The segmentation of spontaneous speech from an interactive-functional prosodic approach

For a long time spoken language has been interpreted through the lens of written norms, often producing analytical models that are partial or distorted. Traditional approaches overlooked how prosody shapes discourse structure and meaning. The aim of the study is to develop a segmentation model that adequately represents the organization of spontaneous conversational speech. The analysis draws on an excerpt from a pragmatic corpus of colloquial speech, examined at the monologic level within the Val.Es.Co. framework (Briz & Val.Es.Co. 2014). Methodologically, it combines acoustic analysis with Hidalgo’s (2019) Interactive-Functional Analysis (IFA) model. Using Praat software, pitch movement, melodic contours, and prosodic boundaries are examined to identify speech acts and subacts (smaller constituent units). Results show that prosodic features - pitch declination, hierarchical organization, and integration - effectively demarcate discourse units that syntactic criteria often miss. The case study confirms that the principles of Pitch Declination (PDP), Hierarchy/Recursivity (H/RP), and Integration (IP) align with the segmentation into acts and subacts, supporting intonation as a key cue for delimiting meaningful conversational units. By prioritizing prosody and aligning segmentation practices with the realities of oral communication, this research advances our understanding of the functional principles underpinning real-time construction and interpretation of meaning. The proposed model enhances the representation of spontaneous speech by providing a pragmaprosodic analytical framework that positions prosody as a central organizing principle and encourages a shift from static, syntax-based paradigms toward context-sensitive analyses that reflect the true dynamics of spoken language.