2016 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
A comprehensive analysis of the phonetic characteristics of English as a lingua franca
| Project/Area Number |
16K02776
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| Research Institution | Bunkyo Gakuin University |
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Principal Investigator |
ギルナー リーア 文京学院大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (20558803)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
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| Keywords | Lingua franca / World Englishes / Phonology / Frequent vocabulary |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Lexical analyses of ELF and WE corpora resulted in the identification of the vocabulary that dominate discourse in each corpus. Findings revealed that the dominant vocabulary identified in the ELF corpora fell slightly above the range of variance established by the WE varieties. The ELF dominant vocabulary took up more of the lexical mass in its corresponding corpus than in the case of the WE dominant vocabularies.
A custom software application has been developed in order to create, maintain, and manage collections of phonemic/phonetic transcriptions of the vocabulary of interest. The system provides the means by which to not only describe systemic phonological features but to also approach the investigation of phonological variation and variability.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The accomplishments of the first year coincided with expectations. The current phase of research, involving phonetically transcribing thousands of words, is complex and challenging. The literature has been reviewed in order to devise transcription models. Simultaneously, custom software analysis tools have been designed and developed. The process of transcription has required an intense level of attention and multiple reviews of the data after each pass to check for consistency. The work progressed well, but demanded more time that originally envisioned. Currently, the analytical parameters are being formalized and tested. Related literature is being scrutinized in order to arrive at the most comprehensive and informative methodology.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
A series of analyses designed to identify, characterize, and classify the segmental components that comprise the ELF lexicon will be undertaken. Analyses will include functional load measures, the inspection of phonemic constituents, the classification of vocalic segments in terms of articulatory setting, the identification of positional phonation tendencies, the characterization of maximal and near-maximal oppositions, the isolation of maximal and near-maximal oppositions created by single and double feature distinctions, and the classification of segments according to a discrete scale of sonority quanta.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The next phase of this research addresses the development and analysis of phonological models of global English. This is an under researched area of inquiry due to the complex and variable nature of spoken language. The arduous task is being pursued with the hope of contributing to more comprehensive formal linguistic descriptions of English, which are currently limited to a few supervarieties. Results and findings should also contribute to understanding related to language processing and processing as well as language pedagogy, particularly the teaching of pronunciation and communication strategies.
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| Expenditure Plan for Carryover Budget |
The funds provided will support the review and scrutinization of relevant literature including purchase of books and other research materials. In addition, the analyses require the development of custom software. Monies will go toward consultations and implementation of the desired functionality. It is also expected that the funding will be spent on travel costs for presenting findings and results at international and domestic conferences. It is anticipated that certain audio and computer equipment will be purchased to assist in the collection and examination of data.
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