MODELLING ENGLISH STRESS PATTERNS OF SELECTED EDUCATED PUBLIC MOTIVATIONAL L2 SPEAKERS

Abstract

Existing studies on Nigerian English prosody have explored the capacity of different media personalities, teachers and software-simulating applications as models of standard English pronunciation. However, little scholarly efforts have been channelled towards empirically probing the likelihood of highly educated, reputable and eloquent motivational speakers as a model for standard Nigerian spoken English. This study, therefore, examined the English stress patterns in the utterances of the selected motivational speakers and unveiled the factors responsible for their patterns of stress assignment. Bandura's (1986) socio-cognitive learning theory and Kelman's (1983) social influence theory served as theoretical framework. Selected words in eight speeches of Ibukun Awosika and Ubong Essien were purposively selected and downloaded from YouTube and subjected to perceptual and acoustic analysis using PRAAT. Findings revealed a close approximation of the public motivational speakers' patterns of stress assignment to that of standard English. The result implies that the selected public motivational speakers are competent in assigning stress to English words. Findings further showed that “observation” and “identification” as components of socio-cognitive and social influence theories were reinforced in the speech production of the speakers. The processes of “imitation”, “motivation”, “compliance” and “internalisation” were found to have affected the acquisition of the stress patterns in the speakers' utterances, as the speakers identified how they complied with and internalised patterns of different international speakers of repute. The study concluded that the public motivational speakers demonstrated a good understanding of appropriate stress assignment and their performance is connected to adherence to socio-cognitive and social influence principles.

Keywords

• language modelling
• English stress
• public motivational speakers as a model
• PRAAT analysis
• socio-cognitive learning theory
• social influence theory

SEÇİLMİŞ EĞİTİMLİ KAMU MOTİVASYONEL L2 KONUŞMACILARININ İNGİLİZCE VURGU ÖRNEĞİNİN MODELLENMESİ

Abstract

Nijerya İngilizcesi prozodisi üzerine yapılan mevcut çalışmalar, farklı medya kişiliklerinin, öğretmenlerin ve yazılım simülasyonu uygulamalarının standart İngilizce telaffuzunun modelleri olarak kapasitelerini araştırmıştır. Ancak, yüksek eğitimli, saygın ve etkili motivasyonel konuşmacıların standart Nijerya konuşma İngilizcesi için bir model olma olasılığını deneysel olarak araştırmaya yönelik çok az akademik çaba sarf edilmiştir. Bu nedenle, bu çalışma seçilen motivasyonel konuşmacıların ifadelerindeki İngilizce vurgu kalıplarını incelemiş ve vurgu atama kalıplarından sorumlu faktörleri ortaya çıkarmıştır. Bandura'nın (1986) sosyo-bilişsel öğrenme teorisi ve Kelman'ın (1983) sosyal etki teorisi teorik çerçeve olarak kullanılmıştır. Ibukun Awosika ve Ubong Essien'in sekiz konuşmasından seçilen kelimeler, YouTube'dan bilerek seçilip indirilmiş ve PRAAT kullanılarak algısal ve akustik analize tabi tutulmuştur. Bulgular, kamusal motivasyonel konuşmacıların vurgu atama kalıplarının standart İngilizceye oldukça yakın olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Sonuç, seçilen kamusal motivasyon konuşmacılarının İngilizce kelimelere vurgu atama konusunda yetkin olduğunu göstermektedir. Bulgular ayrıca, sosyo-bilişsel ve sosyal etki teorilerinin bileşenleri olan "gözlem" ve "tanımlama"nın konuşmacıların konuşma üretiminde pekiştirildiğini göstermiştir. "Taklit", "motivasyon", "uyum" ve "içselleştirme" süreçlerinin, konuşmacıların farklı uluslararası saygın konuşmacıların kalıplarına nasıl uyduklarını ve içselleştirdiklerini belirledikçe, konuşmacıların ifadelerindeki vurgu kalıplarının edinilmesini etkilediği bulunmuştur. Çalışma, kamusal motivasyon konuşmacılarının uygun vurgu atama konusunda iyi bir anlayışa sahip olduklarını ve performanslarının sosyo-bilişsel ve sosyal etki ilkelerine bağlılıkla bağlantılı olduğunu ortaya koymuştur.

Keywords

• dil modellemesi
• İngilizce vurgu
• kamusal motivasyon konuşmacıları bir model olarak
• PRAAT analizi
• sosyo-bilişsel öğrenme teorisi
• sosyal etki teorisi

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