The realisation of coronal obstruents across Hul’q’umi’num’ speakers

Authors

  • Sonya Bird University of Victoria
  • Donna Gerdts Simon Fraser University
  • Janet Leonard SFU

Abstract

The language revitalization movement is growing in Canada, with initiatives currently underway in communities across Canada to develop various kinds of immersion programs: mentor-apprentice programs, language nests, and immersion camps and schools. Although all of these programs emphasize spoken language, virtually no research has been done on pronunciation in the context of language revitalization, e.g. on how pronunciation varies across speakers and on what challenges learners face in becoming proficient speakers. As one small step towards filling this gap, this paper provides a preliminary overview of the pronunciation of a particularly complex set of sounds – coronal obstruents – in the Hul’q’umi’num’ (Island) dialect of Halkomelem (Coast Salish), spoken on Southern Vancouver Island. The goal is to determine how speakers of different generations and fluency levels realize these sounds; in particular, (how) do they maintain the contrasts among the fricatives /th lh s sh/, and among the affricates /tth tth’ tl’ ts ts’/? Detailed acoustic analysis of these sounds, the fricatives and affricates in particular, will contribute to developing our knowledge of phonetic typology, since many of these are quite rare cross-linguistically. In addition, understanding the details of their articulation, and where differences lie between first and second language speakers, will help us to refine the strategies that we use in teaching and learning them, to ensure that the whole set is transmitted to future generations of speakers.

 

Additional Files

Published

2016-08-25

How to Cite

1.
Bird S, Gerdts D, Leonard J. The realisation of coronal obstruents across Hul’q’umi’num’ speakers. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2016 Aug. 25 [cited 2025 Feb. 15];44(3). Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/2971

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 3 (2016)

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

License

Author Licensing Addendum

This Licensing Addendum ("Addendum") is entered into between the undersigned Author(s) and Canadian Acoustics journal published by the Canadian Acoustical Association (hereinafter referred to as the "Publisher"). The Author(s) and the Publisher agree as follows:

  1. Retained Rights: The Author(s) retain(s) the following rights:

    • The right to reproduce, distribute, and publicly display the Work on the Author's personal website or the website of the Author's institution.
    • The right to use the Work in the Author's teaching activities and presentations.
    • The right to include the Work in a compilation for the Author's personal use, not for sale.

  2. Grant of License: The Author(s) grant(s) to the Publisher a worldwide exclusive license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and display the Work in Canadian Acoustics and any other formats and media deemed appropriate by the Publisher.

  3. Attribution: The Publisher agrees to include proper attribution to the Author(s) in all publications and reproductions of the Work.

  4. No Conflict: This Addendum is intended to be in harmony with, and not in conflict with, the terms and conditions of the original agreement entered into between the Author(s) and the Publisher.

  5. Copyright Clause: Copyright on articles is held by the Author(s). The corresponding Author has the right to grant on behalf of all Authors and does grant on behalf of all Authors, a worldwide exclusive license to the Publisher and its licensees in perpetuity, in all forms, formats, and media (whether known now or created in the future), including but not limited to the rights to publish, reproduce, distribute, display, store, translate, create adaptations, reprints, include within collections, and create summaries, extracts, and/or abstracts of the Contribution.