Program
Linguistics
College
Arts and Sciences
Student Level
Doctoral
Start Date
10-11-2022 4:30 PM
End Date
10-11-2022 5:30 PM
Abstract
"Mmmuuuchísimos años atrás" (mmmaaany years ago). That is what a Colombian speaker would say when describing an event that occurred a long time ago. In doing so, they simulate throwing an imaginary object (like a paper plane), pushing their hands far away from the body. At the same time, they will extend the duration of the words and rise and drop intonation and speaking rate, simulating the sound of throwing that object. This combination of multiple "modalities" of expression (speech sounds and gestures) that resemble the concepts they are conveying is called Multimodal Iconic Expressions (MMIEs). These MMIEs tend to occur in highly informative moments of the conversation. Drawing data from spontaneous conversations, I identified the most informative parts of all the sentences (i.e., the focus). Looking at phonetic (duration, intensity, and frequencies of sounds) and semantic (associated meaning) parameters, I coded the amount and degree of MMIEs in the focal position. This study reveals the effectiveness of MMIEs for communicating thoughts with high precision, keeping the interlocutor's attention, and making interaction engaging. In contrast, conversations that have a lower incidence of MMIEs are considered less alluring and tend to be less memorable. In this respect, Colombian Spanish serves as a model for every other linguistic variety. The results suggest that incorporating MMIEs in multiple scenarios enhances communicability. The power of MMIEs can be applicable in storytelling, education, science communication, marketing, and for persuasive purposes in general. But perhaps most importantly, to connect empathetically among individuals through pure linguistic means.
"Waaay beyond words": Using Voice and Gestures to Catapult Communication
"Mmmuuuchísimos años atrás" (mmmaaany years ago). That is what a Colombian speaker would say when describing an event that occurred a long time ago. In doing so, they simulate throwing an imaginary object (like a paper plane), pushing their hands far away from the body. At the same time, they will extend the duration of the words and rise and drop intonation and speaking rate, simulating the sound of throwing that object. This combination of multiple "modalities" of expression (speech sounds and gestures) that resemble the concepts they are conveying is called Multimodal Iconic Expressions (MMIEs). These MMIEs tend to occur in highly informative moments of the conversation. Drawing data from spontaneous conversations, I identified the most informative parts of all the sentences (i.e., the focus). Looking at phonetic (duration, intensity, and frequencies of sounds) and semantic (associated meaning) parameters, I coded the amount and degree of MMIEs in the focal position. This study reveals the effectiveness of MMIEs for communicating thoughts with high precision, keeping the interlocutor's attention, and making interaction engaging. In contrast, conversations that have a lower incidence of MMIEs are considered less alluring and tend to be less memorable. In this respect, Colombian Spanish serves as a model for every other linguistic variety. The results suggest that incorporating MMIEs in multiple scenarios enhances communicability. The power of MMIEs can be applicable in storytelling, education, science communication, marketing, and for persuasive purposes in general. But perhaps most importantly, to connect empathetically among individuals through pure linguistic means.
