Topic: Singapore English intonation: teasing out sources of prominence and variation 

Speaker: Dr. Adam J. Chong (Senior lecturer, Department of Linguistics, Queen Mary University of London)

Format: Zoom (Meeting link: https://hku.zoom.us/my/jonahlack)

Abstract:  Singapore English (SgE) is a nativised English variety that displays a number of systematic linguistic features that distinguish it from Western varieties (e.g. British English). In this talk, I present ongoing work on SgE intonation, an under-examined aspect of the linguistic system. I first present a proposal for a phonological model of SgE intonation couched in the Autosegmental Metrical framework. I then discuss the results of a series of production studies that provide qualitative and quantitative support for aspects of the initial model, focussing on evidence for different sources of prominence (lexical and phrasal). I then show how this model allows us to start probing sociolinguistic variation and acquisition of intonation in SgE with novel data from children and child-directed speech. I end by discussing the implications of this work for our understanding of variation, prominence and rhythm in SgE prosody, and the important contribution ‘New Englishes’ can make for our understanding of prosodic typology.

 *** All are welcome! No registration is required. ***