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Hello
大家好
欢迎来到这一期双语版的英语宾美式
我是乔治
今天我们和大家聊一聊英文当中的口音
问音英国人美国人说的不一样
这个我们早就知道了
在英国呢
有一个received pronunciation
二p 是一个所谓的标准发音啊
一般接受过高等教育或者说啊
自认为是精英阶层的人呢
都会趋向于学习使用这样的一种发音
在美国呢
虽然英语现在已经被特朗普政府定为官方语言了
但是没有说哪一个发音是标准发音
从来没有这样一个规定
但是现在呢
大家都 呃
一般会以这种中西部的口音作为一个标准发音
但是在一百年前啊
美国的这个所谓的稍微高级一点什么精英阶层的口音呢
是叫transatlantic accent
Transatlantic 叫跨大西洋口音
作谓跨大西洋
就是说介于英英和美英之间
在美国的一些贵族学校
过去啊
很久以前啊
都是使用的这样一种transatlantic acacent 来教授学生的
像美国国战时期的总统罗斯福
但但包括我们中到美国念书的宋宋三姐妹宋庆龄的
它的这这个英语都是transatatlantic acent ent
现在这个已经没有了啊
就这个transatatlantic accent
它的特点就在于它的语音语调有时候像英英
有时候像美英
而且它句末基本上是没有二这个发音的
虽然我们刚刚讲了
就是英国和美国啊
传统上是有一些所谓的精英的发音或者说标准的口音
但是出于一些政治正确的原因呢
现在无论是在英国还是美国都不会再说我哪一种发音啊是一个标准
你像bbc 这样的一个机构
传统上面来说都是用的二音
但是近二十年以来
他也各种口音都是有的
美国就更加普遍了
虽然我们不会说呃
哪一种口音就高贵
哪一种口音就低贱啊
但是我们从社会语言学的角度上来说
我们的人总是想方设法的会去把不同的人进行分类
会分成你方阵营和我方阵营
最常见的就是一种地域分类嘛
啊
比如我们中国的江苏就是一个集大成者
那江苏人这个概念就很诡异
大家说自己的家乡的时候
都会精确到乡镇啊
就很少会听到江苏人介绍说我是江苏人
很少有这样的一个说法啊
那么要区分不同地域语音口音啊
就是一个很明确的一个倾向了
在英国伦敦地区比较普遍的一种口音叫coconniy accent 啊
这个是英国工人阶级或者说社会地位不是那么高的人使用一种语言
就是操这样口音的人呢
会让人觉得啊
你的社会地位不是那么高
我们听一下英国歌手adele 的coconniy 和我方阵营second
在美国呢
受歧视的主要是南部的英语口音
美国南部农村很多啊
我们现在可能大家知道了
呃
对南部人有一种蔑称
叫红脖子嘛
Red neck
为什么叫红脖子呢
因为他们是农民
每天都是面朝黄土背朝天
脖子晒红了嘛
啊
有很多的美国人他也是看不起农民
看不起这种体力劳动者的
所以连带他们的口音也一起歧视了
我当时有个同学
他到南部啊
亚特兰大去开会
跟我说他听到这些南部的人去做报告
那个讲讲是一个神经科学的话题题前沿的一个事事情
但以听他的这个口音
怎么听怎么觉得他智力不正常
比就是一种根深蒂固的刻板印象
他部部口音的主特特点有个个
一个他语速比较慢
还有一个呢
他的双元音i 这个i 这个双元音容易发成比较较的的个个的发音
比如说i don't like this
我不喜欢这个
用南部口音说呢
就会变成i don't like this
它的语速比较慢
然后那个i 变成i 啊
我跟大家介绍这个现象
呃
是想让大家知道
有很多的口音啊
即便是在英美国家
哪怕它是native speaker 说出来的
也是会受到歧视的
当然我们要去批判这种以口音为由去歧视别人的这样的一个现象
但我这里的意思是想告诉大家
我们要有这样的一个意识
就是不要听到老外说英语然后马上就去模仿了啊
要去想一想这个英语到底是不是我们想要模仿的一种口音啊
刚才是对英美口音的一个非常笼统的介绍
我今天想跟大家说的其实是
嗯
大家很容易在美国的电影电视剧当中接触到的一种口音
而说这种口音的呢
往往是金美碧演的漂亮小姑娘
所以就会让我们有一种想要模仿的冲动
那我这里要先提前说啊
尽量不模模仿这样的口音
那我们来听一下这个口音
I do believe that arsnow will went premier
这个就是传说中的所谓valley girl accent 山谷女孩口音
山谷女孩是指的加州洛杉矶好莱坞这一块地方附近的一些小姑娘
特别是指的有钱人家的富二代
呃
比如说美国的卡戴珊姐妹
她们就是使用这样一种口音
这种口音也不是一个什么新的产物啊
在上个世纪七八十年代就有这种口音就已经进入了大众的视野
而且就有研究者从语言学
社会学
心理学不同的角度去研究这种口音的成因和社会影响
所以第一批
呃
说这种valley girl accent 的girls
现在已经可能是七八十岁的老奶奶了
使用这样的accent 的人呢
呃
有一个刻板印象啊
主要是使用这个语言的群体啊
她一开始都是那种游手好闲的富二代啊
就知道挥霍父母的这个钱财
而在好莱坞这块地区
可能挥霍的还不仅仅是父母的钱财
可能还要蹭一蹭父母的名气
有点纨绔子弟的意思
这个valvalley girl accent 在语音上面有两个特点
第一个特点是他的语调有点不按套路出牌
第二个呢
是他的整体的表达很慵懒
感觉就像没有睡醒一样
比如说啊
我昨天我和我的朋友去了一个商场
然后我们看到一个男的
长得真帅
那正常情况下我们可能会这么说
My friends and i went to the shopping mall yesterday and we saw a guy
And he is very handsome 哎
对吧
正常的语音语调应该是这样的
每句话都是降调
但是我换成valley girl accient
大家体会一下
Me are my friends we went to the mall
And we saw a guy
He's a handsome
啊
我大概模仿个大概啊
就是我向大家展示他每一句话都是上扬的语调
大家听出来没有
都是上扬的
那我们回忆一下我们在学校里学的语音语调的基本规则就是当我们表达一个观点
使用一个陈述句的时候
句子应该是降调对吧
疑问句才是声调
那这里就很明显了
它每一句话都是声调
为什么
为什么呢
这里有两个原因
第一个原因是啊
把这个声音往上走
你的音调就会比较高
音调高是个什么意思呢
就是我们经常说啊
女孩子声音比较尖是吧
哎
这个是高音
呃
这个是低音对吧
男孩子的声音比较浑厚
这个比较低
首先是音调高低的一个区别
当我们跟家里的小朋友说话的时候
是不是会不自觉的把声音变高
我宝宝友好对不对
会这样啊
再比如说我们家里一些小猫小狗
我们跟他讲话的时候
是不是也会不自觉的把音调变高
来吃饭了对吧
那为什么我们跟小猫小狗跟小朋友讲话的时候
会不自觉的把我们音调给拉高呢
哎
这个逻辑是怎么形成的呢
首先是因为小朋友他自己的音调就比较高
而音调高我们就会觉成可爱
为什么我们会觉得音调高可爱呢
首先小朋友的音调就很高
而且呢
小朋友很可爱
所以我们就把音调高和可可爱这两个事情联系起来了
那为什么我们会觉得小朋友可爱呢
这个从进化论上是可以去解释的
哎
越可爱的小朋友他存活率越高啊
所以适者生存嘛
存活下来的小朋友基本上符合我们对可爱的定义
小猫小狗一样的道理
其实小朋友还有另外一个特征会让我们觉得可爱的
就是眼睛大
好的好的啊
因为眼睛的发育往往比较快
但是他脑袋的发育没有那么快
所以他的眼睛在他的头上的比例就会显得大
我们就会觉得他的眼睛相对来说很大
那眼睛大这个特征我们就会不自觉的和可爱联系起来了啊
其实小猫小狗是不是也是这样
我们觉得大眼睛的小猫小狗可爱一点
这也某种程度上解释了为什么现在有很多的小姑娘她喜欢戴个美瞳画个烟熏妆
把眼睛弄大一点啊
其实呢
是表现出一种哎
我像小朋友这样可爱啊这样一种特征
这不是我瞎讲的
这是我的一个老师的学术论文啊
我把它放在show note 里边
大家可以去看一看
参考一下详细的论据和论点
那么好了
回到我们刚才说的valley girl accent 上面来
就声调提高
他其实是为了模仿小朋友
那模仿小朋友是为了体现可爱
这是第一点
就是他为什么声调要往上走
第二点是从社会语言学的角度上来去分析
我们老师在讲陈述句用降调
疑问句用声调
这是在句子末尾
当在句子中间的时候
声调在句子中间的时候
如果我讲话没有讲完
我一般会用一个比较高的声调
而不会用一个比较低的声调
因为用低的声调就意味着我可能话讲完了
特别是在举例说明的时候
我们会用这样的一种声调的结构来告诉别人
还有我话还没讲完
比如说我要说啊
我的包里有笔有本子有书有电脑
嗯 有有没有
那我会说
I have a pen
A book and a computer in my back
And 大家注意到我说的a pen and a book book 我没有用降调
对吧
我用的是声调
这个声调意思是什么
我还没说完
后面还有一个
还有一个computer
就是我们用声调把声音往上走
上升的这个调比较高的声调是为了告诉别人
哎
我话没讲完哦
你让我说完哦
这个术语叫flow holding
意思是我话没讲完
你先不要插嘴
有很多社会元学的研究发现啊
被插嘴的频率和这个人的性别很相关
一个女的在那儿讲话就很容易被别人插嘴
所以有很多的女性她在讲话的时候
哎
她故意把每一句话最后的声调往上扬
意味着告诉别人
我话没讲完
你不要插嘴
所以这个也是体现出一个
呃
这个也是一个性别和语言的一个关系
很多男性他不愿意耐心的听女性把话讲完
哎
他想插嘴啊
觉得我比你厉害
我为什么要听你啰嗦
这个是有一点就是性别歧视的问题在里面
换句话说
可能是某些性别歧视导致了这些女孩他们愿意在说话的时候把这个调子往上扬
把调子往上扬这个现象英语当中叫up talk
这是山谷女孩发音的第一个特点
第二个特点呢
叫vocal fry
我们网络上管这种发音叫气泡音
我们大家听一下他在最后声音就是呃呃呃
这样的一种声音是吧
有一种慵懒的感觉
气泡音是我们网络上大家一个通俗的说法啊
学术上面管这种发音叫cicky voice
哎
他在fry 就纽约大学lisa davson 教授有过相关的研究
他也是发现大家对这种气泡音是很厌烦的
这个泡音是怎么来的呢
首先我们什么时候这出的音呢
就是慵懒的时候
慵懒是什么时候呢
就是我们累的时候
或者是刚起床的时候
就是我们说这个话的时候没有太使劲儿啊
换句话说
我们的声带在发这种所谓气泡音的时候
它的震动是不快的啊
因为震动快就要使劲嘛
所以声带是有点僵硬有点僵直的
哎
才产生出这样的个音啊
这种声带的状态叫发声态for onation
我们什么时候会采用这样一种声带相对僵直的状态去发音呢
这个叫联系到我们英语当中大家经常搞不清楚的一个概念
所谓的松元音和紧元音
我们现在基本上都叫松元音和紧元音了
Tense flower 和lex foul 啊
不叫长元音和短元音了
我知道有的教材可能长多年都没有换过了啊
这就是都叫还叫长元音紧元
长元音短元音其实是不对的啊
比如说sheet her
Sheet
Sheet e
这个是一个紧元音
这个紧元音呢
是我们正常声带震动的时候发的一这个音
而shit
呃呃呃呃
这个所谓的短元音就是采用了这种所谓气泡音的发音方式
声带相对来说不是那么紧张
所以它的震动没有那么快
为什么叫松元音呢
声带要紧张了
它的震动才能快啊
那么换句话说
我们就可以用这种半死不活的发音方式啊
这种气泡音的发音方式去发那个短元音
一般就会比较准确
大家感受
呃呃
你发这个音的时候
你的嘴就不会咧的那么大
你想啊
我累了嘛
我很累啊
我就不想使劲
使用最小的劲
Shit
Shit
这 哎
这个短元音
所谓的短元音或者说松元音一就是采用的这样一种vocal fry 的方式气泡音的方式去发音的
今天我感觉我说的有点多了
那主要是跟大家介绍一下这个英美的一些发音
特别是valley girl accent 山谷女孩这样的一些发音啊
让大家知道哦
这样一种发音呢
其实不是太主流
而且呢
很多人不是太喜欢
所以我们尽量的不要去模仿
虽然我不建议大家去学这样的一种口音
但是我们呃
可能需要能够听懂这样的一些口音
因为在年轻人当中这样一些发音还是挺常见的
那接下来我们两位英文主持人会就这个valley girl
Accent 它的语音
词汇各个方面在进行一个深入的探讨
你girgo make you make
Make you life
Wow Okay
I'm so of smiling about geord's valley girl impression just now that like totally was uh really something he really committed to it
He did so yekekeep my california vibigoing and t's actually take a closer listen to that sound
Yeah know valley girl accent or vell speak
Exactly
And you know all that totally stereotype is what jumps to mind for lots of people
There's to a real linguistic story
Here right we're going to explore how vall speak acactually sit it
It's
It's journey through pop culture and importantly for you listening what understanding it means for learning english
Yeah
Absolutely because when you're learning a language
It's not just about grammar rules from book ook it it's
It
It's about understanding how real people actually talk and all sorts of way so well look at some research on vall speak
How it came about what makes it distinctive and definitely
Some specific things for our chinese english language
Learnis
You know be aware of yeah
It
It's really interesting ing
Exactly image that valley girl persona
It really shows the power of media
You know how it shapes how we think about language think back to like frank of moon's episoon nineteen eighty two yeah that really pushed vall speak into the the mainstream consciousness um man
Valley girl yeah
I remember that it wasn't just the music though was it movie
This tv
They really have jumped on it
They definitely did
And they give a valley grow movie way back yeah
And then much later clueless
Clueless exactly a huge one
And they both painted this picture right mostly young white women often kind of affluent from the same peranana
Valleon
Califorforia preciseseand these portratraals
Well they weren't always just neutral descriptions
They often carry ed these assumptions tions the people who spoke that way um
But it's important to see that
This is kind of how language styles llink to specific groups often work they pop up people notice them
And then judgment start right so looking a valspee helps us understand that whole process which is relevant for well all language really okay
So it's definitely more than just a funny accent
Let's get into
Into how acactually sounds
What are the key things that make val speak
Val speak ok yet
Let's break it down
We can think about in the main language areas
The sounds themselves
That's finonogy okay
Rhythm and mlogy in the intonation
And
And then the actual words people use
And how they put them together in coniction
Leexicicon didiscourse
Sounds
Good
Let's start with the sounds
Fanloloi've heard about a california valvalshift is that part of this is it absolutely is a alialifornivvall shift or cvs
Think of it like a domino effect or several valoul sounds in california english are shifting pronounce a bit differently than and say many other american accents how so well for example the ou sound like in dude or goose
Like a pronounce a bit more uh forward in the mouth
Not the might sound a little like deed okay
And the eyounound like like like it it that ssa a it it wer wer ybe a ser er to like like kisound a bit like kid
Uh it's a systematic thing
It shows how accents change in predictable ways
Uh prdomably
So it's not just fell speak
Then it's broader californian english especially younger people exactly right it's a feature of california english more broadly particularly with younger speakers often in urban areas
And yeah sometimes heard more among women got it now another sound feature one that's become really strongly linked with a valley girl image over time is vocal fry or creeky voice uh
Yes
George was demonstrating out on that low kind of gravally sound
That's the one it often happens at the end of senses
It's that low frequency kind of irregular vibration of the voccourts
Right is it new
Or has it always been part of it
And it's not fastally new is a finetic feature
But the strong association with the valley girl sound it seems to have developed more strongly later on okay
And was fascinating really
It's how people react to it
It's quite very well
Some listeners with the perceive
It negatively they might hear it and think this speaker sounds
They might uncertain
Maybe even less competent or intelligent 嗯
Especially
When women use it um that sounds familiar
But then others particularly younger people perhaps might hear it differenrenthey might associated with being late back maybe sounding cool
Even a floriitative or confident it and certain status
Wow
That's well
It's the the exact same sounds can give totally different impressions
Absolutely so those imprestiers are often tied up with idea might ycome on social status
It really shows how we interpret speech sounds based on social factors
Okay
Any other sound things with
With all speak lenglish to have noted a few other subtle shifts like the oh sound and you know might become a bit more sounded almost like you know right oh my god might get that brought ah h vall like h my god
Even simple words like hat so shift toward sounding like hot okay
And sometimes there's just gengenal al sense it mabe be more breeiness or anazaality in the voice quality gotcha so lots of subtle valuthings
And then the vocal fry or what about the meloof inintention ation you mention speand i've definitely heard about uptalk
Yes
High rising terminal hrt or uptalk of speak
That's definitely a big one a hallmark
Really that's one stateis sound like questions diactly your voice goes up at the end of a sentence
That's grammatically a statement
So instead of i went to the mall falling pitch is i went to the mall rising pitch
Yeah
Georgenail that too
It can make people sound a bit unpitch or like they lack authorize
That's definitely a common stereotype and ereason it
It's criticize especially a professional settings
Eworally a sounds tennative uhh
But 对不对
我对对
有research shows a dexing more complex has various functions
Younger speakers been often women might use it pragmatically how so like to check it
The listeners falling along
If the're still engaged or to hold the floor like saying i'm not finish yet uh h leybe to see the agreement or confirmation
Ah h the memeaning isn't always 's uncertainty
It really happened like conttext how high the pitch goes who's talking to whom
But yeah
The negative judgments
They are often unfairly gendered
That's really interesting
So it could just be a way to keep the conversation flowing to connect precisely understanding that is key
Okay
Now let's talk about the actual words lexicon
The word like has got a big number one
Well absolutely like is sort of the superstar of alse speak lexicon
And it's incredibly
Versubly does a few main jobs
Such as well one big one is the quoted of like that's when you use it to introduce reported speech or thought
You know she was like that's so cool or like what okay
Yeah
I think
I think
Maybe i even use that sometimes a lot of people i do
Now another really common use is as a discourse marker or a filer kind of like saying um
Or or or
You know it just helps manage the flow
Like it was like really busy
Exactly that just filling a pause
Keeping it going
And then there's using like as a head or approximaor or to soft a statement or give an estimate
How does that work like saying it took like twenty minutes
Meaning around twenty minutes
Or it's like really smart
Maybe softening the directness
Little little wow ok
That one little word is doing a lot of work
It really is multiple functions packed ked in there
I can totally see how that would be confusing if you're learning english
It definitely can not be
And beyond like there's other
Other slaying
Other lexicical items associated with the stereotype summer maybe a bedated now others persist like what you hear totally a lot for sure
Oh my god or ybe
My god is if whatever maybe older ones like bitching or growdy or maybe like like really minutes or
And just generally an exaggerated use of intensifiers like so totally really and lots of it rejections totally okay got it
So we have the sounds of ours
The fry
We have the intonsian
The uptalk and the words especially like plus the sling
How did this package become the valley girl image
Well like we said that's episode in agty too was a huge catalous moods eppomomol oog again
It just perfectly captured or maybe created this persona yeah
It felt he was maybe making fun of it a bit yeah
But it really caught on it did it created this image
Young woman saffrananto valley specific speech patterns interested in shopping malls
Social stuff
And there were bits even before that yes
Some free cursers like lure newman had aa recurring character on saturalive in the late seventies that had smell elements
And there was a character genenfer er
The shoe called square pigs in nearly eighties
Right
But his episothen then momoe
Valvaly girirl and athly cluluous in the miid nineties
是的 对的
They really solitified this stereotype the articulate maybe
But seemingly ir hetied definily fashioned conscious southern california team clueous was iconic sociare horriwitts that whole always speaking essential to her character totally
So what are the typical stereotypes
Then what ideas do people often attach to this accent unfortunately um ham were pretty negative for the common stereotypes
Include things like being superficial on intelligent on erialistic
Maybe self centered not serious yeah
And these social judgments often get directly linked back to those linguistic features
We discussed also well the frequent news of like well be interpreted as linguisistic insecurity or vagness
The uptalk might be heard as lacking confidence
Vocal fry might be perceived is bored or unprofessional
It's a classic case of what linguiscled conconfidence
Tah where listeners basically attribute social characteristics
Personality trades
Intelligence levels based purely on linguistic
Accused how someone sounds there really isn't seem fair
Judging a book by its cover or rather a person by their acam
It really isn't fair
And it's interesting too because valls speak itself or features associated with it have evolved like we said the strong link with vocal fry seems a bit later right
And some features like uptok and certain uses of like and have spread way beyond that initial group there are common among many young speakers across north america
And even elsewhere now so the language changes
But the stereotype might lag behind exactly the stereotype could be quite sticky
And it's also worth noting people in california
About a very different perception of how common or noticeable
These features are compared to people outside california
Whose main exposure is you know through media portrayal
You make kes total sense
If you hear it daily
It's just pernormal right okay
So this is all fascinating associal linguistics
But this bring it back to our listeners learning english
What are the big takeways for them
When they encounter accents like vopared big yeah that's crucial that are some general challenges that nonstandard accents compose for any esl learner one is navigating accent prejudice had do mean lelethethemselves might inteintenalialized sicalled standard language ideology
Then ideing that there's one single cormply conbest way to speak mah okay
So they might hear al speak ak another
Another non standard accent basjuget negatively
They might even believe those theterotists sts talk k suintelefical al inteintelggent eetra based on media exposure
So they might hear someone talking like that
And think that's bad english precisely or just make assumptions about the speaker
This can really affect how the interact with people another major challenges simply listening comprehension and intelligbility make sense
If you're used to say textbook general american then hearing the california evl shift the uptalk the complex uses of like maybe unfamiliar slalag
嗯
It can be genuinely difficult to follow it increases the mental effort right
The cognitive load absolutely you're already working hard to understand a second language
And now you got these unexpected variations in sounds
Melody and difcubulary
Can can finfintely tely how that would be tough
And that difficulty
It can really impact to learners confidence and y're willingness to communicate how so well if you struggle to understand
Or if you worry that people speaking this way might judge your english
Or if you fear being misunderstood yourself
It can lead to anxiety
是的对的
Maybe reluctance to speak up or engaging conversations that makes sense
That fear of making mistakes are not understanding
Exactly and finally there's the sociopragmatic aspect understanding not just what is said
But why it said that way
What's the social meaning like with uptop not always meaning uncertainty precisely understanding the pragmatic functions of features like uptalk or the different uses of like what they actually do in a conversation
Yeah is really vital for effective communication beyond just decoating the words okay
So those are challenges
Learns might face with many nonstandard accents now thinking specifically about our listeners
Mandarin speakers learning english in china are there unique hurdles with false spee
Yes
Definitely there are specific things to consider due to linguistic differences between mderin and english
The way english is often taught in china
And some cultural factors too okay
Let's imptact that starting with the sounds again finnology right
So english has a much larger and more complex value system than mandarin
是的对的
Maandar's speakers learning english often struggle with distingushshing certain english vall sounds that don't exist or arencontractive in mandarant like maybe the difference between ship and ship exactly appirlike like that add the california valushiship on top of that those subtle changes
The fronted ted ua lored make those already difficult english valuls even more challenging to perceive inconteninookay the the alisound like errors or noise
Because there's no equivalent sound in manderan to map it ontoo easily correct
And then there's ditonnation and andderan is a tonneal language pitch changes the meaning of word english users pitch contowards intonination for different things
Freezing emphasis questions
Versus statements
So uptok could be really confusing very potentially
Yes
That rising pitch at the end of a statement might sound unequitically like a question to a mandarance speaker like marising tones often signal questions in andderan
It can lead to misinterpretations of the speakers intent okay also producing native like english intonation patterns distincfrom word tones is generally challenging learners might tend towards flatter intonsiation in english making variations like goptalk even more noticeable and perhaps harder the process when they hear it what about vocal fry mandor uses glodal stops
But that sustained low frequency creeky voice isn't really a stalistic feature in the same way
So learners might find it hard to produce themselves
But also they might just perceive it as unclear or mumbled speech got ther than a specific vocal style with social meaning got it
So the basic sounds systems are really different
What about things like
Like 对的
对的
The discourse markers
Yeah
That's another key area research suggest chinese learners often ten to overuse certain structural discourse markers
Like So
And because maybe learned from textbooks
But they might understand or misunderstand the more subtle interactional functions of others
Well well
You know so when the encounterveil speaks well doing all those jobs filer coorative head emphasis it's overload
It's likely to be quite confusing yes yes
Mandorin has its own system of discourse particles often sentence final
But they don't map netely onto the functions of english
Like there's a risk of just not understanding what like is doing or maybe misinterpreting its function yeknow
And you mention how englilish taught in china
How does that factor in well historically and often still the focus informal english education in china is very much on standard varieties
Usually it's not annunciation british or general american
The models exactly textooks examam teacher training
They tend to prioritize these standard forms
Which means learners generally get very limited exposure to non standard native speaker accents like valls speak within the classroom
So they're just not prepared for it
After not no
The emphasis is typically on grammatic accuracy or achieving that standard princiation
So when they hear something very different
The default reaction might be that's incorrect
Yes when it that's different
Even with english being a global language
Now well
There's growing awareness of world englishous and different varieties including chinese
English itself
But the prestige associated with standard native accents
British american often remains quite high so there's non standandard acence so thethere's not pical al lls speso so still be perceived negatively interesting in cultural factors
You must in face
Yes
The concept of face or mionzi maintaining social standing acvoiding embarrasment can play a role
对的对的
Learners might feel pressure to aim for a prestigious native like accent often perceive this ga or rp to maintain face
So they might actively avoid accents like balspespebecause of the negative stereotypes potentially yes or they might be hesitant to ask for clarification
If they don't understand someone with that accent because admitting they don't understand or drawing attention to the nonstandard speech
Could feel like a face threatening act for either person that make sense
What about american media
It's huge in china doesn't that give exposure
It does give exposure to english
Yes
But often too more standard american accents think about hugely popular shows sometimes used for learning like friends right
They don't only talk like share from clueless exactly
So if the main exposure of balspey comes from a brief care icatured portrayals comcomdiyes
It might just reinforce the stereotype rather than providing new onced understanent because nowadays social negative platforms or big sourcces for language learning content too which can be great
But also 走well
They can sometimes spread misinformation or reinforce stereotypes about accents just as easily right so given all these challenges
What can teachers actually do
How can they help students navigate this in china
You're not saying teach them to talk like valley girls
Oh
Definitely not the goal is in adoption
It's awaretion and comprehensiookay so one big step is just cultivating awareness of linguistic diversity introduce the concepts of dialects social x ah move about how social factors shape language discuss world english is english as a lingual franka shift the focus a bit yeah move from just is this correct to is this appropriate for this context help them see english and comprelific
What about practical skills
Listening
Absolutely crucial use authentic materials
Audio video
Featuing a range of accents including contextualized examples of fail speak feature
So they actually get to to hear it
Yes
Exexplicitly train them to listen for specific features
What is uptalk sound like can you spart vocal fry
What might like be doing in this sense developed strategies for coping with unfamilly your slying or faster speech rates and understanding the social side very important analyze the pragmatic functions
When people use up talk here
What are they trying to do discuss the social meanings
The stereotypes acknowledge they exist but question them roplane can be useful here too
So they understand the why behind the wet exactly and foster critical media literacy look at how accents are portrayin films or tv shows
Students watch discuss the impact of those stereotypes encourage them to be critical consumers of online language learning content too good point
When you do bring in examples of nonstanding varieties like vall spespekeep ep them ort ort contextualized use them for analysis
For discussion
Not for production practice and always balance it balbalance it with teaching
Widely
Intelligible forms and connected back to discussions about their own variety
Chinese
English and other world englishes
So it's really about broadening their perspective and their listening skills helping them become more flexible more aware communicaters
That's the core idea
It's not about mastering voalls speak
But about understanding exexires recognizing its features being aware of the social bagage ge carries being understanding its skills comprehhsiisers
Ers kenot understguage features ultimately understanding this kind of linguistic diversity
Even through an accent often seen as just you know
Frivolous is really crucial for effective communication in our globalized world
The aim is awareness
Comprehension and a critical perspective
Not imitation that really sums it up
Well you know exploring val speak like this
It makes you think about our own perceptions
How we judge excepts
Maybe that even realizing it
And how important it is to approach all this language variation with well curiosity and respect
There's so much more to explore here
If you are interested definitely check out the sources in research on vlspeak and social linguistics
Re's what out there
Thanks so much for walking us through that really fascinating stuff my pleasure
