Abstract
The current research is done for the verification of two different claims. According to Kachru, (2005) that Punjabi English speakers are unable to create distinction between /Ɛ/ and /æ/ front vowels but Bilal et al. (2011) has refused this claim after verifying it in the speech of Punjabi speakers of Sargodha, Pakistan. If Bilal is right than there is a big need to study this claim in broader perspective. Therefore, in the current research, 9720 utterances (of 72 native Punjabi speakers from 12 districts of Punjab, Pakistan) are recorded and analyzed in PRAAT software. Data analysis is done in two steps i.e., (i) auditory analysis is done by listening wave files and (ii) acoustic analysis is based on the measurement of first three formant values (F1, F2, F3) and vowels’ duration. The results clarify that Pakistani Punjabi English speakers have maintained difference in short and long, stressed and unstressed articulation at word initial and medial positions. But the limited number of Lahori Punjabians could not maintain this difference at word medial position only. Consequently, this research highly supports Bilal’s claim in broader perspective but we cannot totally deny Kachru’s claim. Because we have also find traces of /Ɛ/ and /æ/ merger in our data as well and the reason might be the selection of research sample.
Highlights
In Pakistan, English plays a number of different roles (Kavaliauskiene, 2009; Mehboob, 2003) as an official language (Rehman, 2002), medium for instruction and compulsory subject (Lewis, Paul, Simons, & Fen, 2016)
The results clarify that Pakistani Punjabi English speakers have maintained difference in short and long, stressed and unstressed articulation at word initial and medial positions
The results clarify that Pakistani Punjabi English speakers have maintained difference in short and long, stressed and unstressed articulations of both vowels
Summary
In Pakistan, English plays a number of different roles (Kavaliauskiene, 2009; Mehboob, 2003) as an official language (Rehman, 2002), medium for instruction and compulsory subject (Lewis, Paul, Simons, & Fen, 2016). It is considered as a single key to success or it would be right to say that it is stressed for a successful communication (Romaine, 1994). For the reason that the non-native English countries (just like Pakistan) are under the influence of above mentioned issues They generate variations in Received Pronunciation (RP) and produce different “Englishes”. It was claimed that Asian English speakers had a tendency to merge front vowels /Ɛ/ and /æ/ (Kachru, 2005; Garesh, 2006; Deterding, 2007; Bautista & Gonzalez, 2006). Bilal et al (2011) had refused it the current research is conducted to verify this phenomenon in the speech of Punjabi English speakers of Pakistan but in broader perspective
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