontaneous conversations. We therefore suggest an approach to segmentation that complements syntactic segmentation techniques with prosodic analyses and describe correspondences in syntactic and prosodic segmentation as well as the exact syntactic contexts in which prosodic analyses are necessary to avoid ambiguities and potential inaccuracies. Using 10 recordings from the Louvain Corpus of Native English Conversation, utterances are independently and manually segmented and annotated for various linguistic variables. While the results of our analyses indicate a considerable overlap of intermediate phrases and clausal units, we also showcase syntactic contexts where prosody is needed for disambiguation (e.g. monologs, discourse markers, dysfluencies, and adverbials).
Chapters in this book
- 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 2. New approaches to investigating change in derivational productivity 8
- Chapter 3. A corpus-based comparative acoustic analysis of target-like vowel production by L1-Japanese learners and native speakers of English 41
- Chapter 4. Digital Dickens 62
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 5. 120 years of reporting clauses 100
- Chapter 6. Establishing a ‘new normal’ 125
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 7. Syntactic segmentation of spoken corpus data 154
- Chapter 8. Short-term diachronic and variety-internal approaches to textual functionality in South Asian Englishes 192
- Chapter 9. Do corpus data on World Englishes inspire tolerance of variation in ELT professionals? 217
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 10. Query a corpus in near-natural language 248
- 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 263
Chapters in this book
- 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 2. New approaches to investigating change in derivational productivity 8
- Chapter 3. A corpus-based comparative acoustic analysis of target-like vowel production by L1-Japanese learners and native speakers of English 41
- Chapter 4. Digital Dickens 62
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 5. 120 years of reporting clauses 100
- Chapter 6. Establishing a ‘new normal’ 125
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 7. Syntactic segmentation of spoken corpus data 154
- Chapter 8. Short-term diachronic and variety-internal approaches to textual functionality in South Asian Englishes 192
- Chapter 9. Do corpus data on World Englishes inspire tolerance of variation in ELT professionals? 217
-
Crossing boundaries
- Chapter 10. Query a corpus in near-natural language 248
- 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 263
