ABSTRACT
This chapter paints a comprehensive picture of student-directed speech prosody according to a mixed-methods investigation. Articulation rate, intensity, and pitch (F0) are explored through quantitative and qualitative investigations. Prosodic behaviors in general align with those of formal, careful speech styles. Overall, teachers spoke more slowly and loudly in the classroom compared to in conversation, but this difference was only statistically significant for intensity, indicating that it is common for teachers to speak louder in the classroom, but that rate of speech varies by individuals and circumstances. Additionally, the teachers used a significantly higher pitch register and wider pitch range on average during classroom talk, and the short, choppy phrases of student-directed speech were often accompanied by extreme pitch movement at phrasal boundaries. Despite these commonalities, further exploration reveals that pitch is greatly influenced by the classroom environment, the teachers’ background and personality, and their personal teaching objectives and strategies.
