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. / A number of phonetic and phonological changes have lately been observed in most geographical varieties of British English. This phenomenon seems to have been accelerated by increasing social and geographical mobility in the past decades. Based on a corpus mainly consisting of several hours of spontaneous interaction between a number of native NW Yorkshire speakers divided into different age groups, this research identifies and analyses several segmental and suprasegmental innovations observed in apparent time in a set of accents associated with a circumscribed geographical area. This thesis discusses the motivation behind some of these changes and addresses the question of whether the same factors and principles operate in suprasegmental change – especially in the fields of intonation and voice quality – as in the diffusion of non-traditional segmental phonetic/phonological features. It also explores the nature and status of some diffusing intonational patterns, such as the innovative use of rising tones in association with statements. The semantic/pragmatic value of these patterns is taken into consideration as well as that of a number of articulatory and phonatory adjustments characterising adolescent speech. Throughout this study, it is argued that an analytical model simultaneously taking into account several dimensions of diachronic and synchronic variation is necessary to provide an adequate account of accent change. Some of the findings have been examined as to their possible application to other research domains and to the field of EFL teaching.

Thesis (MScEng (Electrical and Electronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates various data-driven techniques by which pronunciation dictionaries can be automatically augmented. First, well-established grapheme-to-phoneme (G2P) conversion techniques are evaluated for Standard South African English (SSAE), British English (RP) and American English (GenAm) by means of four appropriate dictionaries: SAEDICT, BEEP, CMUDICT and PRONLEX. Next, the decision tree algorithm is extended to allow the conversion of pronunciations between different accents by means of phoneme-to-phoneme (P2P) and grapheme-andphoneme- to-phoneme (GP2P) conversion. P2P conversion uses the phonemes of the source accent as input to the decision trees. GP2P conversion further incorporates the graphemes into the decision tree input. Both P2P and GP2P conversion are evaluated using the four dictionaries. It is found that, when the pronunciation is needed for a word not present in the target accent, it is substantially more accurate to modify an existing pronunciation from a different accent, than to derive it from the word’s spelling using G2P conversion. When converting between accents, GP2P conversion provides a significant further increase in performance above P2P. Finally, experiments are performed to determine how large a training dictionary is required in a target accent for G2P, P2P and GP2P conversion. It is found that GP2P conversion requires less training data than P2P and substantially less than G2P conversion. Furthermore, it is found that very little training data is needed for GP2P to perform at almost maximum accuracy. The bulk of the accuracy is achieved within the initial 500 words, and after 3000 words there is almost no further improvement. Some specific approaches to compiling the best training set are also considered. By means of an iterative greedy algorithm an optimal ranking of words to be included in the training set is discovered. Using this set is shown to lead to substantially better GP2P performance for the same training set size in comparison with alternative approaches such as the use of phonetically rich words or random selections. A mere 25 words of training data from this optimal set already achieve an accuracy within 1% of that of the full training dictionary. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek verskeie data-gedrewe tegnieke waarmee uitspraakwoordeboeke outomaties aangevul kan word. Eerstens word gevestigde grafeem-na-foneem (G2P) omskakelingstegnieke ge¨evalueer vir Standaard Suid-Afrikaanse Engels (SSAE), Britse Engels (RP) en Amerikaanse Engels (GenAm) deur middel van vier geskikte woordeboeke: SAEDICT, BEEP, CMUDICT en PRONLEX. Voorts word die beslissingsboomalgoritme uitgebrei om die omskakeling van uitsprake tussen verskillende aksente moontlik te maak, deur middel van foneem-na-foneem (P2P) en grafeem-en-foneem-na-foneem (GP2P) omskakeling. P2P omskakeling gebruik die foneme van die bronaksent as inset vir die beslissingsbome. GP2P omskakeling inkorporeer verder die grafeme by die inset. Beide P2P en GP2P omskakeling word evalueer deur middel van die vier woordeboeke. Daar word bevind dat wanneer die uitspraak benodig word vir ’n woord wat nie in die teikenaksent teenwoordig is nie, dit bepaald meer akkuraat is om ’n bestaande uitspraak van ’n ander aksent aan te pas, as om dit af te lei vanuit die woord se spelling met G2P omskakeling. Wanneer daar tussen aksente omgeskakel word, gee GP2P omskakeling ’n verdere beduidende verbetering in akkuraatheid bo P2P. Laastens word eksperimente uitgevoer om die grootte te bepaal van die afrigtingswoordeboek wat benodig word in ’n teikenaksent vir G2P, P2P en GP2P omskakeling. Daar word bevind dat GP2P omskakeling minder afrigtingsdata as P2P en substansieel minder as G2P benodig. Verder word dit bevind dat baie min afrigtingsdata benodig word vir GP2P om teen bykans maksimum akkuraatheid te funksioneer. Die oorwig van die akkuraatheid word binne die eerste 500 woorde bereik, en n´a 3000 woorde is daar amper geen verdere verbetering nie. ’n Aantal spesifieke benaderings word ook oorweeg om die beste afrigtingstel saam te stel. Deur middel van ’n iteratiewe, gulsige algoritme word ’n optimale rangskikking van woorde bepaal vir insluiting by die afrigtingstel. Daar word getoon dat deur hierdie stel te gebruik, substansieel beter GP2P gedrag verkry word vir dieselfde grootte afrigtingstel in vergelyking met alternatiewe benaderings soos die gebruik van foneties-ryke woorde of lukrake seleksies. ’n Skamele 25 woorde uit hierdie optimale stel gee reeds ’n akkuraatheid binne 1% van di´e van die volle afrigtingswoordeboek.

The diploma thesis deals with the major accents of English used by Northern Irish speakers and their application in teaching English as a foreign language. In the theoretical part of the text, the fundamental information concerning the language development in the given area is put forward. Furthermore, it concentrates on the division of particular accents and attempts for their characterisation in comparison to Received Pronunciation. In the following practical part, the text concentrates on the application of the theoretical findings in lessons for English language students at a Czech grammar school. It describes the preparation of the teaching materials and of the lesson plan, and their subsequent application in sample lessons. The evaluation of the activities is based on the student feedback which is discussed in the final chapter.

Today, English is a world language and more English accents have appeared. Today it is more difficult to teach English in Sweden due to the fact that we do not know when, where or how we are going to use English in the future. This study therefore focuses on how English teachers in Swedish upper secondary school teach and assess students’ accents and the challenge of working with the multitude of accents of the English-speaking world. This study is based on a questionnaire that was sent electronically to English teachers. The results from this study show that English teachers in Swedish upper secondary schools work with different English accents in class. The results also show that over fifty percent of the teachers do not let students choose accents for them to work with; most of the teachers’ choose which accents should be introduced and worked with in class. Moreover, students’ grades are not affected by the accent they speak, which is in line with the English syllabus. In conclusion, it is clear that British and American English are still dominant in Swedish school today. / Idag är engelska ett världsspråk och fler engelska dialekter har dykt upp. Idag har det blivit svårare att undervisa engelska i Sverige, då vi oftast inte vet när eller hur vi kommer använda det engelska språket i framtiden. Denna studie inriktar sig på hur engelskalärare i den svenska gymnasieskolan undervisar och bedömer elevers uttal, samt den utmaning som finns idag med att arbeta med de många dialekter som finns i den engelsktalande världen. Denna studie är baserad på en enkät som skickades elektroniskt till engelskalärare. Resultatet av denna studie visar att engelskalärare i svenska gymnasieskolan arbetar med olika engelska dialekter. Resultatet visar också att över femtio procent av lärarna inte låter eleverna välja själva vilka dialekter som ska introduceras, utan de flesta lärare väljer själva vilka engelska dialekter de ska arbeta med i undervisningen. Elevernas betyg är inte heller påverkade av deras val av engelsk dialekt, vilket är i linje med den engelska kursplanen. Slutligen visar det sig att brittisk och amerikansk engelska fortfarande dominerar i den svenska skolan idag.

Thesis. 1976. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Engineering. / Vita. / Bibliography: leaves 403-416. / Ph.D.

La discrimination lors de l'insertion professionnelle contribue à marquer des frontières entre les individus nourrissant par là-même les ruptures inter-communautaires en société. Ici, elle est envisagée dans une perspective sociolangagière permettant d'appréhender les liens entre discours et conflits sociaux. Par le réinvestissement de plusieurs méthodologies (observation participante, observation directe, locuteur masqué, questionnaire d'évaluation et entretien semi-directif), la recherche est posée comme permettant de travailler conjointement à : - une réflexion théorique sur l'intégration des pratiques sociolangagières comme potentiels critères de discrimination pour observer comment certains accents peuvent être perçus plus légitimes à certains emplois professionnels et comment ces ressentis peuvent être transposés à l'égard des communautés dont ces parlers apparaissent représentatifs et, - une réflexion méthodologique sur le discours comme vecteur de discriminations où il s'agit de travailler à la création d'un nouvel instrument pour aider la lutte contre ces ségrégations injustifiées, ce par repérage d'indices langagiers récurrents comme preuve(s) d'attitudes discriminatoires

Dialektal medvetenhet är en förmåga som grundas i en metaspråklig förmåga, det vill säga att kunna resonera kring språk och hantera språkliga enheter. Exempel på detta är att med hjälp av prosodi kunna utläsa information i tal såsom känslor och dialekter. Det finns relativt lite forskning angående barns dialektala medvetenhet. Däremot finns mer forskning inom metaspråklig utveckling. En god metaspråklig förmåga hör samman med god generell språkutveckling och en metaspråklig kompetens innebär ett senare stadium av språkutveckling. Resultat från tidigare studier har visat att metaspråklig förmåga börjar utvecklas vid en ålder av cirka fem år vad gäller bland annat intonation och dialektrelaterat tal. I föreliggande studie konstruerades ett testbatteri för att kartlägga dialektal medvetenhet i åldrarna fem till tolv år. I studien deltog tre åldersgrupper, 5-, 8- och 11-åringar, med tio barn i respektive åldersgrupp. Testet är uppbyggt i tre delar som undersöker olika aspekter av dialektal medvetenhet. Studien är genomförd i Östergötland med barn som förväntas identifiera sig med östgötsk dialekt. Resultatet i föreliggande studie bekräftar att viss metaspråklig kunskap finns etablerad hos de femåriga barnen och att det sker en gradvis ökning i utvecklingen mellan åldrarna vad gäller att kunna avgöra om två personer låter som att de kommer från samma region. En liknande ökning av metaspråklig utveckling finns mellan respektive åldersgrupp och visas i barnens sätt att resonera kring olika sätt att tala. Föreliggande studies resultat visar även att barnen vid åtta år uppnått en god förmåga att urskilja sitt eget sätt att tala bland andra regionsdialekter, dock påvisas ingen ytterligare ökning av denna förmåga vid elva års ålder. / Awareness of accents is an ability derived from metalinguistic skills, which includes being able to reason about language and being able to handle small language units. An example of this may be to be able to use prosodic features in order to understand expressions of feelings and regional accents. There is not much research regarding regional accent awareness in Swedish children. There is, on the other hand, more research available about metalinguistic ability in children. Metalinguistic ability is associated with a more advanced language development in general, which means that metalinguistic capacity belongs to a latter phase of language development. Results from recent research have shown that metalinguistic ability starts to develop by the age of five regarding intonation and regional accents. The present study has produced a test battery to survey accent awareness in the ages five to twelve years. In the study participated three age groups of 5, 8 and 11 years with ten children from each age group. The test comprises three parts that investigate different aspects of awareness of Swedish regional accents. The study is carried out in Östergötland in Sweden, with children expected to identify themself with the Swedish regional accent Östgötska. The results of the present study confirm that certain metalinguistic knowledge is established by the age of five and that there is a gradual development between the age groups regarding the ability to decide if two persons sound like they are coming from the same region.  A similar gradual development of metalinguistic awareness in respective ages is shown in the children’s way to reason about different ways to talk. The results of the present study also indicate that children by an age of eight have achieved the ability to distinguish their own way of talking among other regional accents. No further development of this ability by the age of eleven is demonstrated.

This essay deals with the use of linguistic stereotypes in three different movies with British accents, namely Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, with a main focus on phonology. It investigates whether attitudes towards British accents found in studies about ideological beliefs about accent variation are reflected in the selected movies and discusses the notion of linguistic identity. The essay analyses how studies of perceived prestige and attractiveness of accents correlates to the character types males, females, main heroes, villains, comic relief and mentors in the selected movies. The essay finds a correlation between Received Pronunciation and every character type. It also finds that accents rated high on the discussed lists most often correlate to the character types mentor, villain and hero, while accents lower down on the list correlates with the character types comic relief and villains. The use of accents in these movies is probably intentional and not coincidental.

Society exhibits a wide variety of different languages with various prominent features. At the same time as we honour diversity, however our civilisation is coloured with prejudice and preconceptions. Even if there is a rather liberal view on language use today, dialects and accents still carry positive and negative connotations for a majority of citizens. Research shows, that we are prejudiced and that we have predetermined ideas when it comes to certain language varieties. In this study, I take up four varieties of Standard English: American, English, Australian and Scottish. I focus on the associations Swedish students make when it comes to these four language varieties and how this transforms into attitudes towards the speakers. A language attitude study is carried out by using a modified Matched Guise Test. I explain the difference between dialect and accent, as well as societal attitudes to language varieties and present some prominent linguists and their methods. Finally, I draw some conclusions by comparing my results to previous findings.

This study aims to explore teacher beliefs on accents in the classroom and how they affect classroom practices as well as the teachers views on the LFC approach. Furthermore, the study investigates whether there exists a possible disconnect between teachers and the Swedish National Agency for Education when it comes to deciding what approach to take when teaching English pronunciation. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with five Secondary school and Upper Secondary School English teachers in Sweden, whose work experience ranged from six months to 22 years. The study found that the teachers with more experience were more likely to prefer the inner circle English accents and use them as a benchmark for correctness. Phenomena like the native-speaker ideal, which means to idealize native speakers and view them as better speakers of English, can be linked to the teachers age and experience. Moreover, some teachers expressed feeling pressure from students to sound native-like and felt disfavored as some schools showed a preference for hiring native speakers as English teachers. Thus, a haloeffect for teachers speaking with an inner-circle English accent was identified, which affects students’ and employers’ perception of non-native EFL-teachers. The study also found that while some of the teachers were familiar with the Lingua Franca Core model, none of them had taught it. The study concludes that there is a disconnect between the teachers and Skolverket’s steering documents, as most of the teachers felt that Skolverket does not explicitly call for pronunciation teaching and were unsure of the demands. Furthermore, this calls for clearer demands from Skolverket as well as re-formation programs for experienced teacher to change their beliefs on non-native accents.