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If we listen carefully we can hear ‘chunks’ in the flow of speech, small bundles of phrases that belong together. These chunks give texture to our stories and are building blocks within an architecture of language. Such chunks can be marked by a small pause, a sigh, a moment to breathe before carrying on. They can also be marked by repeating words. Using the same word more than once creates a parallel structure. Repeating words, and building parallel structures in language is a common way of making story chunks cohere. Repetition is the glue that holds chunks of speech together.
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Such chunking patterns can be visualised by paying attention to the ‘shape of speech’ on a page. When recorded and written down stories reveal their patterns and the chunks within them. Simply drawing a line around a story chunk reveals its shape, shows whether it is made up of short or long phrases, only a few or many. Visualising language like this can be misleading though, a story becomes flattened on the page. The word ‘chunk’ makes us think about language in 3D, compels us to inhabit that architecture of language. Like driftwood in the flow of speech, chunks appear one after another.
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There are different ways of ‘chunking’ speech. People may have personal habits when telling stories, but much depends on culture, gender, age. By dividing the flow of speech we can give personal textures to our stories. This texture, this patterns for chunking adds to the overall effect of the story. Much like we listen to music, we listen to stories. Some stories have an abrupt staccato tone, as small chunks follow one another quickly. Their relation may not be clear. The listener may need to make an effort to fill in the gaps, make an effort to try to understand their meaning based on their context. Other stories have a slower, more legato tone, with longer lines, more information, perhaps more hesitation. Staccato or legato are words that are normally used to describe music. Such words and concepts help us to reveal the role of ‘chunks of speech’ within an architecture of language.
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References
Johnstone, Barbara (1990). Stories, communities, and place: Narratives from Middle America. Indiana University Press.
(pp. 40,41,45,47,52,53, 59,60)
Sources
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Pinterest Chris Paraskos
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Architects: HG-A | LIVE COMPONENTS 2014, INSTALLATION, PAVILION, SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
https://www.archdaily.com/544023/part-to-whole-hg-a-live-components