Effects of Prescriptivism on the Pronunciation of American English

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Prescriptivism and descriptivism

2.1 Standardization of American English as a social and historical process

2.2 Standard American English and its use

3. The superiority of one pronunciation

4. Prescriptive rules on pronunciation

4.1. G-Dropping

4.2. Dissimilation of the (post)alveolar approximant /ɹ/

4.3 Unreleased plosives in consonant clusters

4.4 Omitted /t/ in <-nt->-sequences

5. Methodology

6. Analysis

6.1 Examination: G-dropping

6.2 Examination: Dissimilation of the voiced postalveolar approximant /ɹ/

6.3 Examination: Unreleased plosives in consonant clusters

6.4. Examination: Omitted /t/ in <-nt->-sequences

7. Outlook/Conclusion

8. References

9. Appendix

9.1 Summary: Phenomena of g-dropping

9.2 Summary: Phenomena of dissimilation of the (post)alveolar approximant /ɹ/

9.3 Summary: Phenomena of unreleased plosives in consonant clusters

9.4 Summary: Phenomena of omitted /t/ in <-nt->-sequences

Objectives and Topics

This thesis investigates the impact of prescriptivism on the pronunciation of American English, specifically examining whether speakers adhere to prescriptive phonetic standards in formal media settings. The study explores how social status and formality influence speech patterns, questioning the extent to which prescriptive norms affect actual language production.

• Effects of language ideologies and prescriptivism on phonetics.
• Standardization processes of American English.
• Analysis of specific phonetic phenomena: G-dropping, dissimilation, unreleased plosives, and t-omission.
• Sociolinguistic comparison between media hosts and interviewees.
• Application of the Kroch and Small (1978) methodology to a modern television corpus.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: Outlines the research question regarding the influence of prescriptive norms on spoken American English and presents the methodology based on a television talk show corpus.

2. Prescriptivism and descriptivism: Defines the core concepts of language ideology and provides a historical overview of how American English became standardized.

3. The superiority of one pronunciation: Discusses the societal expectations of "correct" pronunciation and why phonetics remains a point of judgment in public media.

4. Prescriptive rules on pronunciation: Details the four specific phonetic phenomena—G-dropping, dissimilation, unreleased plosives, and t-omission—that are subjected to prescriptive scrutiny.

5. Methodology: Describes the selection of the "Megyn Kelly TODAY" show as a corpus and the criteria used to categorize speakers into host and guest groups.

6. Analysis: Compares the frequency and nature of phonetic deviations in the host group versus the guest group across the selected phenomena.

7. Outlook/Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that the host group generally adheres more closely to prescriptive standards, though adherence varies significantly by phonetic category.

Keywords

Prescriptivism, Descriptivism, Standardization, American English, Pronunciation, Phonetics, Sociolinguistics, G-dropping, Dissimilation, Unreleased plosives, T-omission, Network Standard, Megyn Kelly TODAY, Language Ideology, Speech Variation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this research?

The work examines the influence of prescriptive linguistic rules on the actual pronunciation patterns of speakers in American English, specifically looking at media personalities.

Which specific linguistic features are analyzed?

The study analyzes G-dropping, the dissimilation of the postalveolar approximant /ɹ/, unreleased plosives in consonant clusters, and the omission of /t/ in <-nt->-sequences.

What is the primary research question?

The research asks to what extent prescriptive norms actually influence the spoken pronunciation of speakers in a high-status professional role compared to guests.

What methodology is employed in this thesis?

The thesis utilizes a comparative sociolinguistic methodology inspired by Kroch and Small (1978), applying it to transcribed television interviews to quantify deviations from prescriptive norms.

What does the main body of the work cover?

It covers the theoretical background of language standardization, defines the selected phonetic variables, details the data corpus from the show "Megyn Kelly TODAY," and performs a statistical comparison between hosts and guests.

Which keywords best characterize this work?

Key terms include Prescriptivism, Sociolinguistics, Phonetics, American English, Language Ideology, and phonetic phenomena like G-dropping and consonant clusters.

Why was "Megyn Kelly TODAY" chosen as the corpus?

It was chosen because the host occupies a high-status, professional position, which makes her an ideal subject to test the theory that higher-status speakers follow prescriptive norms more strictly.

What were the main conclusions regarding the host group's performance?

The host group showed a higher tendency to adhere to prescriptive standards than the guest group, but this adherence was inconsistent across different phonetic categories.

Does the study confirm that prescriptive rules are always followed?

No, the study reveals that prescriptive rules often do not reflect the reality of contemporary spoken English, as deviations occur frequently even in professional broadcasting settings.