[General] Suprasegmental or prosodic features

Status
Not open for further replies.

celx

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Hi I would someone to explain what are suprasegmental features and what is their importance in the process of learning English.
 

MrPedantic

Key Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Member Type
Other
Native Language
English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Hello Celx,

If segmentals are the letters, words and phrases, suprasegmentals are the music.

For instance, the words "how are you today?" can be divided into segments; but the way I say "how are you today?", e.g. the rhythm and intonation, is suprasegmental.

If you learn English simply to read, suprasegmental features are of little importance. If your job requires you to understand the expressive aspects of spoken English, on the other hand (if you work on a helpdesk, for instance), they are probably of very great importance.

Best wishes,

MrP
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top