6.342 Qs: Private lgs, Acoustic data, urkish variation, Elvis

[The Linguist List]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List:  Vol-6-342. Mon 06 Mar 1995. ISSN: 1068-4875. Lines: 144
 
Subject: 6.342 Qs: Private lgs, Acoustic data, Turkish variation, Elvis
 
Moderators: Anthony Rodrigues Aristar: Texas A&M U. <aristar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
            Helen Dry: Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at emunix.emich.edu>
 
Asst. Editors: Ron Reck <rreck at emunix.emich.edu>
               Ann Dizdar <dizdar at tam2000.tamu.edu>
               Ljuba Veselinova <lveselin at emunix.emich.edu>
               Annemarie Valdez <avaldez at emunix.emich.edu>
 
                           REMINDER
[We'd like to remind readers that the responses to queries are usually
best posted to the individual asking the question. That individual is
then  strongly encouraged to post a summary to the list.   This policy was
instituted to help control the huge volume of mail on LINGUIST; so we
would appreciate your cooperating with it whenever it seems appropriate.]
 
-------------------------Directory-------------------------------------
 
1)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 10:31:51 +0000 (GMT)
From: R J Stevenson (Rosemary.Stevenson at durham.ac.uk)
Subject: query: private languages
 
2)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 11:01:16 +0100 (MET)
From: Mario Cal Varela (iamario at usc.es)
Subject: Acoustic data in sociolinguistics
 
3)
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 95 08:12 EST
From: "Dennis.Preston" (22709MGR at MSU.EDU)
Subject: Turkish variation
 
4)
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 95 08:06:31 CST
From: TOOPS at TWSUVM.UC.TWSU.EDU
Subject: QUESTION: ELVIS PRESLEIUS?
 
-------------------------Messages--------------------------------------
1)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 10:31:51 +0000 (GMT)
From: R J Stevenson (Rosemary.Stevenson at durham.ac.uk)
Subject: query: private languages
 
 
I have had a request from someone not on the list for literature on children
who use private languages.  The request is  from  a language support teacher
who is taking a course in bilingualism and special educational needs and who
is doing a case study on a bilingual child who seems to speak a private
language. I quote from her letter below.  Any references to similar
examples, bilingual or otherwise, or any reports of similar examples
will be gratefully received. Please send replies to me  and I will pass them
on to her.  I will post a summary of the responses if there is sufficient
interest.
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Rosemary Stevenson
 
"For (my) assessment in April, I have to do a case study.  I have chosen
a 5 year old Chinese boy who speaks a language which no-one, not even his
mother, understands.  It sounds Chinese, but is incomprehensible.  A
Chinese psychologist has said that there appears to be a pattern to his
utterances but she could only recognise a few words which might have been
Cantonese. His mother tongue is actually Hakka but he watches videos in
Cantonese.  His parents and 8 year old brother speak Hakka, Cantonese and
English.  The childminder, with whom he spends most of his time, speaks
Cantonese but uses `baby talk' to him.
 
He now knows some words in English eg. shut up, cool, get fucked(!!), O
my God!, Power Rangers, Popeye the Sailor Man, but appears to have an
articulation problem.  Apparently this is also evident in his few
recognisable words in Cantonese.
 
I wonder if you have ever come across a child with similar problems or if
you know of any research which has been done on children with a private
language which no-one understands.  I have found research on the language
of twins, but that hasn't proved very helpful."
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2)
Date: Fri, 3 Mar 1995 11:01:16 +0100 (MET)
From: Mario Cal Varela (iamario at usc.es)
Subject: Acoustic data in sociolinguistics
 
Content-Length: 1437
 
Dear linguist list subscribers:
I am currently doing research on the sociolinguistics of Gibraltarian
English. I am using acoustic data as input to my analysis (formant values
for a number of vowels, VOT measurements for voiceless plosives) and my
intention is obviously to find patterns across speakers. Now my
problem is:
 
   -What is the best way to `normalize` formant values so that comparison
of individuals with different physiological characteristics is possible?
   -What is the optimal form to plot formant values onto charts? I`ve
read about a so-called Mel scale somewhere but no indications were given
as to how to build one.
 
   Many, many thanks in advance for your help.
   Mario Cal Varela
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3)
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 95 08:12 EST
From: "Dennis.Preston" (22709MGR at MSU.EDU)
Subject: Turkish variation
 
Content-Length: 301
 
We still hope for any reference to studies of social stratification in Turkey,
but, failing that, can anyone provide the title (or even a clue) to any work
on Turkish regional (dialect) distribution? Hopeful in East Lansing.
Dennis Preston
(22709mgr at msu.edu) changing (alas) to:
preston at pilot.msu.edu
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4)
Date: Fri, 03 Mar 95 08:06:31 CST
From: TOOPS at TWSUVM.UC.TWSU.EDU
Subject: QUESTION: ELVIS PRESLEIUS?
 
Content-Length: 651
 
Yesterday's ABC evening news (Thursday, March 2) carried a brief report
of a new compact disc of Elvis Presley recordings in Latin.  Songs in-
clude "Nunc hic aut numquam" ("It's Now or Never"), "Non adamare non
possum" ("Can't Help Falling in Love"), "Nun aeternitatis" ("I Surrender"),
"Cor ligneum" ("Wooden Heart"), and "Tenere me ama" ("Love Me Tender").
Can anyone provide information on how to go about getting a hold of this
CD?
 
Gary H. Toops                            TOOPS at TWSUVM.UC.TWSU.EDU
Associate Professor                      Phone (316) 689-3180
Wichita State University                 Fax   (316) 689-3293
Wichita, KS 67260-0011
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-6-342.