Definitions & Concepts
The term used for English that is characteristically West Indian without being Creole English.
What is Colloquial English?
Many West Indians view Colloquial English as this, making it socially discouraged.
What is incorrect or unacceptable?
Colloquial English differs from British and American English mainly in these four sound-related areas.
What are pronunciation, stress, pitch, and intonation?
Pitch patterns can turn a statement into this, without switching word order.
What is a question?
Rather than relying on strict linguistic rules, the separation between Colloquial English and Creole English is mostly shaped by this social factor.
What is public perception or acceptability?
The belief-driven boundary that separates Colloquial English from Creole English.
What is perceptual boundary?
The relative loudness or emphasis placed on a syllable.
What is stress?
These speech elements, oral or nasal, mark the beginning or end of clauses and often carry specific pitch patterns.
What are sentence tags?
Because the linguistic boundary is unclear, this related language variety is often confused with Colloquial English.
What is Creole English?
The widespread attitude that devalues Colloquial English comes from this social practice.
What is stereotyping?
The timing pattern in which each syllable lasts approximately the same amount of time.
What is syllable timing?
In West Indian English, primary stress may fall on one syllable while the highest pitch appears elsewhere, creating this familiar rhythmic effect.
What is the 'sing-song' effect?
This term refers to a creole variety that has no significant differences from the standard language.
What is acrolectal?
Negative stereotypes around Colloquial English contribute to this denial of its legitimacy.
What is lack of social acceptance?
This type of timing measures the rhythm between stressed syllables regardless of the number of syllables in between.
What is stress timing?
This West Indian territory is known for having the most marked and distinct Colloquial English features.
What is Jamaica?