variation in speech rate on the vocalization of / 1 / in local

A study examined the effect of language style and variation in speech rate on the vocalization of /1/ in local Cambridge English. This sociolinguistic feature has been described as marking southeastern varieties of British English and as a connected speech process (CSP) in its sensitivity to variation in speaking rate. Language style variables were sentence reading and narrative reading. Sentence reading was slow, normal, or fast. Vocalization was measured as total, partial, or not at all. Vocalizatior scores were found to be similar for fast sentence reading and narrative. These results are discussed in terms of the speaker's possible approaches to different speech tasks. The occurrence of "/1/clarification," in which the /1/ is moved from word-final position to the initial position in the following word, is also examined. It is concluued that style does play a significant role in distinguishing between CSPs affectef, by rate, and that CSPs functioning as fast speech strategies are influenced by style. (MSE) *****************************************X***********************X***** x Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. ************************************************.********************** The effects of style and speaking rate on /1/-vocalisation in U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ( ) INFORMATION CENTEER This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality Points of view or opinions stated in this iocument do not necessarily represent official OERI positron or policy ABSTRACT local Cambridge English* Susan Wright (University of Cambridge) "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE TH'S MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 5 TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This paper reports the results and conclusions of an auditory study of local Cambridge English, focussing on the effect of style on the vocalisation of /1/. This sociolinguistic feature has been described as a feature marking south eastern varieties of British English, and as a connected speech process in its sensitivity to variation in speaking rate. The study concludes that this feature is socially salient in local Cambridgfe English.