ch 9 ppt Dialectal Variation - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Fundamentals of Phonetics: Dialectal Variation (Chapter 9), including dialect definitions, regional patterns, social/ethnic dialects, L2 transfer, and accent modification.

Dialect

Variation of speech or language based on geographic area, native language background, and social or racial-ethnic group membership; not inherently negative; dialects are dynamic.

Idiolect

An individual's unique, idiosyncratic speech pattern.

Register

Formal and informal speaking styles; the two ends of a speech style continuum.

Code Switching

Shifting speaking style from one dialect to another or from one language to another.

Standard American English (SAE)

A form of English relatively devoid of regional/social characteristics; no single fixed national standard in the U.S.; formal written standard vs informal spoken standard.

General American English (GAE)

A baseline, nonregional form used for comparing regional/ethnic dialects to a national standard; term used to avoid bias from labeling something as “standard.”

Sociolect

A dialect associated with a particular social class, SES, education, or vocation.

Ethnolect

A dialect associated with a particular ethnic group or regional/ language background.

Language Transfer

Influence of a speaker's L1 on the learning of an L2 (e.g., Arabic speakers substituting /b/ for /p/ in English).

Accent Modification

Elective program to assist in acquiring a desired second-dialect without jeopardizing the first dialect; not a disorder.

Northern Cities Shift (Inland North)

A set of vowel changes in the Inland North region (e.g., cut vs. cot; bet vs. bit; bit vs. bet).

Southern Shift

Vowel pattern in Southern English; includes developments such as buy with a lowered vowel and related changes.

Back Upglide Shift

A Southern-associated shift where the back upglide quality in certain vowels affects pronunciation (e.g., brought).

Vowel Merger

Two vowels with distinct articulations fuse into a single vowel sound.

Chain Shift

A systematic movement of vowel positions in which one vowel's change causes neighboring vowels to shift as well.

West/Midland/New England Features

Regional patterns: West—low back /ɑ/–/ɔ/ merger; Midland/ western PA—monophthongization; New England—low back merger and /ɹ/ vocalization.

Southern American English

A regional pattern characterized by features such as vowel tensing in some words, monophthongization in others, and other vowel adjustments (as listed in Table 9.1).

Eastern American English

Distinctive vowel patterns such as Mary/merry/marry contrasts, sparrow lowering, and other regionally specific changes (as listed in Table 9.2).

African American English (AAE)

A socioethnic dialect associated with African American communities that has regional variations and is not universal to all African Americans.

AAE Phonological Features (Final Stop Deletion, etc.)

AAE patterns including final stop deletion, final nasal deletion with nasalization, liquid deletion, and related cluster reductions (examples from Table 9.3).

SIE (Spanish-Influenced English)

English varieties influenced by Spanish, with patterns such as epenthesis before clusters and final consonant cluster reductions (Table 9.4–9.5).

Russian-Influenced English

English varieties influenced by Russian, including vowel substitutions (e.g., i/ɪ), final devoicing of stops, glottalization, and related consonant/vowel patterns (Table 9.8).

Asian-Influenced English

English varieties influenced by East Asian languages (Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog) with characteristic substitutions and assimilations (Table 9.6).

Asian Indian English

A regional variety with features such as retroflex consonants, epenthesis, fronting, and glide-related patterns (Table 9.7).

Accent Modification (ASHA Viewpoint)

ASHA stance: no dialect is inherently disordered; accent modification aims to facilitate second-dialect competency while respecting the first dialect.

L2 Transfer Findings

Research suggests native-like L2 production is unlikely; accurate perception is not always necessary; context-specific allophones help; attention to L1–L2 contrasts aids learning.

Language-Experience Implications for Clinicians

Clinicians should consider L1 influence and dialect variation when evaluating speech; intervention may be unnecessary if variation is dialectal rather than disordered.