Recent innovations

In the group of "processes almost complete" we find pronunciations which have been introduced since the 60s. They are:

1. the diphthong /эи/ replaced the older realization as [oo], as in over, boat, comb;

2. /tj, dj/ in unaccented positions are regularly changed to /tj, d?,/, as in culture, soldier,

3. the distinction between /ээ/ and /o:/ is lost, both are now /o:/ in paw, pour.

Another trend is followed less consistently but since it has already been registered in the two major pronouncing dictionaries (Jones 1997; Wells 2000) it will gradually find a way into teaching manuals and teaching prac­tice too:

4. /j/ is lost following /1, s, z/, e.g. luminous ['lummas], suit [su:t], exhume [ig'zu:m].

5. The diphthong /еэ/ is realized as a monophthong: in fare [f3:], tear [to:].

6. A more subtle realizational feature is /r/ pronounced as a post-alveo­lar approximant in all positions and not, as formerly, as a tap in inter­vocalic positions following an accented syllable, e.g. very, error.

Among the changes well-established there are:

1. /i/ in many (but not all!) unaccented syllables replaced by /э/, e.g. quality ['kwolэti] but palace ['paelis];

2. /o/ used in place of/иэ/ in some, particularly monosyllabic, words, e.g. in sure, poor, cure, moor, tour but less likely in pure and impossible in doer, fewer, newer, viewer;

3. final /i/ replaced by /i:/ in words like city, pretty, dirty;

4. the quality of /ae/ becomes more open, i.e. close to [a], e.g. mad, rat, cap;

5. pre-consonantal /t/ becomes a glottal stop, e.g. not very but glottalization is not acceptable before /1/, e.g. little [li?l] is considered substandard;

6. /j/ is lost after /n/, e.g. news [nu:z];

7. accented /tj, dj/ become /tj, d3/, e.g. tune, endure.

In the section of recent innovations Cruttenden includes pronuncia­tions which are now heard in General RP but not yet typical of a majority of speakers:

1. /i/ and /u/ are realized as [i:] and [u:], e.g. beer [bi:], sure [u:], the latter competing with [o:];

2. unrounding as well as fronting of /u/ and /u:/ as [i] and [i:], e.g. good [gid], soon [si:n];

3. the realization of /r/ without a tongue tip contact (like American retroflexed /r/) has been described as one of the features of Estuary English but may be a general tendency within RP;

4. there is one intonation feature: the over-frequent use of a "checking" high rise on declarative sentences like, for example, I was at Heath'row yesterday. They've got a new duty-free shop.

5. Word stress placement is another variable: in the word hospitable in British 1988 survey 81% prefer the [hs'pitabl] with the stress on the sec­ond syllable and 19% on the initial one ['hospitabl]. A similar case of stress shift: in applicable British 84% preference is on the side of [aepl’ikabl]; and 16% on the side of ['aeplikabl];

the American selection is just the opposite: 64% for ['aephk-J and 36% [a'plik-].

The group called innovations on the verge of RP pre­sents two features first described for Estuary English. They are: vocaliza­tion of dark [1] and glottalization of /t/ before an accented vowel and be­fore a pause.

Questions.

1. What is the subject of sociophonetics? Name and explain the types of accent variation. What is the difference between an accent and a dialect?

2. How are accents of English grouped worldwide?

3. How are accents of English grouped within a country (the UK and the USA)?

4. Compare and contrast the British and American accent types (the systems of vowels and consonants, stress, rhythm, intonation).

5. What are the most recognizable British regional features (vowels, consonants, intonation)?

6. What are the most recognizable American regional features (vowels, consonants, intonation)? What is cot — caught merger?

7. What local accent is General Australian similar to? What are the common features?

8. Explain the concepts of “social factors” and “social markers”. What is the role of the phonetic factors in the UK?

9. What is the interrelation between geographical and social accent variation? What phonetic features are considered as social markers in the UK (acc. to Peter Tradgill)?

10. How has the status of RP changed nowadays?

11. What is the classification of RP types accepted today? What are their peculiar features?

12. What is Estuary English? What are its peculiar features?

13. Comment on social varia­tion of accents in the USA. What phonetic features are considered as social markers in the US? (acc. to William Labov)?

14. What are the current changes in RP?