Language Variation on Jamaican Radio (Varieties of English Around the World)

This volume presents an in-depth analysis of language variation in Jamaican radio newscasts and talk shows. It explores the interaction of global and local varieties of English with regard to newscasters’ and talk show hosts’ language use and listeners’ attitudes. The book illustrates the benefits of an integrated approach to mass media: the analysis takes into account radio talk and the perception of the audience, it is context-sensitive, paying close attention to variation within and between genres, and it combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to demonstrate the complexity of language in the media. The book contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of World Englishes in the 21st century and endonormative stabilization processes in linguistically heterogeneous postcolonial speech communities, and shows how mass media both challenge and reproduce sociolinguistic stratification. This volume will be relevant for researchers interested in the fields of sociolinguistics, language attitudes, and language in the media. VEAW G60 Language Variation on Jamaican Radio 2 Editorial page 3 Title page 4 LCC data 5 Table of contents 6 Abbreviations 10 List of tables 12 List of figures 14 Acknowledgements 16 1. Introduction to studying language on Jamaican radio 18 2. Language in the media 24 2.1 The mass media and sociolinguistics 24 2.2 The role(s) of mass media in the speech community 27 2.3 Approaches to media discourse 29 2.4 Studies on newscasts and talk radio 31 2.5 Findings, controversies, and gaps I: Language in the media 33 3. Jamaican sociolinguistics 36 3.1 Linguistic complexity in Jamaica 36 3.2 Shifting focus: From the basilect to the acrolect 38 3.3 Functional distribution and sociolinguistic changes 40 3.4 The media as a prime domain of sociolinguistic change 43 3.5 Findings, controversies, and gaps II: Jamaican sociolinguistics 47 3.6 Aims and research questions I: Language use 49 4. Language attitudes 52 4.1 Defining the multidimensionality of language attitudes 52 4.2 From language attitudes to language ideologies 54 4.3 Language attitude research on World Englishes 57 4.4 Creole and English: Paradoxical ideologies and attitudes 59 4.5 Attitudes toward Standard Englishes in the anglophone Caribbean 62 4.6 Findings, controversies, and gaps III: Language attitudes 64 4.7 Aims and research questions II: Language attitudes 67 5. Data and methods I 70 5.1 Collection, selection, and processing of radio data 70 5.2 Quantitative analysis 74 5.3 Qualitative analysis 79 5.4 Variables 82 5.4.1 Set A: Consonants 83 Word-initial voiced TH-stopping and Word-initial voiceless TH-stopping 83 Word-initial H-deletion 83 Rhoticity 84 Word-final (-t, -d) consonant clusters 84 5.4.2 Set B: Diphthongs 85 GOAT and FACE 85 5.4.3 Set C: Monophthongs 86 STRUT 86 TRAP and BATH 86 LOT 87 5.4.4 Additional accent features 89 6. Language use in Jamaican radio newscasts 90 6.1 Accent variability among Jamaican newscasters 90 6.1.1 Variable Set A – newscasts: Consonants 90 6.1.2 Variable Set B – newscasts: Diphthongs 95 6.1.3 Variable Set C – newscasts: Monophthongs 99 6.1.4 Additional accent features – newscasts 103 6.2 Linguistic variation along segments of Jamaican newscasts 104 6.2.1 Jingles 104 6.2.2 Greeting and sign-off sequences 106 6.2.3 Newsreading 109 6.2.4 Interviews 112 6.2.5 Reports 115 6.2.6 Imported news segments 118 6.3 Summary: Language use in Jamaican newscasts 121 7. Language use in Jamaican radio talk shows 122 7.1 The four talk shows and their hosts 122 7.2 Variability among the talk show hosts’ baseline styles 126 7.2.1 Variable Set A – talk shows: Consonants 126 7.2.2 Variable Set B – talk shows: Diphthongs 129 7.2.3 Variable Set C – talk shows: Monophthongs 132 7.2.4 Additional accent features – talk shows 134 7.2.5 Morpho-syntactic and lexical variation in the baseline styles 135 7.3 Stylistic variation 138 7.3.1 Jamaica Speaks with Densil Williams 138 7.3.2 Hotline with Orville Taylor 142 7.3.3 Hotline with Barbara Gloudon 147 7.3.4 Straight Up with Jerry Small 153 7.4 Summary of language use in Jamaican radio talk shows 158 8. Data and methods II 160 8.1 Variety rating study 160 8.2 Direct questioning 164 8.3 Folk-linguistic approach 165 8.4 Fieldwork and informants 167 8.5 Vocal stimuli 170 9. Attitudes toward linguistic variation on Jamaican radio 184 9.1 Results of direct questioning 184 9.2 Results of variety rating study I – newscasts 189 9.3 Results of variety rating study II – talk shows 198 9.4 Results of folk-linguistic interviews 204 9.5 Linguistic norms of production 211 9.6 Summary of attitudes toward linguistic variation on Jamaican radio 215 10. Discussion and conclusion 218 10.1 Language use in Jamaican radio newscasts 218 10.1.1 Standard Englishes in newscasts 218 10.1.2 Sociolinguistic constraints on language use in newscasts 220 10.1.3 Roles, functions, and social meanings of Standard Englishes and Jamaican Creole in newscasts 221 10.2 Language use in Jamaican radio talk shows 222 10.2.1 Inter- and intraspeaker variation between English and Creole in talk shows 222 10.2.2 Sociolinguistic constraints on language use in talk shows 226 10.2.3 Roles, functions, and social meanings of English and Creole in talk shows 228 10.3 Attitudes toward linguistic variation on Jamaican radio 230 10.3.1 Attitudes toward linguistic variation in Jamaican radio newscasts 230 10.3.2 Attitudes toward linguistic variation in Jamaican talk radio 231 10.3.3 Multidimensionality of language attitudes 233 10.4 The notion of Standard English on Jamaican radio 235 10.5 Sociolinguistic changes and endonormativity on Jamaican radio 238 10.6 Destandardization and demotization on Jamaican radio 242 10.7 The integrated approach to mass media revisited 244 References 248 Language use data overview 260 Excerpts overview 262 Formulae 266 Jamaican Radio Survey – rating schemes and direct questions 268 Subject index 272 "This volume presents an in-depth analysis of language variation on Jamaican radio newscasts and talk shows. It explores the interaction of global and local varieties of English with regard to newscasters' and talk show hosts' language use and listeners' attitudes. The book illustrates the benefits of an integrated approach to mass media: the analysis takes into account radio talk and the perception of the audience, it is context-sensitive, paying close attention to variation within and between genres, and it combines quantitative and qualitative approaches to demonstrate the complexity of language in the media. The book contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of World Englishes in the 21st century and endonormative stabilization processes in linguistically heterogeneous postcolonial speech communities, and shows how mass media both challenge and reproduce sociolinguistic stratification. This volume will be relevant for researchers interested in the fields of sociolinguistics, language attitudes, and language in the media"-- Provided by publisher