Top Linguistic and Language Journal (TLLJ)

A STUDY ON SILENT PAUSES IN ORAL READING: ANALYZING PAUSING PATTERNS AND MOTIVATIONS

Authors

  • Wei-Hsiung Chen Applied Foreign Languages, Ling Tung University, No.1, Ling-dong Road, NanTun District, Taichung City 408, Taiwan

Abstract

Suprasegmental features such as stress, rhythm, intonation, and pausing play a vital role in achieving fluency and comprehensibility in both speech and reading. While elements like stress, intonation, and pitch are well-recognized for their importance, pausing often presents a complex issue. Pauses are integral for intelligibility, allowing listeners to process and understand spoken language effectively. However, pauses are frequently perceived as signs of hesitation and non-fluency, potentially impeding intelligibility and negatively impacting evaluations of speech performance. This paper explores the dual nature of pausing in second language speech, highlighting its crucial role in clarity and understanding while also addressing its potential to be misconstrued as evidence of non-fluency. The study reviews existing literature to provide a nuanced perspective on how pauses affect speech performance and intelligibility

Keywords:

Suprasegmentals Pausing Speech Fluency Intelligibility Second Language Speech

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Published

2024-07-29

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13120639

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2024): July-September

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Chen , W.-H. (2024). A STUDY ON SILENT PAUSES IN ORAL READING: ANALYZING PAUSING PATTERNS AND MOTIVATIONS . Top Linguistic and Language Journal (TLLJ), 9(3), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13120639

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Copyright (c) 2024 Wei-Hsiung Chen

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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