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10Sounding local and going global: Current research and implications for pronunciation teaching1 Ee-Ling Low This chapter summarizes recent research on the pronunciation of Singapore English, which has provided empirical support for earlier impressionistic observations made by the first-generation scholars in the 1980s on Singapore English such as Tongue (1979), Platt and Weber (1980) and Tay (1982). These empirical studies appear to have two distinct trends. One essentially still uses auditory analysis but is backed up by empirical evidence provided by collection of speech corpora (Lim 2004; Wee 2004; Brown and Deterding 2005; Deterding 2007). The other set employs acoustic and statistical analyses to either validate or offer new perspectives about previous auditory research (e.g., Low and Grabe 1999; Brown, Deterding and Low 2000; Low, Grabe and Nolan 2000; Deterding 2001, 2003, 2005; Deterding, Brown and Low 2005). An exploration of the intelligibility of Singapore English worldwide will then be discussed by making reference to recent studies on perceptual experiments to speakers from outside Singapore. The reason for exploring the intelligibility of Singapore English worldwide is to consider the issue of how viable it is for Singaporeans to maintain local features of pronunciation while remaining competitive in a globalized world. Finally, recommendations for a realistic pronunciation teaching model will be offered based on insights given by scholars working on world Englishes. An achievable target for classroom teachers in Singapore, given their own pronunciation patterns, will also be discussed. Any attempt to describe Singapore English needs to take into account the variation that exists in this variety of English. In order to understand variation in Singapore English, I will highlight the main theoretical models designed by different scholars to account for the variation observed in Singapore English. However, it is not my intention to evaluate here which model is best for describing the pronunciation of Singapore English; rather, this is meant to provide a context on which the description of the pronunciation of Singapore English can be based. 236 Ee-Ling Low One of the earliest models for the description of Singapore English is the lectal continuum model first suggested by Platt (1977) (also described in Platt and Weber [1980]). At the opposite ends of the continuum lie the lowest variety, known as the basilect, and the highest variety, the acrolect. In between these two varieties rests the middle variety known as mesolect. The division of speakers into different lects is based solely on educational criteria. Speakers using the basilectal variety have received only primary or, at best, a few years of secondary education while the speakers using the mesolectal variety have either ‘O’ or ‘A’ level qualification.2 Speakers using the acrolect possess tertiary education. Another approach is the diglossic model suggested by Gupta (1986) which acknowledges the existence of a high (H) and a low (L) variety of English in Singapore. Both varieties have distinct functions. The low variety is generally used for speaking to young children outside of a classroom context and during informal situations while the high variety carries prestige and is used for literary expression and formal domains. Pakir’s (1991) model may be considered as one of the most widely adopted models by scholars wishing to describe variation in Singapore English. According to Pakir, English in Singapore varies according to two clines: the formality and proficiency clines which in turn determine the type of variety spoken, viz. Singapore Colloquial English (SCE) or Standard Singapore English (SSE). In other words, the level of formality of the situation coupled with a speaker’s proficiency level (defined in terms of years spent on studying English) define which triangle of expression a speaker uses. Her model is represented by the idea of ‘concentric triangles’, in which smaller triangles are encased within a large triangle and the difference between each triangle is determined by the size of their base. In her model, the speaker with the highest proficiency in English has the largest triangle of expression and is able to move effortlessly between the colloquial and standard varieties of English, depending on the formality of the communicative domain. Conversely, the lowest educated have the smallest triangle of expression since they are constrained, by virtue of their proficiency level, from moving upwards to speak standard Singapore English even when the occasion calls for it. Deterding and Poedjosoedarmo (2000) consider a model of inverted triangles of ethnic variation in Singapore English. In their model, all inverted triangles share a common inverted base but they each have different vertices. They suggest...

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