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PHONOLOGICAL VARIATION & KRIOL IN BELIZE MORNING SHOWS

Running head: PHONOLOGICAL VARIATION & KRIOL IN BELIZE MORNING SHOWS

Individual Research (LING6308)

Examining Gender and Age Differentiation as Social Markers for Phonological Variation and
use of Kriol in Belizean Morning Shows.

Eugenie Castillo (Student ID: 320049912)

UWI (Open Campus)

August 2, 2021
Examining Gender and Age Differentiation as Social Markers for Phonological Distribution and
use of Kriol in Belizean Morning Shows

This study investigates phonological and contextual style variations and their relation to
differences in gender and age in Belizean morning talk shows. A multilingual society, Belize's
official language is English, while Belizean Kriol acts as the national language and lingua franca
(Castillo, Fairweather, Jordan & McFadzean, 2021). Although Belizean Standard English (BSE)
is the official language, it is the first language of only 62.6% of the population, whereas 82.9%
of Belizeans use Kriol (Castillo et al., 2021). Despite the prominence of Kriol, BSE is the
language generally used in the media. According to BBC News, Belize has two (2) major
broadcasting and media production companies, Channel 5 Belize and 7 News Belize (Belize
Profile - Media, 2018). Both media houses air daily morning programs entitled Open Your Eyes
and SunUp on 7, respectively. The two shows are shot in one of the country's urban cities, Belize
City. Belize City is one of three (3) areas that comprise the administrative Belize District. With
45% of the Belizean population living in metropolitan areas, at 72%, the Belize District records
the most significant urbanization figures (Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), 2010). Moreover,
Belize City is a major municipality inhabited by 30% of the Belizean population (SIB, 2010).

On the backdrop of this profile, we have decided to examine the production of the phonological
variable /th/ and the use of Belizean Kriol as a form of conversational language and their
correlation to gender and age differences in the morning talk show hosts. Our corpus will be
clips selected from the two talk shows featuring the six (6) co-hosts as representatives of
Belizean daytime television hosts. Comparing the six (6), two (2) women and four (4) men will
show that among women and men in Belizean media, gender and age are social markers that
determine the distribution of the /th/, its variants /t/ and /d/, and Belizean Kriol.

A statement of our hypothesis will be our first step in proving our claim. Our literature review
discussing the aspects of Trudgill's 1974 study 'The Social Differentiation of English in Norwich'
that have been considered will follow. We will also present the areas in which we have deviated
to create new research. Next, we will explore our methodology and the design of our study, and
our approach to and reasoning behind employing representative sampling. In addition, we will
elaborate on the instrumentation and investigation technique used, which will lead to a review of
our data collection and analysis plan. Finally, we will explore ethical considerations and the
possible limitations we may encounter.

Hypothesis and Research Question

We will examine whether age and gender differentiation contribute to variation in the
phonological realization of the six (6) participants' pronunciations of the /th/ consonant whereby
the voiced dental fricative [ð] is replaced by [d] for the alveolar plosive, and the voiceless dental
fricative[θ] is substituted for the dental alveolar plosive [t] or the voiceless postalveolar affricate
[tʃ]. We will determine (1) How the /th/ variants (voiced and voiceless) are represented amongst
the six (6) Belizean daytime television hosts? (2) In what way(s) does gender influence the
production of the dependent variable? (3) Is contextual style variation more likely to occur
among women or men? (4) In what way(s) is age a contributing factor to the pronunciation of the
/th/ variable?

Literature Review

Peter Trudgill's "Social Differentiation of English in Norwich" explores the correlation between
gender and social class and seeks to determine whether these contribute to the linguistic
variations used in social interaction. While analyzing (ng) variations, Trudgill posits that "the[n]
and [ŋ] suffixes that occur in speech is a function of the social class of the speaker and of the
social context in which he is speaking." (Trudgill, 1997). The author noted that speakers from a
particular social group showed the highest amount of stylistic variation. Additionally, Trudgill's
study indicated the vast difference between the pronunciations of the (ng) variations between
men and women, stating that women had lower index scores than men. (Trudgill, 1997). He
attributes this to a relationship between gender and social class and how women are perceived in
society. Trudgill asserts that "women in our society are more status-conscious than men…and
are therefore more aware of the social significance of linguistic variables." (Trudgill, 1997)
Thus, the study asserts that because women are more often judged by their appearance and
manner of speaking, they are more likely to represent their status through language to secure
their position in society.

Similarly, Penelope Eckert's "The Whole Woman: Sex and Gender Differences in Variation"
asserts that gender "has emerged as one of the most important social factors in the quantitative
study of phonological variation." (Eckert, 1989). In this article, the author highlights how
language use relates to one's identity within a community and the roles that age and gender play
in differentiating our roles in social interaction. In agreement with Trudgill, Eckert states that
"women have been moving self-consciously into the marketplace and calling traditional gender
roles to question." (Eckert, 1989). Hence, this contributes significantly to why "women are more
conservative than men in their use of those vernacular forms that represent stable social
variables." (Eckert, 1989) Since one's idiolect is associated with social class and status, women,
who have faced more challenges in making an imprint in professional and formal settings, are
more likely to use language that they feel is associated with a higher social status. Both Trudgill
and Eckert maintain that men do not experience the same social pressures as women and are less
likely to be conscious of how their messages appear to others. In the Belizean context, women
face similar social pressures of needing to speak, dress, and behave in a particular manner to
allude to be respected, particularly in male-dominated environments. Examining Gender and Age
Differentiation as Social Markers for Phonological Variation and use of Kriol in Belizean
Morning Shows similarly highlights linguistic variables but in a Belizean context. The paper will
examine the relationship between the variants of /th/ in the media between men and women of
different age groups. Thus, this paper analyses how the pronunciation of this variable is
perceived in different social contexts and how age and gender are contributing factors to its use.

Methodology
The following subsections aim to analyze and describe the methodological process undertaken.
These categories are Study Design, Sample Population, Instrumentation and Investigative
Technique(s), Data Collection and Analysis Plan, and Ethical Considerations.

Study Design

Once we had decided upon an area to study, we selected a location and chose Belize as most of
our group members lived there. Next, we opted to focus specifically on Belizean daytime
television. Subsequently, we decided to utilize a quasi-quantitative approach for our research.
According to Shadish, Cook, and Campbell. (2001), "Quasi-[quantitative] experiments share
with all other experiments a similar purpose-to test descriptive causal hypotheses about
manipulable causes-as well as many structural details...But, by definition, quasi-experiments lack
random assignment" (p.14.) As a result of time constraints and the ongoing effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic, a quasi-quantitative approach was selected as interview-based, participant
observations and random sampling techniques were not feasible. Thus, we retrieved, reviewed,
and analyzed data found within the public domain on the World Wide Web. As established, the
content was extracted from the morning talk shows: Open Your Eyes (Channel 5 Belize) and
SunUp on 7 (7 News Belize).

Sample Population

The analysis of the study is based on stratified random sampling. Belize has approximately ten
(10) broadcasting and media production companies. However, Channel 5 Belize and 7 News
Belize, the two (2) most popular agencies, were selected as participants to conduct this research.
These organizations were also chosen as they telecast regular morning shows entitled, Open
Your Eyes and SunUp on 7. The Belize Population and Housing Census Country Report 2010
states Belize City has the largest population of persons over 15, and the highest age range is 15-
49 (p. 35). Thus, this group makes up 80% of the city. The two (2) talk shows tailor and
disseminates their content based on this demographic profile. The studios' design, aesthetics, and,
more importantly, the co-hosts and content reflect the targeted audience for both programs.
Broadcasted live each weekday morning, they are equally informative, addressing current events
and featuring persons of interest.

Belize has approximately ten (10) broadcasting and media production companies. Traditionally,
Belize Standard English (BSE) has been used in these formal settings. However, in recent times,
code-switching to Belizean Kriol has begun to occur. We have elected to study this phenomenon.
In doing so, we have selected the two most popular agencies, Channel 5 Belize (Open Your
Eyes) and 7 News Belize(SunUp on 7), to conduct this research. Based on the Belize Population
and Housing Census Country Report 2010, the Belize City population age range is 15-49 (p. 35),
the two talk shows were chosen. The hosts' ages fall within this demographic, which makes up
80% of the city. The Open Your Eyes cast ages are between thirty-six (36) to forty-five (45),
while the SunUp on 7 hosts fall between twenty (20) to thirty-five (35). It is on this basis that
stratified random sampling will be applied in choosing our corpus.

Instrumentation and Investigative Technique(s)

The data was gathered and analyzed from readily available content found on the Facebook pages
of the morning talk shows identified above. In selecting the data, four (4) videos were chosen.
The first five (5) minutes of each video were manually transcribed using Microsoft Word. The
research group determined that the first five (5) of each recording was sufficient to collect the
necessary data of all six (6) hosts (see Appendix A). Occurrences of the dependent variable /th/
and its variants /t/ and /d/ and the contextual style variation were charted according to the
particular participant. Each transcription was labeled with the source of the material, the names
of the participants, the date of the recorded data, and the duration of the interaction. After
completing the transcription process, all of the lexical items that featured the investigated
variants were highlighted. The phonological variations were recorded and tagged. The following
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)'s symbols were used to describe the participant's
pronunciations of the /th/ consonant: (i) [ð] for the voiced representation of the /th/, (ii) [θ] for
the voiceless representation of /th/, (iii) [t] for the dental alveolar plosive, (iv) [d] for the alveolar
plosive and [tʃ] for voiceless postalveolar affricate. These symbols were placed alongside the
initials of each speaker in the tag. The phonetic symbols were incorporated for ease of reference
when calculating the number of times, the variant was used per participant.

Data Collection and Analysis Plan

At the end of the transcription, the variants employed by each speaker were tallied and entered
into a table created to record the tabulated amounts (see Appendix B-E). Each recorded variation
was first checked by the original transcriber and double-checked by another team member to
ensure the validity of the established identification tag. Having recorded and tallied the
production of the dependent variable /th/ and its variants /t/ and /d/, the results were stratified
based on the social variable, gender, and age. The data also revealed the use of Kriol among the
six (6) participants. The results recorded for the female participants, Marleni Cuellar and Renata
Samuel were compared with John Palacio, Isani Cayetano, and Kevin Mendez. Additionally, to
ascertain age differentiation in the variants and contextual style, the participants will be classed
according to age range and their utterances evaluated.

Ethical Consideration

Hunter, Gough, O'Kane, and McKeown (2018) explain that there are several ethical issues
concerned with research in its entirety. However, when sourcing content from a social media
platform, Hunter et al. (2018) notes that there may be issues concerning privacy, anonymity,
confidentiality, and authenticity. Furthermore, they argue for informed consent, recruitment,
willingness to participate, and data security and management. Samuel and Buchanan (2020) also
add that content retrieved from media may result in the vulnerability of the persons involved and
potential intrusiveness. To avoid any ethical misconduct, we took note of the issues by the
authors and ensured that our data is privately stored. The data provided in this research was
thoroughly reviewed, transcribed, and analyzed. Therefore, the information provided was not
falsified, and the use of /th/ by the participants is portrayed accurately. Likewise, the results of
this research will only be discussed among group members and the course coordinator.

Limitations
The following are the limitations concerned with orchestrating this research. First, due to the
fast-paced nature of the conversations held by the co-hosts, the transcribing of the first (5)
minutes of each selected recording proved tedious. The hosts frequently disregarded the standard
turn-taking principles which govern verbal communication. Thus, there was a need for
continuous rewinding of the clips being transcribed. Second, challenges arose in attempting to
determine the exact age for each participant. Obtaining this element of personal data for the
participants was time-consuming. Nevertheless, and after days of investigation, we were able to
successfully create two (2) age groups that accurately categorize the ages of the hosts.

Third, adjustments were made to adapt to our circumstances and the impossibility of conducting
in-person interviews. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to analyze
and collect data from the public domain. Thus, we were tasked with ascertaining the correct
procedure for retrieving and using content in the public domain, e.g., Facebook videos.

Linguistic Analysis

Data Excerpt 1:

Marleni Cuellar: Of course, of course. I ([θ]MC) think COVID is on everybody's mind at

([ð]MC) this point in time. Um, especially as we move around and we understand ([ð]MC) that
([ð]MC) the cases are growing. Um, so it is...but we will be talking a bit about ([ð]MC) that in
'eye on ([ð]MC) the news'.

Data Excerpt 2:

Brandon: Exactly and as you said, if we're not([t]BU) thinking about up here, I mean, taking care
of up here… Mental ([t]BU) health plays such a huge role in your life, it makes…if you don't
have ([t]BU) the proper mental ([t]BU) health, you are physically ([θ]BU) unhealthy as well.
You are spiritually, emotionally ([t]BU) unhealthy as well. We need to first work ([t]BU) with
up here.

A woman and a man were specifically chosen in the excerpts above. The above shows that
Marleni Cuellar, a woman within the age group 36-45 uses the voiceless dental fricative [θ] and
the voiced dental fricative [ð] pronunciations of the /th/ variant in most instances. On the other
hand, Brandon Usher who is in the age group 20-35 utilizes the dental alveolar plosive [t]. Upon
analyzing the evidence, it is apparent that Marleni confirms the standard English pronunciation
of words while Brandon does not. Brandon is more likely to code-switch between English and
Kriol as well. This was the case throughout the transcriptions which highlight that men,
regardless of age, are less likely to use the voiceless dental fricative [θ] and the voiced dental
fricative [ð] pronunciations of the /th/ variant.
Figure 1: The use of the [θ] and [ð] pronunciations of the /th/ variant among men and women
(Isani and Marleni).

In videos one and two, it is apparent that Marleni utilizes the /th/ variable at a substantially
higher rate than her counterparts. In video one, Marleni produced the [ð] 26 times while Isani
produced it 8 times. Likewise, Marleni refrained from the Kriol variations [t] and [d] at a greater
frequency compared to other co-hosts. This shows that Marleni is more concerned with ensuring
that she speaks standard English at work. Her male counterparts on the other hand are aware that
they need to speak standard English but refer to the Kriol variations at times. In video number
one, Isani utilized the [t] variation three times while Marleni did not use it. Similarly, he
produced the variation [d] 29 times while Marleni used it 4 times. This pattern was the same for
video number two where Marleni once again used the [ð] /th/ more frequently than her male
counterpart, John Palacio. Marleni used the variation [t] once while John used it 3 times.
Similarly, she used the variation [d] 13 times while John used it 38 times.

Figure 2: the use of [t] and [d] among men and women (John and Marleni).

However, there was a contention in videos three and four due to the frequency of code-switching
among hosts. Renata was the female host for both shows and videos three and four included
Kevin Mendez and Brandon Usher respectively. Renata did not use the [ θ ]in the first video but
Kevin produced 5 voiceless /th/ variations. Renata produced 21 [ð] /th/ while Kevin produced 15.
There was also a tie of 8 which showed that both hosts, irrespective of age and gender utilized
the [t] variation. Similarly, there was merely a one-point difference in the usage of the [d]
variation. Renata used it 52 times while Kevin used it 53 times. For video number four the trend
was similar. The [θ] /th/ was used by Renata three times while Brandon used it 6 times. The [ð]
was used by Renata 1 time while it was used by Brandon 3 times. In using the [t] variation, it
was noted that Renata used it 9 times while Brandon used it 14 times. The [d] variation was used
by Renata 34 times while it was used by Brandon 24 times. Therefore, for the SunUp 7 show,
age and gender did not play a key role in the language situation.

Figure 3: Figure 1: The use of the [θ] and [ð] pronunciations of the /th/ variant among men and
women (Kevin and Renata).
Figure 4: the use of [t] and [d] among men and women (Brandon and Renata).

Sociolinguistic Analysis

How the /th/ variable was utilized by hosts reflects influences of age and gender. Firstly, it is
important to note that Marleni Cuellar has been a television host since many Belizeans were
teenagers, and continued to be even as some Belizeans matured to be adults. For that reason,
Marleni has appeared "mature" in the eyes of many and has been taken as an elder though she is
not as old as many perceive her to be.

Age and maturity play a key role as it relates to the pronunciation of the /th/ variant. The [θ] and
[ð] pronunciations of the /th/ variant are used mostly in the standard English form while the [t]
and [d] are used when pronouncing the /th/ in a Kriol form. Upon analysis of the transcription
from the Open Your Eyes videos in comparison to the videos from SunUp 7, it becomes apparent
that age is a distinguishing factor. However, I chose to peer both factors (women between 36 and
45 or men between 20 and 35). What I found is that women between 36 and 45 are more likely to
conform to the standard English pronunciation while women between 20 and 35 are more likely
to code-switch. This was seen in the case of Marleni and Renata where Marleni, a more mature
woman, conforms to the [θ] and [ð] pronunciations of the /th/ variant. If we are to compare video
one and video four, we can see that Marleni uses the [t] and [d] pronunciation 0 and 4 times
respectively while Renata used it 9 and 34 times. I attribute this huge difference to the age of the
individual. However, when it comes to conforming to standard English practices on a whole, the
women seem to utilize the [ð] /th/ more frequently compared to their male counterparts.

This conclusion was similar to Trudgill's (1997) study as he found that women use prestige
variants more than women and that women are more susceptible to vert prestige. Nonetheless,
the [θ] was used by Marleni more frequently compared to Renata. Again, I attribute this aspect to
age, maturity, and code-switching. Perhaps this can be viewed through the lenses of Eckert
(1997) who posits that people's way of speaking evolves as they become adults. The pressure is
present to conform to the standard, prestigious, or socially acceptable way of speaking.
Throughout the transcriptions, it became evident that the men engaged the standard English
variations less than the women regardless of age. This was also the case in Trudgill's (1997)
study where he found that men were found to use less of the standard form compared to women.
Labov (1990) also discussed this issue using the term gender paradox as he found that women
were more likely to stimulate change as a result of using more prestigious variants compared to
men. This allowed me to conclude that women, regardless of age are more likely to use the [θ]
and [ð] /th/ compared to men. However, women between 36 and 45 are more likely to use these
variations at a greater frequency. On the other hand, men are likely to use non-standard forms
like [t] and [d].

Conclusion
Women between the ages of 36 and 45 are more likely to utilize the [θ] and [ð] pronunciations of
the /th/ variant. Women between the ages of 20 and 35, like men, are more likely to code-switch.
The instances of code-switching between English and Kriol introduce the [t] and [d]
pronunciation of the /th/ variable. While the /th/ variable can be pronounced using the [t] and [d],
it was less likely in this scenario. Even when Belizeans speak English, it is still not considered
"standard English except in the case of Marleni". Most times the Kriol is being spoken using
English words. Therefore, the high rate of instances of the [t] and [d] usage by Belizean talk
show hosts was seen. The conclusions of this research were in line with Trudgill's (1997) work
and Labov's (1990) work which shows that women are more concerned with the standard form of
language compared to men. However, there is more to be researched on why younger women
prefer the non-standard form of a language compared to older women.

References

Belize Profile - Media. (2018). BBC. Retrieved 7 July 2021 from

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-18727131

Castillo, E., Fairweather, D., Jordan, L. & McFadzean, A. (2021). An examination of the
language situations in the Caribbean. Unpublished paper. The University of the West Indies -
Open Campus

Channel 5 News Belize. (2021, June 5). Open Your Eyes. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/News5Live/videos/149178743873279

Channel 5 News Belize. (2021, May 19). Open Your Eyes. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/News5Live/videos/790500624933244

Channel 7 News Belize. ( 2021, July 1). SunUp on 7. Retrieved from

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsBelize/videos/4800515566630289

Channel 7 News Belize. ( 2021, July 5). SunUp on 7. Retrieved from

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=234066251885769&ref=watch_permalink

Eckert, Penelope. (1997). "Age as a Sociolinguistic Variable." In The Handbook of

Sociolinguistics, edited by Florian Coulmas, 150–67. Oxford (UK): Blackwell.
http://doi.org/10.1002/9781405166256.

Eckert, P. (1989). The Whole Woman: Sex and Gender Differences in Variation. Language
Variation and Change, 245-267.
Grant, R. (2017). Women in Belize. Women's Evolving Lives Global and Psychological
Perspectives, 239-256.

Hunter, F.R., Gough, A., O'Kane, N., McKeown, G., Fitzpatrick, A., Walker, T., McKinley, M.,
Lee, M., & Kee, F. (2018). Ethical issues in social media research for public health. Public
Health Ethics, 108(3), 343-348.

Labov, W. (1990). The intersection of sex and social class in the course of linguistic change.
Language Variation and Change , 2, 205-254.

Populations and sampling. (n.d.). University of Missouri–St. Louis.

https://www.umsl.edu/~lindquists/sample.html

Samuel, G., & Buchanan, E. (2020). Guest Editorial: Ethical issues in social media research.
Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 15(1),1-9 .
DOI:10.1177/1556264619901215

Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2001). Experimental and quasi-experimental
designs for generalized causal inference. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Statistical Institute of Belize. (2010). Belize population and housing census country report 2010.
http://sib.org.bz/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Census_Report_2010.pdf

Trudgill, P. (1997). Social Differentiation of English in Norwich. In A. Jaworski, & N.

Coupland, Sociolinguistics : A Ready (pp. 179-184). New York City: St. Martin's Press.

Appendix A

Table 1

Table Showing Recording Data Selected from Open Your Eyes and SunUp on 7

Name of Video

Name of Hosts

Dated

Video One (1): Open Your Eyes

Marleni Cuellar and Isani Cayetano

June 5th, 2021

Video Two (2): Open Your Eyes

Marleni Cuellar and John Palacio

May 19th, 2021

Video Three (3): SunUp on 7

Renata Samuels and Kevin Mendez

July 5th, 2021

Video Four (4): SunUp on 7

Renata Samuels and Brandon Usher

July 1st, 2021

Appendix B

Table 2

Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video One (1)

Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants (Belizean Kriol)

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2
Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

Total Amount of /th/ used per Participant

Contextual style Variation

Marleni Cuellar

10

26

40

Isani Cayetano

29

47

Appendix C
Table 3

Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video Two (2)

Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

Total Amount of /th/ used per Participant

Contextual style Variation

Marleni Cuellar
12

69

12

94

John Palacio

19

38

67

DATA COLLECTION EVIDENCE

Running Head: DATA COLLECTION EVIDENCE

Appendix D

Table 4

Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video Three (3)
Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

LV5

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [tʃ]

Total Amount of /th/ used per participant

Contextual style Variation

Renata Samuels

21

52

81

Kevin Mendez

15

53

82

Appendix E

Table 5
Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video Four (4)

Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

Total Amount of /th/ used per participant

Contextual style Variation

Renata Samuels

3
1

34

47

13

Brandon Usher

14

24

47

Appendix F

Data Collection Evidence: Examining Gender and Age Differentiation as Social Markers for
Phonological Variation in Belizean Morning Shows

The following transcriptions are gathered from Open Your Eyes and SunUp on 7, Belize's most
popular morning talk shows. The study investigates the use of the linguistic variable /th/ and its
variant /t/ and /d/. All lexical items being reviewed will be highlighted in green. The following
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)'s symbols were used to describe the participants'
pronunciations of the /th/ consonant:
(i) [ð] for the voiced representation of the /th/

(ii) [θ] for the voiceless representation of /th/

(iii) [t] for the dental alveolar plosive

(iv) [d] for the alveolar plosive.

(v) [tʃ] for voiceless postalveolar affricate

The variants will be tagged using brackets. Within these brackets, the IPA symbol and the initial
of the participant's name will be placed.

Four (4) videos are utilized to facilitate this investigation. The first five (5) minutes of each video
were transcribed. These videos can be found in the following google folder:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O-tGf-ou9glZJ6wecWhjktyZKjHI8utH?usp=sharing

Video One (1): Open Your Eyes (Marleni Cuellar and Isani Cayetano)

The following transcription is a conversation between the co-host of Open Your Eyes from the
TV Network 'News 5 Live'. The participants of the discussion are Marleni Cuellar and Isani
Cayetano. The recording is dated June 5th, 2021. The duration of the conversation is five
minutes and eleven seconds [00:05:11].

[Beginning of Transcription: 00:05:33]

Marleni Cuellar: Good Morning! Welcome to Open Your Eyes.

Isani Cayetano: Start your morning right!

Marleni Cuellar: I'm Marleni Cuellar.

Isani Cayetano: I'm Isani Cayetano

Marleni Cuellar: And, ([θ]MC)thank you for joining us ([ð]MC)this morning.

Isani Cayetano: Bit of a wet Monday morning.

Marleni Cuellar: Yeah, yeah, ([ð]MC)weather looking a bit indecisive ([ð]MC)this morning. It
was wet and now it's getting sunny but we will be finding out more about our ([ð] MC)weather
shortly and you'll know what you can expect.

Isani Cayetano: I ([θ]IC)think, um, ([d]IC)this weekend, just just looking back briefly. Um, I was
talking to a few people down ([θ]IC)south and ([d]IC)they were sharing ([θ]IC)with me
([d]IC)their concerns of what is taking place down ([d]IC)there in terms of ([d]IC)the COVID
situation. I know we'll get into ([d]IC)that a little bit later but it's just (θIC)something that I,
([d]IC)that I wanted to put out ([ð]IC)there initially.

Marleni Cuellar: Of course, of course. I ([θ]MC)think, COVID is on everybody's mind at

([ð]MC)this point in time. Um, especially as we move around and we understand ([ð]MC)that
([ð]MC)the cases are growing. Um, so it is...but we will be talking a bit about ([ð]MC)that in
'eye on ([ð]MC)the news'. Of course, just always a good time to get in a plug to say, vaccinations
are open for all phases. Go on out and get vaccinated and of course, do remember to maintain all
your protocols. We got to keep doing ([θ]MC)both. Getting our shots, and also ensuring
([ð]MC)that we're protecting ourselves in ([ð]MC)the meantime. But let's um, get moving into
some motivation for ([ð]MC)this morning and ([θ]MC)that means it's time for 'eye opener'. And
our 'eye opener' taken from dailyom.com goes like (ðMC)this: [Marleni Cuellar proceeds to read
a quote from a paper that she has retrieved from the table in front of her] Make sure you aren't
running away from your problems, always moving towards (θMC)something. ([d]MC)There are
times when change--moving to a new city or a new home, or changing careers--is ([ð]MC)the
right (θMC)thing at ([ð]MC)the right time. But (ðMC)there are always times when (ðMC)the
urge for change is really just a desire to run away from problems ([ð]MC)that need to be faced
([ð]MC)rather ([ð]MC)than avoided. ([ð]MC)These are ([d]MC)the kinds or problems
([ð]MC)that recur in our lives. For example, issues ([θ]MC)with co-workers ([d]MC)that seem to
arise at every job we take, or repeatedly getting into ([θ]MC)unhealthy relationships. A move
might temporarily distract us, and even cure ([ð]MC)the problem for a time, simply by taking us
out of ([ð]MC)the situation in which /([ð]MC)the problem fully manifested itself. However,
([ð]MC)the problem will eventually appear again in our new situation. One way to make sure
you aren't running away from your problems is to notice ([ð]MC)whether you are moving
towards ([θ]MC)something (θMC)that is exciting in its own right, as opposed to
([θ]MC)something ([ð]MC)that is appealing only because it is not where you are now. Any pain
involved in facing our issues is well ([θ]MC)worth ([ð]MC)the effort in ([ð]MC)the end. When
we face our problems instead of avoiding ([d]MC)them, we free our energy and transform
ourselves from people who run away into people who move ([θ]MC)enthusiastically forward.

Isani Caytano: ([d]IC)This 'eye opener' reminds me..of ([d]IC) the idea of escapism. When
people, um, choose to run away from a situation, or try to escape from ([d]IC) the reality of
([d]IC) the situation ([d]IC) they may be faced ([θ]IC) with. When I look at myself, and ([d]IC)
the journey ([d]IC) that I've gone ([θ]IC) through, to where I am now at my age and my station in
life, I realize([ð]IC) that, I have always been, been someone who faces a problem head on. Even
if it's in a relationship or perhaps if it's a problem at work, problems ([t]IC) with my friends, or
whatsoever. Because, for me, am not settled until ([d]IC) the issue is resolved or until I am
satisfied ([ð]IC) that I've made all attempts to face it forward and be able to deal ([θ]IC) with it
as it comes. And so, it's been difficult for me to reconcile ([θ]IC) with ([d]IC) others who are of a
different, um, approach. ([d]IC) That ([d]IC) they would ([ð]IC) rather, you know, leave ([d]IC)
the problem be and see what happens ([ð]IC) thereafter as opposed to meeting it head on. And, in
([d]IC)the context of a relationship, if you are of one mindset and your spouse is of
([ð]IC)another, it kinda gets you know...when you are trying to resolve ([θ]IC)something and
([d]IC)that individual is saying "ok, well, I don't need to deal ([t]IC)with ([d]IC)that right now"
or you know what "([d]IC)that's not an issue for us to discuss at ([d]IC)the moment" or what
have you. It's difficult. Um, going back to what I'm saying, for me personally, ([d]IC)the journey
has been one where if I look back and say you know what I've been faced ([t]IC)with serious
problems in my past before and ([d]IC)the only reason I've been able to preserve is ([d]IC)the
fact ([d]IC)that I was able to meet ([d]IC)those issues head on as oppose to saying "well look, i'll
leave it for ([ð]IC)another day".

[End of Transcription: 00:10:41]

Table 6

Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video One (1)

Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

Total Amount of /th/ used per participant

Contextual style Variation

Marleni Cuellar

10

26

40

Isani Cayetano

29

47

0
Appendix G

Video Two (2): Open Your Eyes (Marleni Cuellar and John Palacio)

The following transcription is a conversation between the co-host of Open Your Eyes from the
TV Network 'News 5 Live'. The participants of the discussion are Marleni Cuellar and John
Palacio. The recording is dated May 19th, 2021. The duration of the conversation is five minutes
[00:05:00].

[Beginning of Transcription: 00:09:36]

Marleni Cuellar: Good Morning! Welcome to Open Your Eyes.

John Palacio: Start yo morning right! I am John Palacio.

Marleni Cuellar: And, I'm Marleni Cuellar. ([θ]MC2) Thank you for joining us ([ð]MC2) this
morning.

John Palacio: ([ð]JP) That's right. ([θ]JP) Thank you so very much for starting your morning
right ([θ]JP) with us. It's always a nice time having you ([θ]JP) with us. But, ([ð]JP) there's so so
so many ([θ]JP) things. You check ([ð]JP) the ([ð]JP) weather? It's beautiful out.

Marleni Cuellar: Yeah.

John Palacio: Sorta overcast ([d] JP) though.

Marleni Cuellar: Yeah, I was tryna figure...is it gonna rain..is it just hazy. Um, but ([ð]MC2)
there's a nice breeze ([ð]MC2) that we've been having ([ð]MC2) the past few days.

John Palacio: It is. Ugh, especially getting at home in ([ð]JP) the evening time, opening all
([ð]JP) the windows and just sitting back, relaxing ([θ]JP) with some great breeze just blow in
([d]JP) the house. Wow, it..you know, it feels so good but...it seems to be turning a little gray for
([d]JP) the weekend and we're not ([d]JP) there as yet but we should be finding ([d]JP) that out
from ([d]JP) the Met Service a little later on ([d]JP) this morning. But Marleni more to know, I
mean, ([d]JP) there's so many ([t]JP) things going on in ([d]JP) the country right now. ([ð]JP)
There's so many news ([d]JP) that is..([ð]JP)that is being..(ðJP)that is in ([ð]JP) the making and
of course we cover ([ð]JP) those on a daily basis and showcase to you live on 5, our newscast in
([d]JP) the evening at 6 o'clock. At 6 o'clock indeed. But, ([d]JP) the unions, GOB, unions
holding a press conference..([d]JP)they're not ([θ]JP)with it. GOB, not ([θ]JP)with it.

Marleni Cuellar: I, you know, I (θMC2)think it's just one of ([ð]MC2)those times ([ð]C2)that
we...we have to wait and see what's gonna happen next. ([ð]MC2) There should be continued
strike action from ([d]MC2)the unions today. We are expecting ([ð] MC2)that much.
([ð]MC2)They made it very clear yesterday ([ð]MC2)that, um, ([ð]MC2) their strike continues.
([ð]MC2)They feel ([ð]MC2)they have ([d]MC2)the support of ([ð]MC2)their membership. Um,
we've seen ([ð]MC2) the surveys ([ð]MC2)that ([ð]MC2)they have sent out before.
([d]MC2)They do ask ([d]MC2)their members as to ([ð]MC2)whether or not ([ð]MC2)they're on
board and how ([ð]MC2)they feel about each specific proposal ([ð]MC2)that has been put
forward. ([ð]MC2)This is a very unique situation ([ð]MC2)that ([ð]MC2)they're in now.
([ð]MC2)The unions yesterday..([ð]MC2)the union leaders yesterday, in our conversation on
Monday, right here on ([ð]MC2)the show, are very concerned because of ([ð]MC2)the last
presentation ([ð]MC2)that was made by ([ð]MC2)the Prime Minister last week
([θ]MC2)Thursday. And for ([ð]MC2)them, ([ð]MC2)they feel like ([ð]MC2)the goal post has
been moved. Now, it...a lot of times when you're listening in, it is a bit of a challenge to pinpoint
exactly what it will take. I keep on asking ([ð]MC2)the question, everytime ([ð]MC2)they're
here, "what is it going to take for ([ð]MC2)this to come to an end?". But, it's difficult. You know,
when you ([θ]MC2)think of ([ð]MC2)the senior managers, when you ([θ]MC2)think of
([ð]MC2)the PSU, when you ([θ]MC2)think of ([ð]MC2)the teachers, ([d]MC2)they all have
different needs. ([ð]MC2)They all have different ways ([ð]MC2)that ([ð]MC2)they'll be affected.
One clear point would be, ([d]MC2)the reduction of ([ð]MC2)the work days, may work for
public service, won't work for teachers. Um, ([d]MC2)they don't even work in just ([ð]MC2)the
hours ([d]MC2)that ([ð]MC2)they are at school. So..and when you look at ([θ]MC2) things like
([ð]MC2)the land credit, um and ([ð]MC2)the mortgage...([ð]MC2)that didn't work for senior
managers. So, it is a tough situation to be able to work ([ð]MC2)themselves ([θ]MC2)through.
Um, but it is necessary to find a resolution. I believe yesterday, one of ([ð]MC2)the reporters
asked about mediation and I ([θ]MC2)think ([ð]MC2)that time has come and passed and it really
is critical. ([ð]MC2)The chambers offered ([ð]MC2)themselves as a mediator. ([ð]MC2)There
are court appointed mediators. Um, but it is important ([ð]MC2)that ([ð]MC2)they get to
([d]MC2)the table and hammer ([ð]MC2)this out. We're in...([ð]MC2)this would be day eighteen
(18) of ([d]MC2)the strikes for (ðMC2)the unions. ([ð]MC2)This is ([ð]MC2)the longest strike
([d]MC2)that ([d]MC2)the unions, ([ð]MC2)the teachers have been on. Um and so, it's a daily
report ([ð]MC2)that we're making. I ([θ]MC2)think because, as I said, very early on,
([ð]MC2)the public doesn't feel it as much because ([ð]MC2)their children were already at home.
Had ([ð]MC2)this been eighteen (18) days of parents scrambling to figure out what to do
([t]MC2)with ([ð]MC2)their children, ([ð]MC2)this issue would have been solved. Um, because
it would have been urgent for everyone. But in ([d]MC2) the meantime, we do hope
([ð]MC2)that it is(θMC2) something ([ð]MC2)that can be resolved. ([ð]MC2)The next word
needs to come from government to find out what ([ð]MC2)they plan to do as ([ð]MC2)the
unions are saying( ([ð]MC2)that ([ð]MC2)they're not satisfied.

John Palacio: ([d]JP)There we go. So you're right indeed, ([d]JP)the next words should come
from GOB. I ([t]JP)think prior to ([d]JP)that last sit down ([t]JP)with (ðJP)the unions, GOB had
mentioned ([ð]JP)that "hey, ([d]JP)this is our last chance". And, um, so what is ([d]JP)there to
come ([d]JP)thereafter? ([ð]JP)That's ([d]JP)the big question because who will be sitting down,
what will be ([d]JP)the next steps in terms of negotiations, will ([d]JP)there be any ([ð]JP)other
negotiations ([θ]JP)with respect to ([ð] JP)this? Um, ([ð]JP)the President of BNTU in ([d]JP)the
press conference yesterday mentioned ([d]JP)that, you know what, ([d]JP)"There were
([θ]JP)something ([ð]JP)that we actually agreed to". In ([d]JP)the last meeting..in ([d]JP)the last
conversation ([d]JP)that we had, when ([d]JP)the Prime Minister made mention of..via his
onscreen mentions, he actually said you know what.."([ð]JP)there are a few ([θ]JP)things
([d]JP)that..([d]JP)this is what we could offer". ([d]JP)The BNTU President is saying ([d]JP)that
"some of ([d]JP)the ([θ][JP)things ([d]JP)that we agreed upon was not mentioned by ([d]JP)the
PM during his speech". So, ([d]JP)the impasse is here, what's going to happen and how long will
([d]JP)thislast and what can we do? ([ð]JP)That's ([d]JP)the big question.

[End of Transcription: 00:14:58]

Table 7

Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video Two (2)

Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants
LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

Total Amount of /th/ used per participant

Contextual style Variation

Marleni Cuellar

72

13

95

John Palacio

17
3

38

67

0
Appendix H

Video Three (3): SunUp on 7 (Renata Samuels and Kevin Mendez)

The following transcription is a conversation between the co-host of Sup Up 7 from the TV
Network '7 News Belize'. The participants of the discussion are Renata Samuels and Kevin
Mendez. The recording is dated July 5, 2021. The duration of the conversation is five (5) minutes
and twenty-one (21)seconds [00:05:21].

[Beginning of Transcription: 00:03:50]

Kevin Mendez: So em, what has happened over ([ð]KM)the weekend? Let's start ([θ]KM)with
our couch conversation.

Renata Samuels: So, as you know, well, If you didn't know now you know, right?

Kevin Mendez: Now I will.

Renata Samuels: And all our viewers at home will know as well, but ([ð]RS)there are two police
officers ([d]RS)that died from natural causes and so we have ([d]RS)that happening. We also
have um Belize Healthcare Partners ([d]RS)that was robbed Sunday and ([d]RS)that was
([t]RS)something big too as well because you know, Sunday morning, you know, [In Kriol]
when people di get ready fih church or just di do ([d]RS)they dah lee Sunday dinna dah rice and
beans. [End of Kriol]

Kevin Mendez: Yeah, caz it happened pretty early.

Renata Samuels: Yeah, and I was just like mein…

Kevin Mendez: Like 7:40 or ([θ]KM)something like that

Renata Samuels: Was it planned? What's happening? And all like… ([ð]RS)there's a lot of
([θ]RS)things ([ð]RS)that's been happening. And of course, you know coming up soon, July
([Null]RS)11th is ([d]RS)the recall vote for um ([ð]RS)the UDP opposition leader. So, we're
gonna see how ([ð]RS)that plays out and I've been seeing some pictures round um, ([ð]RS)the
honourable Patrick Farber has been making his rounds you know, seeing ([d]RS)the delegates
and I need to ask Kareem umm if if um those are legal because ([ð]RS)they're, ([ð]RS)they've
been pictures where ([ð]RS)they're not really congregating you know but he is around a group of
people.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah

Renata Samuels: And we know ([d]RS)the new regulations right now state ([ð]RS)that
([ð]RS)there cannot be congregation.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah

Renata Samuels: [In Kriol] ([d]RS)They cyant be social ([d]RS) gatherings. [End of Kriol]

Kevin Mendez: Yeah, cause what's also interesting about ([ð]KM)that is ([ð]KM)that you can
see ([d]KM)that he's already...you know, starting ([d]KM)the movement to prepare for July
([Null]KM)11th. So it should be interesting to see what's gonna happen on ([d]KM)that day.

Renata Samuels: Of course! Yah!

Kevin Mendez: ([d]KM)There has be been such a movement in ([d]KM)the UDP scene
([Blend]KM)with ([ð]KM)that so we gotta stay tune to ([d]KM)that and see what happen. I
wanna go back to ([d]KM)that situation ([t]KM)with two police officers ([d]KM)that died over
([d]KM)the weekend. It begs ([d]KM)the question because they died of natural causes so are
([ð]KM)they ([ð]KM)unhealthy? I mean, honestly, if you look at

Renata Samuels: Okay, Kevin.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah?

Renata Samuels: Let's be honest here. A lot of people do look at police officers and don't see
([d]RS)them as ([d]RS)the most ([t]RS)healthy people in ([d]RS)the world, but...

Kevin Mendez: Yeah..

Renata Samuels: ([d]RS)The idea of ([d]RS)them being ([t]RS)healthier, our Belizean

population, are ([d]RS)they really ([t]RS)healthy?

Kevin Mendez: Yeah.

Renata Samuels: ([d]RS)That's a really good question to be asking now, especially

([Blend]RS)with ([d]RS)the 10% cut.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah, which really affects your nutrition if you wanna ([θ]KM)think about
([d]KM)that way um but also personally working in...([Blend]KM)with ([ð]KM)them,
([d]RS)their shifts are like 12 hours hours. I ([θ]KM)think ([d]KM)that was amended to a point
but still you know like some of ([d]KM)them ([d]KM)they have to travel out of ([d]KM)the area
where ([ð]KM)they work. So ([d]KM)there's inadequate sleep ([d]KM)there and ([ð]KM)then
([ð]KM)the movement. ([ð]KM)The lack of physical activity can also be ([t]KM)something. I
know ([d]KM)there was a gym, a police gym ([d]KM)that was introduced not sure if
([d]KM)that is being utilized or accessible

Renata Samuels: Is it supposed to be utilized? Well actually I'm not sure but I do remember
([ð]RS)there was even because ([ð]RS)they came out and reached out to our department and
wanted to know if people wanted to join caz([d]RS)their being very inclusive in ([ð]RS)that way,
but ([ð]RS)that was a while back.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah.

Renata Samuels: And I'm wondering too as well but sleep deprivation, ([d]RS)the long hours,
([d]RS)then ([t]RS)thinking about right now nutrition.

Kevin Mendez: Proper nutrition.

Renata Samuels: If ([d]RS)they're working ([d]RS)those kinda hours [In Kriol] yo kinda grab
and get [End of Kriol], fry food, whatever you can get at ([d]RS)the time ([d]RS)that you're
working. [In Kriol] Yo hungry. [End of Kriol]

Kevin Mendez: Yeah.

Renata Samuels: And I don't ([θ]RS)think you're snacking on an apple.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah.

Renata Samuels: So it begs ([d]RS)the question you know, are ([ð]RS)they caring of
([ð]RS)themself?

Kevin Mendez: Yeah.

Renata Samuels: Are Belizean population taking care of ([ð]RS)themselves?

Kevin Mendez: Yeah. And ([d]KM)the last ([θ]KM)thing ([Blend]KM)with ([ð]KM)that is

([d]KM)the stress level.

Renata Samuels: Oh!

Kevin Mendez: You know stress contributes so much to chronic diseases; hypertension, diabetes,
so ([θ]KM)think about ([d]KM)that. ([t]KM)Think about ([d]KM)the stress level ([d]KM)that
([d]KM)these persons are going ([tr]KM)through dealing ([t]KM)with ([d]KM)their shifts,
dealing ([t]KM)with ([d]KM)the work ([d]KM)that ([d]KM)they have but also ([t]KM)with
([d]KM)the ([d]KM)other physical conditions ([d]KM)that can contributing to it. So, it's
([t]KM)something ([d]KM)that definitely we can ask Minister Musa when he joins us because
it's a good.. because ([d]KM)that's his department.

Renata Samuels: Yah!

Kevin Mendez: So, it would be good to see how are ([d]KM)they planning to probably curb or
address ([d]KM)this so it doesn't continue happening in ([d]KM)the future.
Renata Samuels: We have to take care of our people. We have to take care of our police officers.
([d]RS)They're frontline workers. ([d]RS)They're out ([d]RS)there, especially ([Blend]RS)with
([d]RS)this covid and ([d]RS)the possibility of ([d]RS)this variant ([d]RS)that we still have not
discovered what variant it is. ([d]RS)There's a lot of ([t]RS)things happening right now so
([d]RS)these people need to be taking care of ([d]RS)themselves.

Kevin Mendez: Exactly!

Renata Samuels: In every way and shape and form.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah. Yeah, ([d]KM)that's true. Um also what happened over ([d]KM)the
weekend, ([d]KM)there was a tourist who will undergo surgery because a shark bit her hand. I
mean, it's unfortunate ([ð]KM)that it happens. But have you been to Shark Ray Alley and see
how vicious ([d]KM)the sharks can get when ([ð]KM)they're being fed?

Renata Samuels: No. I have n… actually.

Kevin Mendez: You have not?

Renata Samuels: I have seen videos and so ([t]RS)forth.

Kevin Mendez: Okay. ([d]KM)They're quite ([d]KM)the fest.

Renata Samuels: You know, Kevin, ([d]RS)there's ([d]RS)the saying you say ([d]RS)that [In
Kriol] yuh play ([t]RS)with sharks, sharks and yuh get bite"? [End of Kriol] I listen to
([d]RS)that saying. I understand. I respect ([d]RS)that you know what, sharks you're gonna be
your person. You're gonna live in ([d]RS)the sea. You're gonna live in your.. I live on ([d]RS)the
land. We're not gonna mix it up too much, you know.

Kevin Mendez: Mhmm. Yeah! Yeah.

Renata Samuels: We're not gonna mix it up, no! you stay on your side, I'm gonna stay on my
side.

Kevin Mendez: Caz I go on ([d]KM)the boat and I'm like okay, sharks, I respect you, you're
beautiful but you can stay right ([ð]KM)there I'm gonna be staying right here.

Renata Samuels: Yeah! ([d]RS)These are dangerous creatures we can't be ([ð]RS)thinking

([ð]RS)that you know, ([d]RS)they are pets ([d]RS)that we can play, we can't like you know,
touch ([d]RS)their head and ([d]RS)their you know.

Kevin Mendez: Of Course people wanna make ([d]KM)that connection so you know,
([ð]KM)there's ([d]KM)that. So, what I have a recommendation for ([d]KM)that is ([d]KM)that
um like ([d]KM)these tour companies should have liability form ([d]KM)that ([d]KM)the tourist
sign you know. Ah yeah! Like when you, I don't know if you did ([d]KM)that when you were
going on school trips.

Renata Samuels: Yeah, we used to always do ([d]RS)that.

Kevin Mendez: When you used to sign saying hey, if ([t]KM)something happens..

Renata Samuels: It used to sound rough too as well. [In Kriol] Ih basically translated saying, "if
mih pikni dead, I nuh wah liable." [End of Kriol] Like ([d]RS)the teachers are basically telling
my ([ð]RS)mother, if your child dies I'm not liable.

Kevin Mendez: Yeah.

Renata Samuels: Possibly ([d]RS)they could…

[End of Transcription: 00:09:11]

Table 8

Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video Three (3)
Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

LV5

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [tr]

Total Amount of /th/ used per participant

Contextual style Variation

Renata Samuels

21

52

81

Kevin Mendez

16

53

84

Appendix H
Video Four (4): SunUp on 7 (Renata Samuels and Brandon Usher)

The following transcription is a conversation between the co-host of Sup Up 7 from the TV
Network '7 News Belize'. The participants of the discussion are Renata Samuels and Brandon
Usher. The recording is dated July 1st, 2021. The duration of the conversation is five minutes
[00:05:00].

[Beginning of Transcription: 00:06:38]

Renata: And we're back ([t]RS2) with SunUp on 7. And we have our couch talk, one of my
favourite parts of the overall…

Brandon: Morning coffee?

Renata: Yes, morning coffee. [In Kriol] yes mein. [End Kriol] [In English] Because it's always
juicy and [In Kriol] we noh be shady round [End Kriol] ([d] RS2) these conversations

Brandon: No, of course not.

Renata: [In English] And a lot is always happening in Belize you know we got ([d]RS2) the
paprika, ([d]RS2) the spices.. just ([d]RS2) the umph! And as you know, I don't...I.. I'm hoping
our viewers watched Uncut last night and saw ([d]RS2) that interview ([t]RS2) with Jules and
Patrick. And…

Brandon: I mean… it was…it was rough! I mean like…yes.

Renata: [In Kriol] I mi feel…I mi feel fi ah [End Kriol]

Brandon: [In English] One([t]BU) thing I did… or do want to commend ([d]BU) the honourable
Faber about, he is seeking help you know. He is seeking help and I ([θ]BU) think it is a message
to our young people and actually people of our society. Mental ([t]BU) health and wellness is([θ]
BU)something ([d]BU)that should not be taboo to talk about. Especially in terms of men. We
need, as a society, to change ([d]BU)that perspective and we need to begin to talk about it. I
mean…in ([d]BU)this case he has owned up to what he has done and he has sought the help.
People… I know he said last night ([d])BU) that somebody alluded to him([d]BU) that "You
know what,([d]BU) that's weak!" He was on ([d]BU)the campaign trail and somebody said
([d]BU)"That's weak." No it's not! ([d]BU)That is men's strength to admit ([d]BU)that you have
a problem and to seek help. ([d]BU)That is strength. I mean men, we've been raised up in
([d]BU) this society where…

Renata: Macho…

Brandon: [In Kriol] Right..yu haffu be macho, yu kya cry or whateva. I rememba as a young
child umm [End Kriol] [in English] Somebody told me, [In Kriol] " If yu continue cry, Brandon,
yu wa cry blood!"[End Kriol] [In English] Like what?! Being of a young mind at ([d]BU) that
point, I'm like, [In Kriol] 'Ok, I noh wa cry noh mo caz I noh wa cry blood." [End Kriol]

Renata: Mhmmm

Brandon: [ In English] I mean, ([t]BU)things like ([d]BU) that form our society and our men in
society and ([d]BU)that is so wrong! We are in an age now… society has changed and as such,
we need to go ([t]BU) with ([d]BU) those changes. Mental ([t]BU)health is ever present and I
know some of. ..some people of the older parts of society… to ([d]BU) them mental
([t]BU)health is a ([θ]BU) myth. It should not be a ([θ]BU) myth! We need to address([d] BU)
this as a nation and we need to change ([d]BU) this entire perspective. Because…come on… [in
kriol] noh only females need help [In English] males need help as well.

Renata: [In English] And ([d]RS) that's a ([θ]RS)thing you know because as you mentioned
about our society... I ([t]RS)think it was Ms. King ([d]RS)that was not ([d]RS) the couch and she
was talking about it

Brandon: Right!

Renata: We have different problems( [d] RS2) than what our parents had back in ([ð] RS2)their
days.

Brandon: Exactly!

Renata: So we would need different solutions for ([ð]RS2) these problems. And a lot of ([d]RS2)
the past generation, ([d]RS2) they ([θ]RS) think you know, as you said, ([θ]RS)therapy is week .
[In Kriol] Yu noh supposed to go talk bout yu problems and ([d]RS2) that's ([d]RS2) the
([θ]RS2) ([t]RS2) thing yu know [End Kriol] [In English] Getting ([θ]RS2) therapy, seeking
counselling, getting ([d]RS2) that needed help is weak!

[In Kriol] 'yu supposed to deal with it pan yu own! Toughen up bwai! Weh you di cry fa?'[End
Kriol] [ In English] You hear([d]RS2) these [θRS2) things all([d]RS2) the time and especially…
we have to talk about ([d]RS2)the men in society because now as you said ([d]RS2) they tell
honourable Patrick Faber ([d]RS2)that he's weak for getting help but ([d]RS2)([d]RS2)that…
([d]RS2)that in itself shows how ignorant we are to what is needed for our population to do.

Brandon: Exactly so!

Renata: [In Kriol] we kya move forward , we kya be productive citizens of society if we noh di
get di help wi need. If wi noh di tek care ah di psyche up here![End Kriol]

Brandon: Exactly and as you said, if we're not([t]BU) thinking about up here, I mean, taking care
of up here… Mental ([t]BU) health plays such a huge role in your life, it makes…if you don't
have ([t]BU) the proper mental ([t]BU) health, you are physically ([θ]BU)unhealthy as well. You
are spiritually, emotionally ([t]BU) unhealthy as well. We need to first work ([t]BU) with up
here. And I mean, in my instances, I've had many instances of you know, anxiety and a few
bouts of depression and ([t]BU) things like ([d]BU) that. But what I found ([d]BU) that helped
me so much and it's not seeking help in a way, because I didn't feel like I needed it at ([d]BU)that
point but opening up to somebody and just ([d]BU) the ([θ]BU)thought...it doesn't even have to
be advice given but just talking to somebody.

Renata: Yea, having an ear…

Brandon: Releasing ([d]BU)that…it …it does so much wonders people. We need to change
([d]BU)that

Renata: We really do and honestly it takes us to shift our mentalities.

Brandon: Yes!

Renata: [In Kriol] wi di look pan other people out de and [End Kriol] [In English] and ([d]RS2)
that's the problem. Look at yourself, inner-self and say, "Do I listen to people?", "Do I
provide([d]RS) that safe place?" and "Would I go and share my story, get ([t]RS2) something off
my chest.. [In Kriol] release mi self from alla di problems ah di face weh di eat up mi inside?"
[End Kriol] [In English] ([d]RS2)That's the problem right ([d]RS2) there you know…

Brandon: And I mean everybody is going ([t]BU)through ([θ]BU) something or the

([ð]BU)other.

Renata: [In Kriol] Nobody perfect.[End Kriol] [ In English] Our leaders; we must hold([d]RS2)
them accountable but we also have to be understanding([d]RS2) that [In Kriol] deh da human too
[End Kriol] [In English] and ([d]RS2) they face ([d]RS2) their own mental([t]RS2) health
struggles so it is ([t]RS2) strength ([d]RS2) that he decided to take ([d]RS2) that step.

Brandon: And I commend him for ([[ð]BU) that.

Renta: Mhmmm

Brandon: I commend him for ([[ð]BU)that.

Renata: [In Kriol] Wi know how…noh everybody ah view it as([t]RS2) something good but
[End Kriol] [In English] ([d]RS2) those ([d]RS2) that are understanding of what mental ([t]RS2)
health is and ([d]RS2) the need to get ([d]RS2) that help… ([d]RS2)they will understand and
hopefully ([d]RS2) those([d]RS2) that don't understand will seek the information because … [In
Kriol]at di end ah di day you noh have to listen to we yu know, [End Kriol] [In English] you can
go and research for yourself find out what we're speaking about [In Kriol] da di end ah di day da
only you responsible [End Kriol] [In English] for ([d]RS2) the ([θ]RS2) thoughts you have and
how you perceive ([t]RS2) things to be.

[End of Transcription: 00:11:55]

Table 9
Tabulation of the Linguistic Variants (LV) of /th/ used in Video Four (4)

Name of Participant

Linguistic variation and contextual style variation (Belizean Creole)

by Participants

LV1

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [θ] - Voiceless

LV2

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA - [ð] - Voiced

LV3

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [t]

LV4

Phonological Variant: /th/

IPA: [d]

Total Amount of /th/ used per participant

Contextual style Variation

Renata Samuels

3
1

10

38

52

13

Brandon Usher

14

24

47