1st Edition

English Pronunciation Models in a Globalized World Accent, Acceptability and Hong Kong English

By Andrew Sewell Copyright 2016
    202 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    208 Pages 3 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This book explores the topics of English accents and pronunciation. It highlights their connections with several important issues in the study of English in the world, including intelligibility, identity, and globalization. The unifying strand is provided by English pronunciation models: what do these models consist of, and why? The focus on pronunciation teaching is combined with sociolinguistic perspectives on global English, and the wider question asked by the book is: what does it mean to teach English pronunciation in a globalized world? The book takes Hong Kong – ‘Asia’s World City’ – as a case study of how global and local influences interact, and of how decisions about teaching need to reflect this interaction. It critically examines existing approaches to global English, such as World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca, and considers their contributions as well as their limitations in the Hong Kong context. A data-based approach with quantitative and qualitative data anchors the discussion and assists in the development of criteria for the contents of pronunciation models. English Pronunciation Models in a Globalized World: Accent, Acceptability and Hong Kong English discusses, among other issues:

    • Global English: A socio-linguistic toolkit
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    • Accents and Communication: Intelligibility in global English
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    • Teaching English Pronunciation: The models debate
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    • Somewhere Between: Accent and pronunciation in Hong Kong

    Researchers and practitioners of English studies and applied linguistics will find this book an insightful resource.

    1. Introduction: Soundings in global English 2. Global English: A sociolinguistic toolkit 3. Accent and Pronunciation 4. Accents and Communication: Intelligibility in global English 5. Teaching English Pronunciation: The models debate 6. English in Hong Kong: The sociolinguistic soundscape 7. Somewhere Between: Accent and pronunciation in Hong Kong 8. Conclusions: Teaching English pronunciation in a globalized world

    Biography

    Andrew Sewell is Assistant Professor at the Department of English at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.