On the Multifunctionality and Multimodality of Silent Pauses in Native and Non-native Interactions

Loulou Kosmala (1)

1 PRISMES - PRISMES - Langues, Textes, Arts et Cultures du Monde Anglophone - EA 4398

This paper explores the multifunctional uses of silent pauses, adopting a multimodal perspective. Pauses are said to serve numerous functions in speech, and this small comparative study looks at their distribution across L1 and L2 speakers in face-to-face interactions. While overall results showed a higher rate of pauses in L2 than in L1, a lot of individual differences were also found. The visual-gestural features of discourse (gesture, gaze, facial expressions) were found to be essential when analyzing pauses as they can reflect their multifunctionality in a different modality, which allows for a deeper understanding of their internal processes in L1 and L2.

Domaines: Linguistique

Loulou Kosmala. On the Multifunctionality and Multimodality of Silent Pauses in Native and Non-native Interactions. 1st International Seminar on the Foundations of Speech: BREATHING, PAUSING, AND VOICE, 2019, Sønderborg, Denmark. ⟨hal-02399363⟩