1 research outputs found
Imitation, Awareness; and Folk Linguistic Artifacts
Imitations are sophisticated performances displaying regular patterns. The
study of imitation allows linguiSts to understand speakers' perceptions of
sociolinguistic variation. In this dissertation, I analyze imitations of non-native
accents in order to answer two questions: what can imitation reveal about
perception, and how are folk linguistic artifacts (Preston 1996) involved in
imitation? These questions are approached from the framework offolk linguistic
awareness (Preston 1996). By redefining the concept of salience according to the
modes of folk linguistic awareness, I am able to more precisely consider how
imitation reflects salience. I address both of these questions by eliciting imitations
from speakers in which folk artifacts are present.
For my investigation, twenty speakers read a short passage in English. Ten
were non-native speakers of American English (NNAE) and ten were native
speakers of American English (AE). The AE speakers were recorded reading the
passage in their regular voice and with two types of imitated accents: free imitations,
which were spontaneously produced, and modeled imitations, which were produced
directly after hearing the NNAE speakers. Free imitations revealed folk linguistic
artifacts, while modeled imitations were more reflective of the immediate target.
Participants listened to the authentic and imitated accents and were asked to
determine the accent and authenticity of each speaker.
I found that there was not a significant difference in the pitch and vowels
between free and modeled AE imitations, which indicated that these aspects of
imitations are largely based on folk linguistic artifacts. Listeners were able to
determine which voices were authentic and which were imitated. Listeners were
also able to identify the speakers' accents, perhaps aided by the folk artifact status of
these particular accents. Listeners were better at identifying the accents of free
imitations than modeled imitations, which suggested that listeners prefer imitations
that are solely based on folk artifacts.
Overall, I found that imitation is a valuable tool for the analysis of speech
perception. The modes of folk linguistic awareness are useful in interpreting
imitations and understanding salience. This research shows that folk linguistic
artifacts are the foundation of imitations and an important tool in perceptual
categorization