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Title:
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Intonational Meaning in Cameroon English Discourse: A sociolinguistic perspective
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Author:
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Yves Talla Sando Ouafeu
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Email:
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click here to access email
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Degree Awarded:
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Universität Freiburg
, Phonology and sociolinguistics
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Degree Date:
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2006
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Linguistic Subfield(s):
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Phonetics
Phonology
Sociolinguistics
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Subject Language(s):
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English
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Director(s):
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Christian Mair
Ulrike Gut
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Abstract:
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This study is dedicated to a thorough phonetic description of the
intonation of Cameroon English, a non-native variety of English. It focuses
on the usage of specific tones, paratone and the intonational marking of
the information status in discourse. Two main descriptive frameworks,
namely the Discourse Intonation framework and the Auto-Segmental Metrical
approach were used. Data from natural conversation as well as from passage
reading were analysed both auditorily and acoustically and with relation to
the sociolinguistic variables education and gender and the linguistic
variable speaking style. Results showed that Cameroon English intonation
has its specificities which distinguish it not only from Standard English
but also from other non-native varieties of English. For example, Cameroon
English speakers, unlike speakers of other non-native varieties of English
(cf. Nigerian English), make new information more prominent than given
information in the discourse structure. New information is spoken with
higher intensity than given information in Cameroon English. Besides, it
was found that Cameroon English speakers make extensive use of the falling
tone which led the author to argue that “the falling tone does a lot of
work in Cameroon English intonation” (p. 169). Finally, findings revealed
that sociolinguistic theories postulated in native English communities do
not necessarily apply in non-native English communities.
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