Almbark, R., Bouchhioua, N., & Hellmuth, S. (2014). ‘Acquiring the phonetics and phonology of English word stress: Comparing learners from different l1 backgrounds. Concordia working papers in applied linguistics.
This article investigates how learners using English as their second language stress words in the English vocabulary and how they realize the stress. The authors examine phonetics in a small Arab population that speaks English as their second language because Arabic has different dialects across people, which can help understand how each dialect realizes stress words in English. The authors use two sub-groups to explore stress word realization in various populations. The first subgroups involve stress realization among different Arabic dialects, while the second group compares the word stress between Native English speakers and Arabic English speakers. The authors use a qualitative approach in collecting and analyzing data that answers whether different Arabic dialects affect stress realization on particular words. Consequently, the authors also use the analyzed data to identify stress words between Arabic and native English speakers to understand the most stressed sounds in a word or phrase among people using English as their second language. The authors analyze data through auditing read speech qualitatively in both sub-groups and comparing the differences in stress on specific words.
Findings indicate that both Arabic dialects have the same stress realization on phonetics. Thus, different dialects do not have an impact on how Arab’s stress in the English language. On the other hand, there was a significant difference in the word stress between native English speakers and Arabic English speakers, confirming that communities using English as a second have distinct word stress during communication. Finally, the study recommends further studies on the perception that dual English users can identify stress words quickly than native English speakers because they stress vowels in vocabulary. This research is credible since it uses primary data and qualitative analysis to provide conclusive evidence. It is very informative and can help academic researchers to identify how native language impact stress realization in human phonetics.
Chahal, D., & Hellmuth, S. (2014). The intonation of Lebanese and Egyptian Arabic. In S. Jun, Prosodic Typology II: The Phonology of Intonation and Phrasing. Oxford University Press.
In this paper, the authors explore differences in rhymes, tones, stress, and intonation between two Arabic dialects, Lebanese and Egyptian Arabic. The authors’ primary objective is to determine the posology variations across various Arabic languages and their impacts on human phonetics and intonation. The study uses an overall intonational model to classify groups under investigation. Data includes a recorded report on seven intellectually sound Lebanese Arab speakers and primary data from controlled experiments on tonal alignment and phonetic comparisons. The authors analyze data through qualitative analysis of utterances that identify stress in speech and prominence. Prominence refers to stress in specific syllables or words in a phrase. Prominence levels explored include syllables with accents, syllables without accents, and a combination of both. Determining syllable stress by considering different accents ensures maximum coverage of how each dialect affects the pronunciation of words.
Acoustic analysis is used to determine intonation phonology using pitch and tone differences at the end of questions. Findings indicate that intonation varies across Arabic dialects due to high and low boundary tones. The Acoustic analysis confirms significant pitch variation in boundary tones between the two dialects. This study has credibility since the researchers are known investigators in linguistics and phonetics. The authors use both primary and secondary data from credible sources, which is commendable since it proves the credibility of the research. This study can assist linguistic and phonological researchers to explore tone, rhyme, and intonation variation across Arabic populations.
Pierre Humbert, J. B., & Hirschberg, J. (1990). The meaning of intonational contours in the interpretation of discourse. In P. Cohen, J. Morgan & M. Pollack, Intentions in Communication. Bradford Books, MIT Press.
In this article, the authors explore the meaning of word intonation and how it shapes the conveying of messages during communication. Intonation refers to the rise and fall of a human voice, which defines the pitch, sound, and tone of communication. Intonation under investigation includes phrasing words, pitch range, placing accents in words, and the tune used during communications. The article describes how each intonation affects language utterance and the interpretation of the intended message by focusing on the relationship between the speaker and their specific audience. According to the authors, relationships affect intonations due to having different mutual beliefs, intentions for the message, and anticipated responses between the speaker and hearer.
Using the relationship between the speaker and hearers to explain the meaning of intonation is commendable since the degree of connection between the speaker and audience determines the choice of words, tone, phrasing, accent placement, and the speaker’s intended message trying to pass across. The research methodology in this article involves using the compositional theory of interpreting tunes to approximate the assumption that intonation varies according to the speaker-hearer relationship. Findings indicate that the relationship between the speaker and hearer has significant impacts on intonation by determining the attention and intention of the message.
The article does not cover how different cultures associate and perceive physical materials which define their intonation in a speech. However, they recommend further investigation on cultural heritage and perceptions of material association, which impact utterance and intention in speech. Using actual voices rather than recorded data could produce biased information since some technology modifies voices, leading to data tampering. Generally, this study is credible and will help the researchers determine how speaker-hearer relationships affect statements, intention, and speech attention.