PROSODY, RELEVANCE AND MANIPULATION IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE

Abstract The aim of this paper is to examine the role intonation in political discourse River Plate Spanish as a means manipulate audiences into accepting questionable assumptions. analysis carried out Autosegmental-Metrical model applied Argentinian and its interpretation made framework Relevance Theory. Some extracts from three interviews two politicians presidential address are analysed, using PRAAT (BOERSMA; WEENINCK, 2020), software for speech analysis, interpreted Sp_ToBI transcription system. shows that level rising intonation, often associated with background information, can be used indicate, together other linguistic devices, information processed forming part common ground shared audience, thus beyond questioning. In way, favourable speaker more accessible attention diverted critical information.