These lecture notes cover Chapter 11: Phonetic Variation. These notes cover speech variation, phonetic variation, dialect, pronunciation, vernacular forms, Standard American English (General American English), regional dialects, origins of regional dialects, vowels, consonant changes, world English...
Speech variation is an important topic as the world becomes more culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD).
Between 2000 and 2022, the U.S. percentage of racial and ethnic minorities increased to ~41% of the total
population. By 2050 that percentage will rise to 53%.
A dialect is a normal, rule-based variation in speech sound production.
There is no true standard language.
Learning English as a second language results in predictable and logical patterns of speech sound production
characteristics.
Speech sound disorder- When a child has difficulty producing the speech sounds of his or her linguistic
community of origin.
ASHA states (1983) that “no dialectal variety of American English is a disorder of a pathological form of speech
or language. Each dialect is adequate as a functional and effective variety of American English. Each serves a
communicative function as well as a social-solidarity function. Each dialect maintains the communication
network and the social construct of the community of speakers who use it. Furthermore, each is a symbolic
representation of the geographic, historical, social, and cultural background of its speakers.”
Speech and language are the glue that holds people together.
Dialect: A variety of a language that is mutually intelligible with all other dialects of that language (it can be
understood by other speakers of that language).
People who are born and raised in the same area will have similar sounding speech patterns.
Regional dialects- systematic variation in speech in different geographic regions.
The dialects of Northern English and Southern English are mutually intelligible for most situations and
contexts, meaning that speakers of these 2 dialects are able to understand each other as they share a common
language, or parent language.
Dialect Defined:
A regional or cultural variation of a language that is used by a particular group of speakers.
Largely similar to the “standard” form of the language but differs in use of specific phonological features,
lexical items, grammatical structures, and other elements.
The term dialect is neutral – any negative or positive attributes are social NOT linguistic.
Semantic/Lexical differences (Ex: pop vs. soda).
Specific vocabulary selection.
Grammatical differences (Ex: ain’t).
Morphology.
Syntax.
, Pragmatic (Ex: intonation, pitch, turn-taking).
Contexts/styles/interaction used.
Patterns of discourse (conversation, narratives, expository).
Phonological differences (What happens to the speech sound between different language communities,
suprasegmentals).
Vowels.
Consonants- (most impacted by dialect) /r, t, d, ð, θ/.
Suprasegmental features.
What provides a “standard” pronunciation for a language:
May come from instructional materials used in school.
Either related to word-learning or reading.
Remember how you learn words or reading in school?
Taught as both a string of letter and as a string of sounds.
Teaches that letters or a cluster of letters make a specific sound.
This curriculum enforces standard pronunciations.
May come from pronunciation by people in the media.
Oftentimes the broadcaster uses “standard pronunciation” whereas who they are interviewing will
use their typical dialectical variation.
Few vernacular terms are used in media broadcasting.
Vernacular- The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
Standard American English (SAE)- A form of English that is relatively free of regional dialect characteristics.
There is no ONE fixed standard in American English; the perception of “standard-ness” changes based on
where you are in the U.S..
A more culturally sensitive and professional term to use is General American English (GAE).
This exists on a continuum from formal to informal.
Regional dialects:
Origin of regional dialects is still up for debate.
We do know that dialects do not reflect the perceptual, motoric, or cognitive skills of the speakers of
different languages- they are simply indicative of normal variation.
May arise from the interaction between:
Language contact:
For example, what role has French played on the English spoken in the Mississippi Delta region?
Ongoing language change.
How is our current English different from Old English? Do you think you would understand the
English that was spoken in the 1500s?
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