C. Portes & A. Régnier Laboratoire Parole et Langage Aix en Provence

1. The Role of Prosodyin the Determination of the Minimal Textual Unitof the ‘Geneva School’ Discourse Model :a Study based on S. C. Dik’s Functional Grammar C. Portes & A. Régnier Laboratoire Parole et Langage Aix en Provence 8th International Pragmatic Conference, Toronto, 13-18 july 2003

2. Introduction • As has been said in the preceding talk, parsing is a central issue concerning prosodic functions. • Prosodic units and textual units • Are there autonomous from one another? • In the Geneva discourse model : • What is the minimal textual unit? • Does prosody play a role in its determination ? • What does it mean for a modular conception? 8th International Pragmatic Conference

3. The unit issue • Linear constraints on speech production : syntagmatic sequences of different sizes, hierarchically organised • Cognitive constraints on memory capacity (production and perception) • Production constraints on breathing • Description constraints (discrete objects to be conceptually manipulated) 8th International Pragmatic Conference

4. Minimal textual unitin the Geneva model • Roulet et al., 1985 • MTU = Searle’s speech act • primitive of the ‘structure hiérarchique’ (hierarchical struture) • Prosody = rising and falling intonational movements and pauses as structural markers among others • Roulet et al., 2001 • Rubattel (1987) : non-prepositional phrases like ‘malgré la pluie’ (in spite of the rain) = acts • Auschlin (1993) : same remark for left detached phrases • Berrendonner (1990) : ‘mémoire discursive’ (discursive memory) discourse act the smallest unit limited by a passing through discursive memory 8th International Pragmatic Conference

5. A modular model • Five modules • Lexical, syntactic, hierarchical, referential, interactional • Formes d’organisation (organizational forms) • Intersection between different modules or organizational forms • Prosodic information: • Comes from the lexical module (word pronounciation) • Is coupled with syntactic structures into the ‘phono-prosodic organization’ • Is main part of ‘organisation périodique’ (periodical organization) • Nolke (1994) • ‘The virtue of a modular approach consists in the fact that each type of phenomenon can be defined and analysed totally independently from the other types’ 8th International Pragmatic Conference

6. Problem with the assumption of independency • Discourse acts have to be indentified without the help of prosody • A controversial question among the Geneva school members • Simon’s PhD thesis • Proposes ‘some hypothesis in order to define a prosodic organisational form’ • Real inter-relation between prosody and other types of information • Empirical observations concerning ‘constructions instables’ (unstable constructions) • This talk • Several types of discourse act which need prosody to be identified 8th International Pragmatic Conference

7. Method • Establishing the ‘hierarchical structure’ of a 45 minute corpora of radio debate (2 journalists and 4 invited speakers) : • several cases where prosody is needed to determine the boundary of the ‘discourse act’ • Syntactical analysis with S.C. Dik’s functional grammar • Reveals ambiguity and the different possible syntactic choices • Prosodic analysis with ProDiGE’s multi-linear grid • Reveals the solution selected by the performance 8th International Pragmatic Conference

8. Cases of prosodic ‘inter-relation’ • Syntactic-semantic ambiguities • one segment of text could belong to the preceding or the following discourse act • Frequently polysemic adverbs • Unstable constructions (Simon, 2002) • Afterwards addition (or right expansion) • Grouping of potential acts • Completive constructions of opinion verbs • One or two discursive acts? 8th International Pragmatic Conference

9. Syntactic-semantic ambiguities • 3 syntactic possibilities • First prosodic cue: a long breathing pause • Second prosodic cue: a contrast in register level • Third prosodic cue: a copy of intonational cadences = a fourth syntactic interpretation 8th International Pragmatic Conference

10. « Unstable constructions »:afterwards addition • Despite the dependence of the adjective on the noun, Dik’s functional grammar allows a « right dislocation » • Prosodic shaping: span compression and accelerating tempo 8th International Pragmatic Conference

11. « Unstable constructions »:grouping of potential acts • For Dik’s grammar, the relative proposition is a complement of the noun phrase . But for the Geneva model, it is an appositive relative. • In favour of Dik, prosody shapes a unic entity : one discursive act • Prosodic cues: pitch range (level and span), pauses and tempo 8th International Pragmatic Conference

12. Completive construction of opinion verbs • Geneva school model: 1 discourse act ( syntactic dependency) • Dik’s grammar analysis: 2 embedded ‘clauses’ • Prosody clearly separates: • Downtrend blocked, span and tempo contrasts, tune copy • Accentual arc • A metadiscursive commentary (a different enunciative level) 8th International Pragmatic Conference

13. Conclusion • Syntactic –semantic ambiguities and ‘unstable constructions’ (afterwards addition, grouping of potential acts) : prosody is needed to determine the boundary of the discourse act • Completive construction of opinion verbs : prosodic and enunciative information (metadiscursive) plead in favour of a discursive boundary against syntactic dependency • The principle of independency implied by the modular assumption is denied by empirical facts • On the contrary, the systematic use of different levels of prosodic markers and their various relationship with other kinds of information (syntactic, semantic, enunciative, etc.) gives arguments in favour of a conjunction/competition conception as developed in Aix-en-Provence (ProDiGE) 8th International Pragmatic Conference

14. Thank you for your attention This presentation is also available online at the following address: http://www.lpl.univ-aix.fr/~prodige/ 8th International Pragmatic Conference