- You will be able to point out specific features of the Jamaican accent
- You will understand the social-historical influences on the Jamaican accent
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Slide 1: Slide
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This lesson contains 23 slides, with interactive quiz, text slides and 4 videos.
Lesson duration is: 30 min
Items in this lesson
The Jamaican Accent
Objectives:
- You will be able to point out specific features of the Jamaican accent
- You will understand the social-historical influences on the Jamaican accent
Slide 1 - Slide
What is an Accent?
Slide 2 - Mind map
Slide 3 - Video
accent.gmu.edu
Slide 4 - Link
Slide 5 - Slide
Slide 6 - Slide
Slide 7 - Video
Historical background:
First inhabitants: Taino people (from South-America) – left very few words in the language (e.g. Guave)
Spanish colonisations – wiped out Taino people but didn’t find Jamaica interesting enough to make a mark on the language
1655-1962 – British colonization – English language became main way of communication
British brought in West-African slaves who also influenced the language (accent + Patois)
British also brought in Irish – also influenced the language (placenames + surnames)
American English – minor influence
Slide 8 - Slide
Slide 9 - Slide
Slide 10 - Slide
Features of the Jamaican Accent:
-er and -ar ending words are changed to an -a at the end of the word = dropping of the r at the end of unstressed syllables and before a consonant (semi-rhoticity)
sister – sista
molecular – molecula
water – wata
Slide 11 - Slide
Features of the Jamaican Accent:
Th changed to a d-sound, except when at the end of a word, then it is dropped completely
father – fada the – di south – sout month – mont
Slide 12 - Slide
Features of the Jamaican Accent:
-ing endings are changed to -in. (no tongue hitting the roof of your mouth)
reading – readin anything – anytin
Slide 13 - Slide
Features of the Jamaican Accent:
tt is pronounced like British English, with a t-sound (unvoiced) - instead of the American d-sound (voiceless)
butter – butta
Slide 14 - Slide
Slide 15 - Video
"Cultural appropriation is the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity. This can be especially controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from minority cultures"
This lesson has no intention to appropriate. Our goal is to learn and understand with respect for the culture and to enhance our ability to communicate with members of this culture in the future!
Slide 16 - Slide
"I went to the shop and bought some butter and milk."
"My mother kicked me out of the house and I am living with my aunt."
First use the discussed features of the Jamaican accent to analyze how to pronounce these sentences in correct Jamaican. (Tip: write it out the way you would pronounce it). Then try to pronounce it yourselves.
Work in groups of 3
Record what you think is the best pronunciation in your group
Send the recording to me on Teams
We will analyze each recording together in class
Slide 17 - Slide
Presentation assignment:
I will make groups of 4-5
You will be given an accent to study
You will prepare a presentation in which you include (at least) the following information:
- Geographical / Sociocultural information
- Distinctive features
- Example (e.g. YouTube)
You will be graded on this presentation individually
Each person speaks for 3 minutes
Slide 18 - Slide
Slide 19 - Slide
You will be given one lesson to start up your presentation together.
After that you have exactly one week to prepare your presentation by yourselves and for homework.
The presentations will be held on 28 and 31 May. I will pull names on the 28th so it could be any of you. You must therefore be ready to present that day. If not you automatically lose 10 points.
Slide 20 - Slide
Slide 21 - Video
Justification of choices:
Time: 2 lessons
CEFR descriptor for sound articulation --> B2: Can articulate a high proportion of the sounds in the target language clearly in extended stretches of production; is intelligible throughout, despite a few systematic mispronunciations.
Lesson goals: --> Students will be able to point out specific features of the Jamaican accent
--> Students will understand the social-historical influences on the Jamaican
accent
Slide 22 - Slide
Justification of choices:
Jamaican accent is an accent students generally like - songs, funny pronunciation, interesting culture
Interesting history - target group should already know about slavery and colonisation, but not immediately about its influence on languages
Good material to be found
Distinct differences between Jamaican and B/E and A/E which makes it a good accent to point out the features
The video is funny which is a good starting point for the students to want to try it themselves and get over the threshhold of having to pronounce an accent
Exercise: recording it is less scary. Analyzing first from paper and then from speech will help them notice particular features better. They will have some fun and a positive experience.