English-Speaking Union

Pause plays important roles for the intelligibility, naturalness and fluency of speech. In order to get the fluency on target language, it is necessary for a speaker to put pause at appropriate place. This paper describes a comparative study of occurrence probability and duration of sentence-medial pauses in English readout speech of native (L1) American English and native (L1) Bengali speakers. The study indicates that nonnative (L2) (L1 Bengali) English speakers' tendency to insert more number of sentence medial pauses than that of L1 English speakers. This is due to improper phrasing during the utterance planning of L2 English speakers. Results of this analysis also show that the occurrence probability and duration of sentence-medial pause are linearly dependent on l (phrase length) and d (distance) for both speaker groups. But in case of L2 English speakers, the occurrence probability and duration of sentence-medial pause is much higher compared to L1 English speakers.

This study investigated the effects of linguistic experience on tone perception. Both Cantonese (in Experiment 1) and Mandarin (in Experiment 2) tones, including both lexical and nonlexical tones, were presented to three groups of subjects: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English native speakers. Subjects were asked to determine whether two auditorily presented tones were the same or different. The interval between the presentation of the two tones, and the level of interference during this interval, were manipulated. Native speakers did better at discriminating tones from their own languages than the other two groups of subjects, for both lexical and nonlexical tones. Subjects did worst when they were required to count backward during the interstimulus interval. Cantonese speakers were better than both Mandarin and English speakers at discriminating Cantonese tones, and there was no difference between Mandarin and English speakers, except in one condition. Mandarin speakers did better than both Cantonese and English speakers, and Cantonese speakers did better than English speakers, at discriminating Mandarin tones. Results are discussed in terms of the effects of language background, differences between Cantonese and Mandarin tones, and the nature of encoding in short-term memory.

Previous research found that when bilingual Chinese speakers responded to a View of Uncertainty Questionnaire (VUQ) in English, they exhibited greater nonprobabilistic thinking than did native English speakers. This study compares English and Chinese speakers’ responses to a VUQ in their native languages. Their responses to a Probability Scale Task (PST), in which respondents labeled a numerical scale in their own language, also were compared. On the VUQ, results from several measures suggested that the Chinese speakers showed more nonprobabilistic thinking than did the English speakers. Similarly, in the PST, they used a lesser variety of probability phrases and used them less precisely than did the English speakers. It is argued that these results advance understanding of the relation between probabilistic thinking and the use of probability language.

Drawing on interview and speech identification data from speakers of English from multilingual postcolonial contexts in Asia, this chapter argues that hybridity is emerging among these speakers, in part because of the speakers’ exposure to and identification with different varieties of English, including Inner and Outer Circle Englishes. The multilingual speakers of English in this study have a diverse range of features in their English, making it difficult to define or characterise their English(es) as native or non-native. Data for this discussion is drawn from a speech rating task and interviews with 33 multilingual Asian speakers of English, followed by a task in which 45 listeners from different contexts were asked to rate each speaker on a ‘native speaker continuum’ and identify speakers’ country of origin as well as the variety of English spoken. A phonological analysis of the features of the speech extracts was also conducted. The data indicates that the Englishes emerging in some postcolonial settings is inherently diverse, with a hybridity of features emerging among many speakers of Asian Englishes, making it difficult to associate one variety with a certain group of speakers. This underscores the diversity and hybridity inherent in English as conceptualised as an international language (EIL).

Does the language you speak affect how you think about the world? English and Mandarin speakers talk about time differently. Is this difference between the two languages reflected in the way their speakers think about time? The findings of two RT experiments show that different ways of talking about time lead to different ways of thinking. In Experiment 1, Mandarin-English bilinguals were compared to native English speakers. The results suggested that Mandarin speakers used a “Mandarin way of thinking” even when they were “thinking for English”. In Experiment 2, native English speakers were trained to talk about time in “a Mandarin way”. Results showed that even after a short training, native English speakers behaved more like Mandarin speakers than like untrained English speakers. It is concluded that language is a powerful tool in shaping thought.

The present study examined linguistic relativity in the domain of emotion terms. Exp. 1 showed that American English speakers use the word "jealous" to describe both situations involving envy and those involving jealousy, whereas Russian speakers describe emotions involved in the situations using the Russian terms revnuet and zaviduet in a mutually exclusive manner. Bilinguals performed according to the language they were tested in. In Experiment 2 we sought evidence for conceptual consequences of the difference in how emotion terms mapped onto situations for English and Russian speakers. In a non-linguistic triad sorting task, all subjects clearly distinguished jealousy situations from envy situations, but monolingual English speakers and bilinguals were more likely to see envy situations and jealousy situations as similar than Russian speakers. In a free sorting task, high agreement across all groups was shown in sorting jealousy, envy and control situations. However, native Russian speakers, in contrast to native English speakers, labeled the groups in a mutually-exclusive way. While providing some evidence for the weak view of linguistic relativity, overall the study shows that despite the difference in labeling the emotions of jealousy and envy, Russian speakers, English speakers and bilinguals are very similar in how they conceptualize emotionally-laden situations.

Mothers' Attitudes Toward Adolescent Confidential Services: Development and Validation of Scales for Use in English- and Spanish-speaking Populations

Grounded on the theoretical constructs of cross-language speech learning, this research investigates English L1 speakers' production of Arabic pharyngeal and pharyngealized consonants (/, / and /t, s, d, /, respectively). Central to this study is how English speakers' proficiency in Arabic affects their ability to produce these sounds differently. In particular, it examines the effect of Arabic proficiency on the production of pharyngealized versus nonpharyngealized consonants; pharyngeals versus non-pharyngeals; pharyngeal versus pharyngealized sounds; intra-category differences among the target consonants; and pharyngeal and pharyngealized consonants which differ in the adjacent vowel. The study adopts the posttest-only control group design in which Arabic learners and non-learners constitute the research groups. This thesis exploits Theoretical and practical implications are discussed based on the study results.

This study examines the effect of tone marks on the perception of 5 difficult Cantonese tone pairs that have high perceptual similarity: high-rising (25) versus mid-rising (23), mid-level (33) versus low-level (22/11), low-falling (21) versus low-rising (23), low-falling (21) versus low-level (22/11), and low-rising (23) versus low-level(22/11). Native speakers of American English and native speakers of Mandarin participated in a categorial AXB pre-test, a categorial AX training, and a categorial AXB post-test. Half of the subjects received iconic symbols (㐂 ⌉ for high-rising (25), ㌷ for mid-level (33), 㐂 for low-falling (21), 㐂 ㌷ for low-rising (23), and 㐂 for low-level (22/11)) as feedback in the training (Auditory-Visual training group) while the other half did not (Auditory). Preliminary results showed that both language groups improved their discrimination of all the tone pairs and that Mandarin speakers received higher percent response than English speakers in the post-test. AV subjects and A subjects, regardless of language groups, did not differ significantly in percent correct response in the post-test. Reaction time data suggested that AV subjects responded faster on the pair high-rising (25) versus mid-rising (23) than A subjects, regardless of language groups, and that Mandarin speakers responded faster than English speakers in the post-test.

The article is aimed at describing a number of certain recurrent features of Russian English in the academic, educational and literary domains of the written discourse in English created by the Russian speakers of English. The article argues that Russian culture, identity and academic traditions are verbalized through a range of translingual practices, starting with the transference of the Russian punctuation and sequence of presenting ideas, including lexical variety and Russian-English hybrids, and finishing with the “nativization and localization” [Platt, Weber and Ho, 1984: 2-3] of the common lexical units, terms, urbanonyms included, and even classic world literature, which is retranslated into Russian English from Russian (for instance, Andersen’s Thumbelina and Brothers Grimms’ Snow white). The combination of analyzed characteristic features invariably turns Russian English presented in the written discourse into a potent tool for the Russian identity construction recognizable both to the Russian and non-Russian speakers of English, specifically to those who are familiar with Russian culture and academic traditions. Yet, written discourse created via Russian English might mislead the speakers of other Englishes in case they have not been exposed to this particular variety on a regular basis.

Most massive open online courses (MOOCs) are offered in English, including those offered by non-English speaking universities. The study investigated an identified English language dementia MOOC’s accessibility and effectiveness in improving the dementia knowledge of non-native English speaker participants. A total of 6,389 enrolees (age range 18–82 years; 88.4% female) from 67 countries was included in analyses. Dementia knowledge was measured by the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) before and after the MOOC completion. Rates of completion were also compared. Native English speakers (n = 5,320) were older, more likely to be female, less likely to be employed, and had lower educational attainment than non-native English speakers (n = 1025). Native English speakers were also more likely to care for or have cared for a family member or friend living with dementia than were non-native English speakers. Native English speakers had a significantly higher DKAS score both pre- (M = 33.0, SD = 9.3) and post-MOOC (M = 44.2, SD = 5.5) than did non-native English speakers (M = 31.7, SD = 9.1; and M = 40.7, SD = 7.7 for pre- and post-MOOC, respectively). Non-native English speakers with low pre-MOOC dementia knowledge scores gained significantly less dementia knowledge following course completion than did native English speakers (p <.001, adjusted for age and education). There was no significant difference between the two groups in their likelihood of completing the MOOC. Our findings suggest that non-native English speakers are motivated and able to complete the MOOC at similar rates to native English speakers, but the MOOC is a more effective educational intervention for native English speakers with low dementia knowledge.

English speakers' perception of Spanish lexical stress: Context-driven L2 stress perception

Anxiety is a common problem that students feel when speaking English in front of the class, therefore every student who feels anxious must have a strategy to reduce anxiety in speaking so that they are able to speak English well in class. The purpose of this research is to find out what strategies students use to reduce anxiety in speaking English at MA Nurul Jihad Tembilahan Hulu based on Kondo & Ling's (2004) strategies, namely preparation, relaxation, positive thinking, peer seeking and resignation strategy. The sample for this study was the entire population of MA Nurul Jihad students consisting of 3 classes, namely class X, XI and XII, which consisted of 30 students which were taken using saturation sampling technique. This research method is a quantitative descriptive method. The results showed that students at Madrasah Aliyah Nurul Jihad Tembilahan Hulu applied five strategies to reduce their anxiety in speaking English. Students mostly applied Relaxation strategies to reduce their anxiety in speaking English. The percentage of relaxation was 81%. The second strategy was preparation there were 75%. The third strategy was positive thinking, there were 74%. The fourth strategy was peer seeking, there were 66%. And the lowest strategy was resignation, there were 46%. Based on this analysis, it can be concluded that students at Madrasah Aliyah Nurul Jihad use more relaxation strategies to reduce anxiety in speaking English, with a percentage of 81% included in the very high category or the most widely used. That means relaxation strategies can help Madrasah Aliyah Nurul Tembilahan Hulu students to reduce anxiety in speaking English.

The purpose of the research is to know Students’ classroom interaction in English speaking at fourth semester in University of Graha Nusantara Padangsidimpuan; Students’ classroom interaction with lecturer in English speaking at four semester in University of Graha Nusantara, and to know the difficulties and effort to solve it of students’ classroom interaction in English speaking at on the fourth semester in University of Graha Nusantara Padangsidimpuan. This research used qualitative research with descriptive method. After collecting data, the researcher analyzed the data by using reduction, then devided the data to one unit with categorize the data. Afterwards, the researcher made interprestation and described about data to make a conclusion. The reseacher found phenomena Students’ classroom interaction in English speaking at four semester University of Graha Nusantara Padangsidimpuan was running well. Some of students could speak English in classroom. Some of them its means about 15 students could speak English to others. Students’ classroom interaction with lecturer in English speaking at fourth semester University of Graha Nusantara Padangsidimpuan was also running well. They could give feedback to lecturers’ respond. Then they used English for discussion, presentation, and asking to lecturers. The difficulties of students’ classroom interaction in English speaking were in lack of vocabulary, mistakes pronunciation, low self confidence, less practice, and did not master English material. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23960/aksara/v19i2.pp98-113

ABSTRACTEnglish speakers have been shown to map abstract concepts in space, which occurs on both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. For example, words such as God are associated with up and right spatial locations, and words such as Satan with down and left. If the tendency to map concepts in space is a universal property of human cognition, then it is likely that such mappings may be at least partly culturally-specific, since many concepts are themselves language-specific and therefore cultural conventions. Here we investigated whether Mandarin speakers report spatial mapping of concepts, and how these mappings compare with English speakers (i.e. are words with the same meaning associated with the same spatial locations). Across two studies, results showed that both native English and Mandarin speakers reported spatial mapping of concepts, and that the distribution of mappings was highly similar for the two groups. Theoretical implications are discussed.