Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics. / Bibliography: leaves 318-319. / Ph.D.

The application of the label music to complex sound requires structure. Musical or rhythmic structure can be thought of as being due to the interaction of two theoretically distinct structures of phrase and metre. Perception of both metrical and phrase structure is dependent not only on the physical structure of the acoustic presentation but also upon cognitive structure being imposed on the auditory sensations. Early work in the psychology of music focused on establishing the perceptual cues that determine the parsing of music in time. These perceptual determinants can be categorized on the basis of the theoretical components of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. With the exception of accent strength based on stability judgments of tones or chords (i.e., structural accenting), phenomenal accents have been assumed by some theorists to be equally-salient, additive, and categorical. The assumption of equal accent strength not only has been applied to different phenomenal accents within a theoretical component category but also between categories. Three series of experiments were conducted to test the assumption of equal weight and additivity of rhythmic cues. In the first series, a harmonic and a temporal accent were pitted against each other in such a way as to form different rhythm patterns. As well, two harmonic conditions which varied in the frequency of chord presentations (i.e., the compositerhythm) but not the frequency of chord changes (i.e., the harmonic-rhythm) were presented. Musicians and nonmusicians were requested to report perceived rhythm patterns in an attempt to determine the relative salience of the harmonic and temporal accents. In addition, a behavioural measure of the perceived metre was taken. Results indicated that the location of chord changes was the main determinant of subjects' rhythmic perceptions and the perceived onset of a measure. As well, although subjects primarily inferred different metres based on the composite-rhythm, an interaction of metrical and rhythmic choices was found indicating that perception of rhythm patterns and inference of metrical structure may not always be independent. In the second series of experiments, the contribution of harmonic-temporal and harmonic-structural features to the perception of rhythm patterns was investigated by pitting a harmonic and a temporal accent against each other in such a way as to form 5 possible rhythm patterns. Across the experiments, the chord progressions employed were varied, as was the timing of chord onsets (i.e., the composite-rhythm) and changes (i.e., the harmonic-rhythm). In all experiments, musicians and nonmusicians were requested to report perceived rhythm patterns in an attempt to determine the relative salience of the various accents. Results indicated that changes in the composite-and harmonic-rhythm led to a predictable change in an inferred metrical structure, and that all diatonic chord progressions lead to similar patterns of responses in which coincidences of harmonic, temporal, and inferred metrical accents were perceptually salient events. When a nondiatonic chord progression was employed however, there was neither evidence of an inferred metre, nor of responses on the basis of accent coincidence. Overall, musicians were found to primarily report rhythm patterns defined by the location of harmonic accents, while nonmusicians reported rhythm patterns defined by an inferred metrical structure. In the third series of experiments, the relative contribution of cues for metre inference was determined. In many theories of metre inference, the cues which serve as markers for major metrical accent locations are the basis from which one infers or determines a metre. However, phrase and metrical structure often support one another with phrase boundaries coinciding with metrically important locations. Thus, it becomes difficult to determine which cues, if any, are used exclusively, or predominantly as the basis for metre inference. Three experiments were conducted in which different time-spans defined by harmonic, melodic, and temporal accents, and their coincidences were systematically pitted against one another. Musicians and nonmusicians were requested to identify the metre of the stimuli as belonging to a category of either a triple (e.g., 6/8 or 3/4 time), or a duple metre (e.g., 2/4 or 4/4 time). It was found that musicians use harmonic information much more often and reliably than do nonmusicians who also use the temporal accent to define a metrical structure. Nevertheless, across the experiments, when a harmonic accent was present, subjects used that accent to define the metre. Furthermore, the coincidence of melodic accents was used more often than a temporal accent to determine a metrical structure. Together the three series of experiments highlight the significant role of harmonic accents in the perception of rhythm patterns in music. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Lai Wing-sze. / Thesis submitted in: August 2004. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-237). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Rational and Significance --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Scope of analysis --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization --- p.4 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Background --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Comparison of Cantonese and English consonants --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Comparison of Cantonese and English vowels --- p.8 / Chapter 2.3 --- Comparison of Cantonese and English syllables --- p.9 / Chapter 2.4 --- Comparison of Cantonese and English autosegments --- p.12 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Literature Review --- p.18 / Chapter 3.1 --- Tone assignment in Cantonese loanwords --- p.18 / Chapter 3.2 --- Relationship between tone and stress --- p.27 / Chapter 3.3 --- Research Questions --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Methodology --- p.32 / Chapter 4.1 --- Data Collection and Classification --- p.32 / Chapter 4.2 --- Loanword Verification Task --- p.48 / Chapter 4.3 --- Loanword Creation Task --- p.51 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Investigation of Tonal Patterns --- p.55 / Chapter 5.1 --- Monosyllabic Loanwords --- p.55 / Chapter 5.2 --- Disyllabic Loanwords --- p.59 / Chapter 5.3 --- Summary of Tonal Patterns in Monosyllabic and Disyllabic Loanwords --- p.81 / Chapter 5.4 --- Loanwords with more than two syllables --- p.81 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Further Evidence on Tonal Patterns --- p.92 / Chapter 6.1 --- Results of Loanword Verification Task --- p.92 / Chapter 6.2 --- Results of Loanword Creation Task --- p.103 / Chapter 6.3 --- Tonal Assignment by New Generation --- p.115 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Constraints and Rankings in Tone Assignment in Loanwords --- p.116 / Chapter 7.1 --- OT Concepts and Mechanisms --- p.116 / Chapter 7.2 --- Tonal Features --- p.120 / Chapter 7.3 --- My Proposed Account --- p.129 / Chapter 7.4 --- Constraints and Rankings --- p.132 / Chapter 7.5 --- Summary --- p.145 / Chapter Chapter 8 --- Conclusion and Implication --- p.147 / Appendices --- p.150 / Appendix I All collected Loanword Data --- p.150 / Appendix II Eliminated Loanword Data --- p.164 / Appendix III Kept Loanword Data --- p.168 / Appendix IV Initial Loanword Classification --- p.181 / Appendix V Loanword Questionnaire A --- p.198 / Appendix VI Loanword Questionnaire A Script --- p.201 / Appendix VII Loanword Questionnaire B --- p.203 / Appendix VIII More Examples of σ→ σ55 --- p.207 / Appendix IX More Examples of 'σσ --- p.209 / Appendix X More Examples of'σ[ --- p.214 / Appendix XI More Examples of ['σ --- p.217 / Appendix XII Disyllabic Loanwords with Atypical Tonal Patterns --- p.218 / Appendix XIII Disyllabic Loanwords with Other Tonal Influences --- p.220 / Appendix XIV Trisyllabic Loanwords with Atypical Tonal Patterns --- p.222 / Appendix XV Results of Loanword Creation Task --- p.224 / References --- p.233

Second language acquisition research has sought to identify socio-psychological factors underlying language learners' degrees and rates of acquisition. Studies have shown that learners with autonomous motivation orientations and positive attitudes towards the L2 community (Donitsa-Schmidt et. al., 2004; Schumann, 1978; Spolsky, 2000) acquire the target language better than those without such orientations and attitudes. This study utilizes social network theory (Milroy, 1987), identity theory (LePage & Tabouret Keller, 1985; van Dijk, 1998) and self determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1987) to explore how L2 learners' socially constructed identities, external, introjection, identification and integration motivational orientations, and exchange, interactive, and passive family and non-family networks relate to the attainment of the regional Turkish accent by young Kurds. Using a cross-sectional research design, this study addresses the following questions: (1) How native-like is the participant's accent when speaking Turkish as rated on a 1-5 scale? (2) What are the identity patterns found in the Kurdish-speaking community, and how do these patterns relate to their Turkish accent? (3) Do different motivational orientations significantly relate to attainment of native-like accents? (4) What are the social networks of the Kurdish-speaking community, and how do these networks relate to accent native-likeness? Data collected from 120 middle and high school students included speech samples from a read-aloud accent test and four questionnaires regarding their motivation to learn Turkish, their identification patterns, and social networks. Global accent ratings revealed significant degrees of variation in participants' accents varying from 1.1 to 4.7. Findings suggested that the degree of identification with the Turkish-speaking community was a positive predictor (.31, p < 0.01), and the degree of identification with the Kurdish-speaking community was a negative predictor (-.34 p < 0.01) of accent native-likeness. Data also showed that among four motivational orientations, integration orientation was a positive (.32, p < 0.01), and introjection was a negative (-.20; p < 0.01) predictor of accent nativelikeness. Results indicated that participants with a more native-like accent also had more Turkish-speaking family and non-family networks that were exchange and multiplex in nature than the networks of those participants with less native-like accents. Results also suggested several significant gender and age effects. / text

Plusieurs changements de nature phonétique et phonologique ont récemment été recensés dans la plupart des variétés de l'anglais britannique contemporain. Au cours des dernières décennies, ce phénomène semble s'être précipité en raison de la mobilité sociale et géographique accrue des locuteurs de ces variétés. À partir d'un corpus oral de plusieurs heures, essentiellement composé d'interactions spontanées entre locuteurs natifs du NW Yorkshire répartis en plusieurs tranches d'âge, on recense et analyse en temps apparent un certain nombre d'innovations segmentales et suprasegmentales affectant un ensemble d'accents associés à une zone déterminée. On aborde les motivations qui se trouvent à l'origine du changement accentuel dans le NW Yorkshire. On s'interroge aussi quant à l'identité des facteurs qui opèrent sur le plan suprasegmental (particulièrement dans les domaines de l'intonation et celui de la qualité de voix) et sur le plan segmental, au niveau phonétique autant que phonologique. On se penche sur la nature et sur le statut de certaines innovations intonatives en cours de diffusion, telles que le recours à des schémas ascendants en fin d'énoncés déclaratifs. On examine enfin la valeur sémantique et/ou pragmatique de ces schémas intonatifs et celle de certains ajustements articulatoires et phonatoires associés à la production orale des adolescents. Tout au long de ce travail, on suggère qu'il convient de prendre en compte simultanément plusieurs dimensions de la variation diachronique et synchronique pour appréhender le changement accentuel. On tente également de dégager quelques applications potentielles de ces observations à d'autres domaines de recherche, ainsi qu'à l'enseignement de l'anglais en tant que langue étrangère.

Thesis (MPhil (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is interested in the relationship between accent and hearers’ perception of the speaker. It investigates the kinds of stereotypes related to phonological features of the speaker’s language. Specifically this thesis focused on the perceptions that high school girls have of their Mathematics teachers who speak English with a non-standard accent. The general aims of the study were to establish whether high school girls perceived non-standard English speaking Mathematics teachers negatively and, if so, whether this perception changed as the girls mature. Twenty-seven Grade 8 learners and 14 Grade 12 learners from a private English-medium school in the Gauteng Province of South Africa participated in this study. The school attracts learners from the affluent socio-economic group, and the majority of the learners are white (76.8%) and first language speakers of English (86%). These participants completed questionnaires using the matched-guise technique (Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner and Fillenbaum 1960) to determine their perceptions of six accents. Five speakers were recorded reading the same Mathematics lesson in English. One reader read the same passage twice, using a so-called Standard South African English accent for one recording and a second language accent of an isiZulu mother tongue speaker for the second recording. The results of this investigation indicate that high school girls are inclined to stereotype teachers according to the teachers’ accents. Some of the characteristics attributed to the non-standard English speaking teachers were positive, but generally learners held a negative perception of such teachers. There was very little change in this perception from Grade 8 to Grade 12. Of particular importance in the National Curriculum Statement for Grades 10 to 12 is that learners emerge from this phase of their schooling being “sensitive to issues of diversity such as poverty, inequality, race, gender, language, age, disability and other factors” (www.sabceducation.co.za/). The school where the research was conducted has addressed diversity in numerous ways in an attempt to prepare the learners for life in multilingual and multicultural South Africa. That the Grade 12 learners in this study, whether first language speakers of English or not, still display accent prejudice suggests that the life skills objectives are not adequately met and that this form of prejudice needs to be addressed in more creative ways. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:: Hierdie studie stel belang in die verhouding tussen aksent en hoorders se waarneming van die spreker. Dit ondersoek die soort stereotipering wat saamhang met die fonologiese eienskappe van die spreker se taal. Hierdie tesis het spesifiek gefokus op die persepsies wat hoërskoolmeisies het van hul Wiskunde-opvoeders wat Engels met ‘n nie-standaard aksent praat. Die algemene doelstellings van die studie was om vas te stel of hoërskoolmeisies hierdie opvoeders negatief beoordeel op grond van hul aksent en, indien wel, of hierdie oordeel minder fel raak met ouerdom. Sewe-en-twintig Graad 8-leerders en 14 Graad 12-leerders aan ‘n privaat- Engels-medium skool in die Gauteng Provinsie van Suid-Afrika het aan die studie deelgeneem. Die skool se leerders kom uit die hoë sosio-ekonomiese groep, en die meerderheid is Wit (76.8%) en eerstetaalsprekers van Engels (86%). Die deelnemers het vraelyste voltooi as deel van sogenaamde “matched guise”- (Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner en Fillenbaum 1960) navorsing om hul persepsies van ses aksente te bepaal. Vyf sprekers is op band opgeneem terwyl hulle dieselfde Wiskunde-les in Engels lees. Een leser het die les twee maal gelees, een maal met ’n sogenaamde Standaard Suid-Afrikaanse Engelse aksent en een maal met ’n tweedetaal aksent tipies van ‘n isiZulu moedertaalspreker. Die resultate van hierdie ondersoek dui daarop dat hoërskoolmeisies geneig is om opvoeders te stereotipeer op grond van die opvoeders se aksent. Party eienskappe wat aan die nie-standaard Engelssprekende opvoeders toegeskryf is, was positief, maar oor die algemeen het leerders ’n negatiewe persepsie van sulke opvoeders gehad. Baie min verandering in hierdie persepsies het van Graad 8 tot Graad 12 plaasgevind. Van besondere belang in die Graad 10 tot 12 Nasionale Kurrikulm is dat leerders aan die einde van hierdie fase ‘n sensitiwiteit sal hê vir kwessies aangaande “diversiteit, soos armoede, ongelykheid, ras, geslag, taal, ouderdom, gestremdheid en ander faktore” (www.sabceducation.co.za/). Die skool waar hierdie navorsing gedoen is, spreek diversiteit op velerlei maniere aan in ’n poging om leerders voor te berei vir lewe in veeltalige en multikulturele Suid-Afrika. Die feit dat Graad 12- leerders in hierdie studie, of hulle eerstetaalsprekers van Engels is al dan nie, steeds aksentvooroordele toon, dui aan dat die doelstellings van lewensvaardigheid onderrig nie voldoende bereik word nie en dat hierdie vorm van vooroordeel op meer kreatiewe maniere aangespreek moet word.