We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Speech Rhythm in World Englishes: The Case of Hong Kong.
- Authors
Setter, Jane
- Abstract
This study investigated syllable duration as a measure of speech rhythm in the English spoken by Hong Kong Cantonese speakers. A computer dataset of Hong Kong English speech data amounting to 4,404 syllables was used. Measurements of syllable duration were token, investigated statistically, and then compared with measurements of 1,847 syllables from an existing corpus of British English speakers. It was found that, although some similarities existed, the Hong Kong English speakers showed smaller differences in the relative syllable duration of tonic, stressed, unstressed, and weakened syllables than the British English speakers. This result is discussed with regard to potential intelligibility problems, features of possible language transfer from Cantonese to English with respect to speech rhythm, and implications for language teaching professionals.
- Subjects
RHYTHM in the English language; ENGLISH language; SYLLABLE (Grammar); LANGUAGE transfer (Language learning); CANTONESE dialects; ENGLISH as a foreign language; LANGUAGE rhythm; SYLLABICATION
- Publication
TESOL Quarterly, 2006, Vol 40, Issue 4, p763
- ISSN
0039-8322
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/40264307