Impact of elocution task on the measurements of rhythmic patterns in Chilean Spanish

In this paper, we put to the test the validity of the theory of isochrony using data from Chilean Spanish. Spanish has been historically classified as syllable-timed, meaning its basic unit of prosody is the syllable. However, recent studies have shown that different methods of elicitation can have a significant effect on rhythm metrics (i.e., Arvaniti 2012). The present study measured a series of rhythm metrics from samples of 30 native Chilean Spanish speakers producing spontaneous speech and reading aloud. Using MANOVA analyses, the study determined that method of elicitation had a significant effect on the metrics: while spontaneous speech tended to produce values indicative of accent-timed rhythm, reading aloud yielded values which placed them closer to the syllable-timed rhythm category. This study helps to contribute to the notion that speech rhythm is not necessarily determined by language, but rather that there are other relevant factors.