La comprensione orale in Italiano L2. Per un profilo ritmico-prosodico delle interazioni bidirezionali a due voci destinate ad apprendenti di Italiano L2 di livello A2

This work represents an initial step in a research aimed at 1) investigating the su-prasegmental models of speech utilized by the authors of the manuals of L2 Italian, because considered as effective for facilitating listening comprehension; 2) identifying the suprasegmental features being most subjected to variation. The research started from the observation that both in studies in L2 Italian learning and teaching and in the CEFR there was a lack of specific data related to the suprasegmental features the L2 learner is expected to manage to reach a certain proficiency level. In accordance with Article 2 of Ministerial Decree of 4th June 2010, concerning the level of Italian language knowledge for issuing the residence permit, the paper analysed the audio materials in four of the newest A2 language courses. Ten symmetric bidirectional interactions about two topics shared by the four manuals (holidays and house) were selected. A spectro-acoustic analysis of the collected speech corpus was carried out. For each speech chain the followin measures were made: the number of syllables actually uttered, the duration in seconds, disfluencies, the silent pauses duration. Furthermore articulation rate (AR), speech rate (SR), fluency and the percentage values of silence and phonation time were calculated. The results revealed that the teaching approach, topic, type of speech and language level being equal the most stable prosodic features are AR and SR. Although in the CEFR descriptors regarding listening skills the key words used to define the speech style to be addressed to A2 level learners, are articulatory "clarity" and "slowness", the values found in the analyses are instead closer to those considered typical of "normal" speech in literature. Instead, the most variable parameters are the alternation of unfilled and filled pauses and the fluency.