Definition of Accent in English Speech

Definition of Accent in English Speech The term accent has various meanings, but in speaking, an accent is an identifiable style of pronunciation, often varying regionally or even socioeconomically. It can be contrasted with a persons dialect, which includes regional vocabulary. Standard English has nothing to do with pronunciation, wrote Peter Trudgill  (Dialects.  Routledge, 2004). In fact, most people who speak Standard English do so with some sort of regional pronunciation, so that you can tell where they come from much more by their accent than by their  grammar  or vocabulary. George Mason University holds a speech accent archive, where people have been recorded reading the same English passage, for linguists to study, for example, what makes accents distinct from one another.   More on Dialects Versus Accents A dialect is a verbal departure from standard language. Dialects are characteristic of a particular group of speakers and have their own charm as well. Yall in the South, Yah in Minnesota, Eh? in Canada. The regional dialects of Brooklyn, the rural South, New England, and Appalachia, not to mention the greater contributions of Canada and Britain, and those of various ethnic cultures, have certainly enriched the English language. An accent is a particular way of pronouncing a language. Warsh for wash in Cajun Louisiana, New Yawk for New York among native New Yorkers, aboot for about in Canada. The appeal of dialects and accents comes from our appreciation of their musical intonations, imaginative word choices, and emotive speech rhythms. (James Thomas, Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers. Focal Press, 2009) Regional and Social Accents Accents are not just regional but sometimes contain information about a persons ethnicity, such as in the case of nonnative English speakers; education; or economic status. Within each national variety [of English] the standard dialect is relatively homogeneous in grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and punctuation. Pronunciation is a different matter, since there is no equivalent standard accent (type of pronunciation). For each national variety, there are regional accents, related to geographical area, and social accents, related to the educational, socio-economic, and ethnic backgrounds of the speakers. (Tom McArthur, The English Languages. Cambridge University Press, 1998) Phonetic and Phonological Differences Even though pronunciation differs, meanings of the same words often remain the same, such as around North America or between Britain and Australia.   Differences between accents are of two main sorts: phonetic and phonological. When two accents differ from each other only phonetically, we find the same set of phonemes in both accents, but some or all of the phonemes are realised differently. There may also be differences in stress and intonation, but not such as would cause a change in meaning. As an example of phonetic differences at the segmental level, it is said that Australian English has the same set of phonemes and phonemic contrasts as BBC pronunciation, yet Australian pronunciation is so different from that accent that it is easily recognized.Many accents of English also differ noticeably in intonations without the difference being such as would cause a difference in meaning; some Welsh accents, for example, have a tendency for unstressed ​syllables to be higher in pitch than stressed syllables. Such a difference is, again, a phonetic one...Phonological differences are of various types...Within the area of segmenta l phonology the most obvious type of difference is where one accent has a different number of phonemes (and hence of phonemic contrasts) from another.(Peter Roach, English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course, 4th ed. Cambridge University Press, 2009) Why So Many British Accents? Though Britain is a relatively small place, English spoken there can sound quite different from one end of the country to another. There are more accents per square mile in Britain than in any other part of the English-speaking world.This is because of the hugely diverse history of English in the British Isles, with the originally Germanic dialects of Europe mixing with the Norse accents of the Vikings, the French accents of the Normans, and wave after wave of immigration from the Middle Ages down to the present day.But its also because of the rise of mixed accents, as people move house around the country and pick up features of the accent wherever they find themselves.(David Crystal and Ben Crystal, Revealed: Why the Brummie Accent Is Loved Everywhere but Britain. Daily Mail, October 3, 2014) The Lighter Side I sometimes wonder if Americans arent fooled by our [British] accent into detecting brilliance that may not really be there.(Stephen Fry)You know, Fez, unfortunately there are some people in this world that are going to judge you on the color of your skin or your funny accent or that girly little way you run. But you know what? Youre not alone. Why do you think the Martians wont land here? Because theyre green, and they know people are going to make fun of them!(Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso in Bring It on Home. That 70s Show, 2003)[Yankees] are pretty much like Southerners- except with worse manners, of course, and terrible accents.(Margaret Mitchell, Gone With the Wind, 1936)

Happy Family Environment Essay Essay Example

Happy Family Environment Essay Essay Example Happy Family Environment Essay Paper Happy Family Environment Essay Paper When parents have different opinions, they should communicate with each other in a good perceptive way. They should listen and understand what the other would like to express instead of being defensive. Parents should not being sarcastic to each other. Parents should only say positive and encouragement words to each other. Parents should support each other; especially, in front of the children. When parents are able to show compassionate and love to each other, children will also feel the love. When parents are no longer fight, the whole family will experience a very happy amply. As a mom, after work, she comes home and prepares dinner for the family. She would be very happy to see Dad and the children surround the diner table studying. She understands it is a hard work for Dad to coordinate the children to doing their homework; however, with Dads direction, she would think the children would do the work much efficiently. After prepared the dinner, she would serve and we all have dinner together everyday. During dinner time, we can share our day and enlighten each other with a joke or a funny story. This will sure award us as a very happy family. : And last, our house is huge with many rooms of our own, but sleeping in the same room would make everyone feels close to each other. Not to mention that we could save a bit on the electricity bills yet it is very cozy. We have each other in one cozy room for the night. Nothing can make us happier. In conclusion, to have a happy family environment, parents should never fight, children finish their homework accordingly while mom preparing for dinner, and we all sleep in one cozy room.

Time for an Organizational Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Time for an Organizational Change - Assignment Example With globalization taking a toll, organizations are left with no option but work towards achieving market goals and objectives of the market. Change is, therefore, part and parcel of organizational life. This case study will highlight an organizational change in a hospital of using an electrical method of storing records in the hospital and how this method has impacted the working conditions of nurses in the hospital. Prior to the enactment of these changes in the organization, the hospital’s management recorded numerous cases of misplaced files and documents that were of crucial benefit to the hospital. Nurses were also facing a difficult time trying to trace files and documents of various patients, especially the ones who had not frequented the hospital in recent years. When these patients turned up to the hospital, nurses could not easily trace their file and medical history in the hospital. The hospital administrator felt that it would be better to have an electronic method of storing data that would not only assist the nurses in their jobs but also offer the best medical care to their patients. The decision by the administrator connects to other departments of the hospital in many ways. In terms of the hierarchy of needs, this is the best decision that the administrator would have made. There is a dire need to change the hospital’s structure completely for smooth running of activities. On a humanistic point of view, there is a need to enhance the workers of the hospital by exposing them to new skills of recording data (Wolper 2004). Though there may be a need to bring in new employees to the hospital, the administrator has done a great job in steering the hospital towards change. The structure of the organization may change on the basis of new systems being put in place to suit the change. There may be no need for more shelves in the hospital or large cabinets to hold the files. Health and Havering (2002) indicate that there may be confusion for the first few months, but the nurses are likely to adjust to the changes with time.  Ã‚