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KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

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AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH

MPHIL , ENGLISH LANGUAGE

DERICK OPPONG
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RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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DERICK OPPONG

REFERENCE NUMBER.: 20897654

INDEX NUMBER: PG2470122

Research Topic 3

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A study of phonological processes by newscasters of selected

English-speaking TV stations in Ghana

Introduction 4

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 This study will discuss phonological processes that take place as
newscasters of English-speaking TV stations in Ghana present the
news.

 Words spoken in isolation may sound differently from when they are
strung together in a conversation or in speech.
Introduction cont. 5

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 When words are put together in continuous speech the individual
sounds may not necessarily be heard. Some of the sounds or
syllabus may undergo some modifications as a speaker speaks.
 Themodifications which spoken words go through is what is known
as phonological processes (Roger, 1998, pp. 169-170).
 These processes include assimilation, elision, epenthesis and vowel
reduction.
Introduction cont. 6

 Brown and Kondo-Brown (2006, p. 2), Underhill (2005, p.

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60) and (Cruttenden, 2014, p. 305) posit that phonological
processes are aspects of connected speech.
 They indicate that there are different aspects or features of
connected speech:
word stress; sentence stress; vowel reduction; weak form;
elision; epenthesis or liaison; assimilation; etc.
Introduction cont. 7

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 Broadcasting media is one of the major institutions where English plays
dominant role in communication.
 One important aspect in broadcasting is news and current affairs (Crisell, 2002,
p. 97-98).
 The presentation of news is done in different languages, depending on where
the media outlet is located and what that media house stands for.
 There are others too which present news solely in English language.
Introduction cont. 8

 News

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reading or presentation is seen as a connected or rapid speech.

 There are therefore different phonological processes that take place when a

newscaster presents the news.

 The researcher in this study will like to investigate some of these phonological

processes as newscasters on English-speaking TV stations read or present

news.
Statement of problem 9
A study by Titilope Gobir1 and Dankyi Adwoa (2002, pp. 1-16) presents a

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number of phonemical errors made by newscasters of selected English-speaking
radio stations in Cape Coast.
 Some of the errors they found include inappropriate use of the vowel /æ/ and / ∧/
as in the word, “dumb.”
 With this word, newscasters mentioned it [dᴂmb] instead of [d ∧m].
 The study also noted that newscasters made errors with the use of the interdental
fricative // and the alveolar plosive /t/.
 Example, instead the word “think” as /ɪŋk/, they pronounce it as /tɪnk].
Statement of problem cont. 10

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A study by Herbert (1998) indicates that voice quality is so crucial in

broadcasting. He adds that listeners receive a clear impression of the

personality of the speaker through the features present in the voice.

 A presenter with a good voice makes a good presentation and vice versa.

 The researcher in this study believes that the voice quality, appearance, body

posture and mannerism alone do not contribute to effective broadcast.

Statement of problem cont. 11

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 The researcher will therefore like to investigate how newscasters of
selected English-speaking TV stations in Ghana demonstrate knowledge
of phonological processes in a connected speech as they present the news.
 The study will also find out whether there is a systematic and conscious
use of a particular phonological process by newscasters.
 Again, the study will investigate how newscasters’ phonological
competence shapes the speaking skills of their viewers.
Purpose of the study 12

The purpose of this study is to investigate:

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1. how newscasters of selected English-speaking TV stations demonstrate
knowledge of phonological process in their news presentation.
2. which particular aspect of connected speech is frequently used by newscasters.
3. whether male or female newscasters demonstrate more knowledge of
phonological process during news presentation.
4. how phonological competence shapes or influence the speaking skills of
viewers.
Research questions 13

1. How do newscasters of selected English-speaking TV stations in Ghana

demonstrate knowledge in phonological processes in news presentation?
2. Which phonological processes is frequently used by newscasters?
3. Who demonstrate more knowledge of phonological process during news
presentation: male or female newscasters?
4. How do phonological competence of newscasters shapes or influences speaking
skills of viewers/listeners?
Significance of the study 14

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 This study does not intend to find flaws or errors in newscasters of English-speaking

TV stations.
 It will rather help readers to appreciate that newscasters in English-speaking TV

stations in Ghana are not native speakers but how they speak contributes to Ghanaian

English.
 The study will also help readers to acknowledge that some newscasters in English-

speaking TV stations in Ghana are doing well in terms of phonological output, just

like newscasters on BBC and other international broadcasting institutions.

Literature review 15

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 Conceptual framework

 Forms of phonological processes: elision, assimilation,

liaison, vowel reduction, etc.

 Empirical review

 Theoretical review
Literature review: empirical .
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 Hannisdal (2006, pp. 21-23) states that newscasters are expected to

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use Received Pronunciation (RP) or near-RP.
 According to Hannisdal (2006, p. 21), RP “is the linguistic term for
the British English accent which has traditionally served as a prestige
variety and as a pronunciation model in the teaching of English as a
foreign language.”
 Other terms associated with RP include “The Queen’s English,
Public School Accent, Oxford English, BBC English, and Standard
English.
Literature review: empirical cont. 17

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 Akpan, C.S., Anorue, L. I., & Obayi, P. M (2012). The Influence of
Mother Tongue in the Broadcasting Industry in Nigeria. An
International Journal of Language, Literature and Gender Studies.
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia Vol. 1 (3).2012: 48-68.

 Bobda, A. S. (2000). The Uniqueness of Ghanaian English

Pronunciation in West Africa. University of Yaoundé I, Cameroon.
Literature review: empirical cont. 18

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 Gobirl, T. M & Dankyi A. V. (2002). An interlanguage Phonological
Approach to the analysis of selected Ghanaian newscasters’
renditions. International Journal of Literature, Language and
Linguistics. Volume 5 (1), (pp. 1-16). www.abjournals.org.
 Hannisdal, B.R. (2006). Variability and change in Received Pronunciation: A
study of six phonological variables in the speech of television newsreaders.
Doctoral Dissertation. Department of English, University of Bergen.
Literature review: empirical cont.
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 Herbert, C.J. (1998). Broadcast Speech and the effect of Voice quality: a study of the
various components which categorise listener perception of vocal characteristics.
University of Sheffield

 Omotosho, M. (2019). Vocalic Sounds Articulation by Selected Nigeria Television

Newscasters: A Nigerian RP? CLAREP Journal of English and Linguistics (CJEL) Vol
1, 2019.
Literature review: empirical cont. 20

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 Omotosho. M. (2021). Intonation Patterns in the Broadcasts of
Selected Nigerian Television Newscasters. Journal of English
and Communication in Africa (JECA) Vol. 4, Nos. 1&2, 2021.
 Oyebola, F. (2021). Nigerian newscasters’ English as a model
of standard Nigerian English? De Gruyter Mouton. Poznan
Journal Studies in Contemporary Linguistics.
Literature review: empirical cont. 21

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 Pavlik, R. (2011). A qualitative analysis of British linking and intrusive /r/ in

newsreading style. In: Lojová, G. and Kostelníková, M. (eds.). Studies in Foreign

Language Education, Volume 3, Nümbrecht: KIRSCH-Verlag, 2011, pp. 119–134.

 Usman, A. (2014). Phonological analysis of the English spoken by Hausa

Newscasters in Broadcasting Media in Nigeria. Unpublished doctoral thesis,

School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University.

Theoretical Framework
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This study will use the theory of Generative Phonology.

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This theory was propounded by Noam Chomsky and Morris
Halle in 1968 in their seminar work, “Sound Pattern of English
(SPE).”
The theory postulates that for a speaker to use a language well,
he must know both the morphological and phonological rules so
that he can combine the two to make a good speech.
Principles of Generative Phonology 23

1. Phonological rules are strictly ordered.

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 Goldsmith (1993, p. 66) defines phonological rules as "mapping between two

different levels of sound representation:

 abstract/deep or underlying level representation
 surface level representation.

2. The abstract or underlying rules determine the actual acoustic output of speech.

3. Phonological processes are very important in the underlying and surface

representations.
Theoretical Framework cont. 24

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The researcher has chosen this theory because of one of its
tenets: connected speech.
 The paper will look at phonological processes as
newscasters present the news.
Methodology 25

 Research Design

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 The design for this study will be qualitative.
 Qualitative research involves collecting data from natural or social
environment. The data is then analysed and interpreted. The analysis
of data involves the description and interpretation of the problem and
its contribution to literature (Creswell, 2013, p. 44).
 The study will employ a case study.
Population for the study 26
 The target population for this study is newscasters on English-speaking TV

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stations in Ghana.
 There are some TV stations in Ghana who are specially known for news in all
forms: current affairs, breaking news, top stories, interviews, international
news, etc.
 The population for this study will consist of TV stations which present news
in English.
 Four TV stations will be selected.
 The selection will include both male and female presenters.
Sampling procedure 27
 A purposive sampling will be used for the study.

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 The researcher will select four TV stations based on the 2023 Visa King RTP
award and the 2023 GJA award.

 These are TV3, Joy News, Metro TV and Citi TV.

 Four newscasters (males and females) will be selected from each TV station.

 In all sixteen newscasters will be selected, eight male and eight females.
Selection of TV stations for the study 28

TV stations Newscasters Gender

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TV3 1-2 Male
TV 3 3-4 Female
Joy News 5-6 Male
Joy News 7-8 Female
Metro TV 9-10 Male
Metro TV 11-12 Female
Citi TV 13-14 Male
Citi TV 15-16 Female
Data on news selection 29

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Channel News Item Number of Number of bulletins Duration
newscasters recorded

TV3 News 360 2 4 2 hours

TV 3 Midday Live 2 4 2 hours
Joy News The Pulse 2 4 2 hours
Joy News Joy News Prime 2 4 2 hours
Metro TV News Beat 2 4 2 hours
Metro TV News Night 2 4 2 hours
Citi TV Citi Newsroom 4 8 4 hours
Total 8 16 30 16 hours
Research instruments 30

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 Two instruments will be employed in the study: voice recording of

newscasters and questionnaire.

 The recording will be done during news presentation of each of the selected

newscasters (live or from archives).

 The questionnaire on the other hand, will be given to viewers of TV news.

 The selection of respondents will be purposive.

Data collection procedure 31

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 Voice recording
 Direct recording of news items from the selected TV stations.
 Each of the news items recorded will be transcribed orthographically
with a software called Transkriptor.
 The researcher will then listen to the audio recording of each newscaster
and their corresponding transcribed document for necessary corrections.
 The data will then be analysed auditorily.
Data collection procedure cont. 32

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The various phonological processes will be highlighted
in the script as the researcher listens to the audios.
Later, the tokens of the phonological processes that
will be identified will be grouped and analysed
phonologically.
Distribution of questionnaire 33

 Questionnaire items will be given to the fifty respondents for the study. The

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selection will be based on age groups as shown below:

Age group Number Percentage

18-30 10 20

31-34 10 20
35-39 15 30

40+ 15 30

Total 50 100
Data Analysis 34

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 The findings and discussions of this study will be done in line with the

research questions.

 The data collected will be analysed and presented qualitatively.

 The study will discuss the kind of phonological processes that take

place as newscasters in English-speaking TV stations present the news.

Preliminary Discussions 35

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Preliminary findings indicate that newscasters in English-

speaking TV stations in Ghana demonstrate a high sense of

phonological knowledge.

There are a number of phonological processes which

manifest as they present the news.

Preliminary Discussions cont. 36

A five-minute news items were selected from two stations:

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TV3 and Metro TV.
A male was selected from TV3 and a female from Metro TV.
 Midday news was selected from TV3 and evening news
from Metro TV.
Forty word tokens were identified as been affected by
phonological processes.
 Phonological processes identified from Midday Live on TV 3
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Word type Transcription Newscasters’ Phonological process

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Pronunciation
this /ðɪs/ /ðɪz/ assimilation
victims /vɪktɪm/ /vɪktɪmz/ assimilation
us /ʌs/ / əs/ vowel reduction
of /ɔf/ /əf/ vowel reduction
contempt /kəntɛmpt/ /kəntɛmt/ elision

incomes / ɪnkʌm/ / ɪnkʌmz / assimilation

and /ənd/ /ən/ vowel reduction/elision
Phonological processes identified from Midday Live on
TV 3 38
Word type Transcription Newscasters’ Phonological process

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Pronunciation
says /seɪ/ / seɪz / assimilation
Details /dɪteIl/ /dɪteIlz/ assimilation
thousands / θaʊzənd/ / θaʊzəndz/ assimilation

have /hæv/ /əv/ reduction

worse / wɜːs/ /wɜːz/ vowel reduction
is /ɪz/ /əz/ vowel reduction
just /ʤʌst/ / ʤəs/ vowel reduction
today /tədeɪ/ /tdeɪ/ elision
Phonological processes identified from Midday
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Live on TV3 cont.
Word type Transcription Newscasters’ Phonological process

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Pronunciation

if /ɪf/ /əv/ vowel reduction

armed /a:md/ /a:m/ elision
stationed /steɪʃənd/ /steɪʃn/ elision

has /hæz/ /həz/, / əz/ vowel reduction

was /wɔz/ /wəz/ vowel reduction
but /bʌt/ /bət/, /b ʌ/ vowel reduction elision
as /æz/ /əz/ vowel reduction
residents /rɛzɪdənts/ /rɛzɪdənz/ assimilation
Phonological processes identified from News Night on Metro TV 40

Word type Transcription Newscasters’ Pronunciation Phonological process

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was /wɔz/ /wəz/ reduction
has /hæz/ /h əz/, / əz/ vowel reduction
says /seɪ/ /seɪz/ vowel reduction
to /tuː/ /tə/ vowel reduction
that /ðæt/ /ðət/ vowel reduction
as /æz/ /əz/ vowel reduction
tonight /tənaɪt/ /tnaɪt/ elision
Phonological processes identified from News Night on Metro TV
cont. 41
Word type Transcription Newscasters’ Pronunciation Phonological process

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of /ɔf/ /əf/ vowel reduction

for /fɔː/ /fə/ vowel reduction

but /bʌt/ /bət/, /bʌ/ vowel reduction

is /ɪz/ /əz/ vowel reduction

us /ʌs/ /əs/ vowel reduction

twenty /twɛntɪ/ /twɛn(t)ɪ/ elision/ glottalization

deepen /di:pən/ /di:p/ elision

 Phonological processes made by male and female
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newscasters

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 The preliminary findings show that male presenters assimilate more than
female newscasters.

 On the other hand, female newscasters pronounce pronouns and auxiliary

verbs more softly than their male colleagues.

 In other words, female newscasters have more unaccented forms than male
newscasters.
 43

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 Example, in the production of words like “to, that, as, but, has”,

etc. female presenters dramatically reduce vowels in such words

more than males newscasters.

 It is also worth noting that all the vowels which are weakened or

reduced are substituted by the schwa vowel /ə/.

Example 44

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 as /ʌs/ becomes /əs/
but /bʌt/ becomes /bət/
has /hæz/ becomes /həz/or / əz/
Preliminary discussion cont. 45

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 Elision of sounds take place frequently in newscasting. There are other
instances too where a whole word is elided for an easy production of
other words. Example is seen in the sentences below:

1. “We (will) bring you some international news.”

2. “…Gabon's military leader says he's giving up his salary as president

and (will) only receive a wage as commander of the Republican Guard.”
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End of presentation
Thank you
References 47

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 Brown, G. (1990). Listening to spoken English (2nd edn.). London. Longman.

 Brown J. D. & Kondo-Brown K. (Eds). (2006). Perspectives on Teaching Connected

Speech to Second Language Speakers. Honolulu. University of Hawai’ Press.

 Chapman, S. & Routledge, C. (2009). Key ideas in linguistics and the philosophy of

language. Edinburgh. Edinburgh University Press.

References cont. 48

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 Chomsky, N. & Halle, M. (1968). The Sound Pattern of English. New York:

Harper and Row.

 Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Enquiry and Research Design: choosing

among five approaches (3rd edn). USA. Sage.

 Crisell, A. (2002). An Introductory History of British Broadcasting (2nd edn).

London. Routledge.
References cont. 49

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 Cruttenden, A. (2014). Gimson's Pronunciation of English (8th edn.). New York.
Routledge.

 Crystal, D. (2003). English as Global Language (2nd edn). Cambridge.

Cambridge University Press

 Crystal, D. (2008). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Oxford: Blackwell

Publishing.
References cont. 50

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 Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). Introduction: The discipline and practice of

qualitative research. The Sage handbook of qualitative research (4th edn.).

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 Gilbert, N. (2008). Researching Social Life (3rd edn). London, Sage.

 Gobirl, T. M & Dankyi A. V. (2002). An interlanguage phonological approach to

the analysis of selected Ghanaian newscasters’ renditions: International Journal of

Literature Language and Linguistics. Volume 5, Issue 1, 2022 (pp. 1-16)