LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 19:12 December 2019
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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A Study of Word Stress Variation in English among Undergraduate Non-English Teachers

Dr. Sridhar Maisa

Abstract

This paper aims to study word stress variation in English among undergraduate teachers. Word stress is one of the supra segmental features of English language. To make hearer to understand spoken English and to maintain intelligibility, the word stress plays a key role. To maintain intelligibility in spoken English among teachers and students, speakers’ word stress is vital. The present study explores undergraduate non-English teachers’ word stress patters and their deviations in word-stress. This study presents undergraduate teachers’ word stress patterns and word stress deviations from the Received Pronunciation. Twenty undergraduate teachers’ spoken data were analyzed based on researches auditory impression. The findings and recommendations are presented at the end.

Keywords: English among Undergraduate non-English Teachers, word stress, intelligibility, received pronunciation, supra-segmental, syllable.

1. Introduction

Word stress is one of the important supra-segmental features of English. It is completely the property of a syllable, a larger unit over a segment. A stressed syllable is usually produced with greater amount of breath force than the other syllables in a word. The purpose in assigning stress is to mark one syllable per word as carrying prominence. So, there is a height of prominence on one syllable, and only one syllable per word can receive this prominence. The ‘word stress’ refers to the degree of intensity, muscular activity, or air pressure. Physiologically, a stressed syllable is said to be produced with a reinforced chest pulse. The basis of a syllable is a chest pulse – one contraction of the intercostals muscular in the chest.

An important feature of spoken English is word-accent. If a word has more than one syllable, one of syllables stands out from the rest. The syllable that is more prominent is said to receive the accent. According to Gimson, “the accentual pattern of English words is fixed, in the sense that the main accent always fall on a particular syllable of any given word, but free, in the sense that the main accent is not tied to any particular situation in the chain of syllables consisting a word” (Gimson, 1980, p.221).

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Dr. Sridhar Maisa
Asst. Professor
Dept. of English
GITAM University (deemed to be)
Doddaballapura, Bengaluru
Karnataka – 561205
sridharmaisa@gmail.com
Mobile: 9390116041
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