MEANS OF PROSODIC DESIGN IN MODERN GERMAN INTERACTION

Abstract

The article is devoted to means of prosodic design in modern German interaction. Prosodic devices can be defined from a phonological point of view as abstract quantities or described as articulatory, acoustic, and auditory parameters. Discourse particles are the optimal sound material for researching the general functions of prosody, also considering the ability of foreign language communication. In this work, based on perceptual and productive analysis, it is considered whether general prosodic parameters can be identified on the basis of discourse particles, and what functions and forms they have. An attempt was made to determine the inventory of the most common German discourse particles, to describe them phonetically, and finally to compare them. In addition, it is studied how and to what extent the arrangement of discourse particles is regulated by prosodic data. Participles with the appropriate linguistic means under existing conditions clarify the function of the speech act, express the speaker’s ideas, assessments or expectations regarding the reaction of the communication partner, given the interaction. When teaching German as a foreign language, it should be noted that such words as particles create the greatest difficulties for learners of this language. It should be emphasized that the main meaning of discourse particles always depends on the factors of the given speech situation. Discourse particles create a certain functional group because they express categories of interaction and co-textual information and attitudes, etc., in an undefined and especially economic way. Prosodic marking is typical of German discourse particles. Our study of the current state of prosodic design in modern German interaction using the example of discourse particles also showed that numerical issues have not yet been resolved or require further study.