What is intonation? How can we measure it, transcribe it, and analyze it? What kinds of contributions does it make to a sentence’s meaning? This class focuses on American English melodic patterns, addressing questions such as: What is the difference between English-style intonation and Mandarin-style tone? Do all questions have the same intonation? What does a comma sound like? Students learn how to analyze prosodic data using laboratory methods, computer software, and standard annotation conventions. They also learn how prosodic features interact with other aspects of language to convey a variety of meanings.
