Language attitudes in Alaska: Perceptions of central Yup'ik ethnicity through voice.

摘要

This paper presents perceptual data regarding the classification of Alaskan varieties of English. In this study, a verbal guise test and language attitude questionnaire were designed to elicit reactions to a possible variety of Alaskan English: Central Yup'ik-influenced English. Students from freshman composition classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) were asked to record their attitudes toward nine recorded voices belonging to speakers with varying exposure to the Central Yup'ik language. The participants showed an awareness of some difference between Native and non-Native voices; this awareness extended to a difference in perception of speaker characters. These results set groundwork for more research into the various potential Alaskan English varieties: their perceptibility, their linguistic components, and their effects on listeners.