20.1290, Diss: Phonetics/Phonology/Socioling: Hall: 'A Sociolinguistic Study...'

LINGUIST Network linguist at LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Mon Apr 6 17:09:18 UTC 2009


LINGUIST List: Vol-20-1290. Mon Apr 06 2009. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 20.1290, Diss: Phonetics/Phonology/Socioling: Hall: 'A Sociolinguistic Study...'

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Eastern Michigan U <aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Aristar-Dry, Eastern Michigan U <hdry at linguistlist.org>
 
Reviews: Randall Eggert, U of Utah  
       <reviews at linguistlist.org> 

Homepage: http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, 
and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Evelyn Richter <evelyn at linguistlist.org>
================================================================  

To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.

===========================Directory==============================  

1)
Date: 06-Apr-2009
From: Damien Hall < djh514 at york.ac.uk >
Subject: A Sociolinguistic Study of the Regional French of Normandy
 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:06:45
From: Damien Hall [djh514 at york.ac.uk]
Subject: A Sociolinguistic Study of the Regional French of Normandy

E-mail this message to a friend:
http://linguistlist.org/issues/emailmessage/verification.cfm?iss=20-1290.html&submissionid=212528&topicid=14&msgnumber=1
  


Institution: University of Pennsylvania 
Program: Department of Linguistics 
Dissertation Status: Completed 
Degree Date: 2008 

Author: Damien Hall

Dissertation Title: A Sociolinguistic Study of the Regional French of Normandy 

Dissertation URL:  http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/lang/people/pdf/DamienHall_PhD.pdf

Linguistic Field(s): Phonetics
                     Phonology
                     Sociolinguistics

Subject Language(s): French (fra)


Dissertation Director(s):
Gillian Sankoff
Donald A. Ringe
William Labov

Dissertation Abstract:

This dissertation is the first investigation of the Regional French of
Normandy using sociolinguistic principles of data collection and analysis
(Labov 2001). It provides a partial characterisation of the regional
variety of French spoken in Normandy, France, by analysis of linguistic,
dialectological and attitudinal data collected in two sites in Normandy: La
Bonneville (rural Lower Normandy) and Darnétal (urban Upper Normandy). It
is the first sociolinguistic study of any variety of European French to
make exclusive use of instrumental measurements for the investigation of
phonological variables (the vowels in this study). Two vowel variables and
one morphosyntactic variable are investigated, all of which have been noted
in the literature as characteristic of the Regional French of Normandy.

In the dialectological/attitudinal part of the study, informants were asked
to fill in maps of Normandy according to where they thought people spoke
differently. They were then asked whether there was a local accent in their
area, whether they had it themselves, whether they could give any examples
of the accent and whether they thought the accent was a good one. In the
final part of the dissertation, the results of these questions are compared
with the phonological results speaker-by-speaker, to determine in
particular whether there is any correlation between and individual
speaker's opinion about the 'goodness' of the accent and their phonological
results (whether or not they actually use the Normandy variant of the vowel
variables).

The study contributes to the sociolinguistics of French inasmuch as it
represents an advance in the investigative techniques used in the field
(instrumental measurements for vowels), and also because it is the first
such sociolinguistic investigation of the Regional French of Normandy (it
joins a growing number of sociolinguistic investigations of other regional
varieties of European French). It also contributes to the wider field of
sociolinguistics by making explicit the connection between linguistic
results and the attitudinal results for individual speakers. 




-----------------------------------------------------------
This Year the LINGUIST List hopes to raise $60,000. This money will go to help 
keep the List running by supporting all of our Student Editors for the coming year.

See below for donation instructions, and don't forget to check out our Fund Drive 
2009 LINGUIST List Restaurant and join us for a delightful treat!

http://linguistlist.org/fund-drive/2009/

There are many ways to donate to LINGUIST!

You can donate right now using our secure credit card form at  
https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm

Alternatively you can also pledge right now and pay later. To do so, go to:
https://linguistlist.org/donation/pledge/pledge1.cfm

For all information on donating and pledging, including information on how to 
donate by check, money order, or wire transfer, please visit:
http://linguistlist.org/donate.html

The LINGUIST List is under the umbrella of Eastern Michigan University and as such 
can receive donations through the EMU Foundation, which is a registered 501(c) Non 
Profit organization. Our Federal Tax number is 38-6005986. These donations can be 
offset against your federal and sometimes your state tax return (U.S. tax payers 
only). For more information visit the IRS Web-Site, or contact your financial advisor.

Many companies also offer a gift matching program, such that they will match any 
gift you make to a non-profit organization. Normally this entails your contacting 
your human resources department and sending us a form that the EMU Foundation fills 
in and returns to your employer. This is generally a simple administrative procedure 
that doubles the value of your gift to LINGUIST, without costing you an extra penny. 
Please take a moment to check if your company operates such a program.

Thank you very much for your support of LINGUIST!
-----------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-20-1290	

	



More information about the LINGUIST mailing list