What does it mean to sound Korean-Canadian, eh? A comparative study on Canadian English vowel space

Abstract

Existing research on Canadian English shows evidence of dialectal differences between regions. Not only are there differences based on region, but groups (e.g., heritage, immigrant) in these respective regions are not participating in the ongoing sound changes of Canadian English (e.g., Canadian Raising) to the same degree. In respect to sound changes, studies have found that some sounds are undergoing more drastic change than others, young female groups are usually more advanced in the progress, and that the largest heritage groups in major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal) are participating in sound changes—with some reported differences in vowel quality. This study extends the existing literature on Canadian sound changes by investigating the acoustic vowel quality of Korean heritage speakers in Vancouver. The speech of 11 monolingual Canadian English speakers and 22 Korean heritage speakers were analyzed for specific sound patterns (/u/-fronting, /æ/ raising) as well as overall vowel space area. This study finds that Korean heritage speakers also participate in the ongoing sound changes (e.g., /u/-fronting) but there are also some notable differences in their vowel acoustics, when compared to their monolingual counterparts.