Intraspeaker Variation: Stop Devoicing in Elderly Black Speakers
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Producer
Director
Performer
Choreographer
Costume Designer
Music
Videographer
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Crew Member
Funder
Rehearsal Director
Concert Coordinator
Advisor
Moderator
Panelist
Alternative Title
Department
Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics
Type
Thesis (B.A.)
Original Format
Running Time
File Format
Place of Publication
Date Span
Copyright Date
Award
Language
en_US
Note
Table of Contents
Terms of Use
Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.
Rights Holder
Access Restrictions
Terms of Use
Tripod URL
Identifier
Abstract
The current study looks at intraspeaker variation in the usage of final stop devoicing in
elderly speakers of African American Vernacular English. The speakers were interviewed
in one-on-one situations and a group-style situation. The results indicated that
participants used final stop devoicing significantly more when they were in a group
interview than when they were in a one-on-one interview. In addition to these findings,
one of the speakers exhibited apparent differences between quoted speech and speech "as
self." However, upon analysis, the difference in usage of final devoicing by itself was not
statistically significant. While the feature alone may not be statistically significant, it
could be a part of a larger pattern that is significant. Finally, when confronted with
questions about language attitudes, participants varied in apparent metalinguistic
awareness, discussing educational status as being a factor in how they were treated earlier
in life, with one participant asserting that they recognize situations where they need to
"speak well," and change their speech accordingly.