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Sarah Valentine is an actress, casting director and also an accent coach. Born in Epsom, Surrey, England, UK, she has always been fascinated with humans ever since she was a child. She has learned various accents through her friends and experiences. It is also notable that she is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA).

She has coached various actors such as Scott Adkin from John Wick 4 and the list goes on. For this assignment, we will take audio excerpts from her TikTok videos.

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NIrE has a similar vocalic system with the Scots due to the Scottish settlement in Ulster

The Scots heavily influenced NIrE’s phonological system by implying the Scottish Vowel Length Rule.

The rule states that vowel length gets shortened as it is conditioned by the phonemic environment

Due to the rule, NIrE went through a process of shortening their vowels

Other phonological changes are the merging of vowels, centralization of monophthong and diphthongs and also monophthonging of diphthongs.

The video above can be served as a guide to further understand about NIrE.

1. Shortening of vowel

First of all, let's familiarize on the phonemic environment in the Scottish Vowel Length Rule (SVLR)

According to Vlaović (2017), words that has /r/, /v/, /ð/, /z/ and /ʒ/ and occur before inflectional suffix (-s, -es, -ed, etc) uses long vowels i.e brewed is pronounced as /brʉ:d/ (long vowel) but brood is pronounced as /brʉd/ (short vowel).

Another example is the word bit is pronounced as /bɪ̴t/. It uses a shorter vowel that it sounds similar to bat or bet.

2. Merging vowel

Vowel merger is where two words with distinct vowel sound in British RP are pronounced the same way (homophonous).

a. /ɒ/ and /ɔ:/

In NIrE, the word cot and caught are homophonous. Instead of pronouncing caught as /kɔːt/ (long vowel), it undergoes the shortening of vowel which led to /kɒt/, the NIrE pronunciation of it. The transcription of this word is similar as to the word cot which is also /kɒt/. This is known as merging vowel.

b. /æ/ and /a:/

NIrE usually uses /a/ in place of /æ/ and /a:/. However, /æ/ is used when it precedes the consonants /p/ and /t/. For example, palm /pa:m/ is pronounced as /pam/ but pat /pæt/ is still pronounced the same.

c. /ʊ/ and /uː/

Foot and goose uses different vowels in British RP. However, in NIrE, both of the words uses the short vowel /u/ (fʊt/ and /gʊs/). Similar with the word pull /pʊl/ and pool /puːl/, both are pronounced as /pʊl/.

3. Centralizations of vowels

Centralization of vowels are the shift of vowel pronunciation towards the central area in the mouth (the tongue is in a neutral position). For example, the word cat /kæt/ is pronounced with a more central position so it sounds more like /ket/ or /kit/.

4. Monophthonging of diphthong

This a feature where diphthongs are simplified into monophthongs. For example, the word bite is pronounced as /baɪt/ in British RP. However in NIrE, the diphthongs are simplified into /bat/.

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Overall, from this assignment, we have learned the incredible history of how English spread into Northern Ireland. It is also interesting to learn and read about the development of Northern Irish English. Their variation of English is interesting to learn as their accent and dialect does not really sound like English. Northern Irish English really went through many layers of development especially when the English colonizers settled there. However, we really do wish for them to preserve Gaelic language as it is becoming more extinct by day.

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To put it simply, Jamaican English, referred to as Jamaican Standard English, is an exclusive and lively form of the English language that is spoken by Jamaicans within and beyond the island. Though it bears similarities to other Caribbean Creole languages that use English as their base, it also boasts unique traits that differentiate it from its counterparts. The use of Jamaican English has a significant impact on the development of Jamaican culture and identity, as it continuously transforms and adjusts to various social and cultural situations. Jamaican English is a highly expressive and culturally significant language that has often been subject to misconceptions and negative connotations from speakers of other English dialects. However, it essentially reflects the diverse historical and cultural roots of Jamaica.

All in all, Jamaican English is a dialect of English that is both significant and captivating, and it should be acknowledged and respected for its distinctive impact on the diversity of language and culture worldwide.

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NIrE vocabulary is unique as they had various influences from other languages based on their history. The video above is Jamie Dornan, a Northern Irish actor and he will be elaborating more on interesting Northern Irish slangs and vocabularies. Let's look into some lexical variations of NIrE.

1. Gaelic

Of course, NIrE had been heavily influenced by Irish language. For example, the word glen (valley), loch (lake) and craic (fun or enjoyment).

2. NIrE vocabulary

NIrE also has distinctive vocabularies of their own such as:

Wee – Small

It’s spittin – It’s starting to rain.

Face on ya like a Lurgan spade  – You don’t look too happy.

Aye - Yes.

3.  Scots and Ulster Scots

NIrE also has loanwords from Scottish language such as:

boke - vomit

ferntickles - freckles

skelf - splinter

thole - endure, tolerate, suﬀer

3. English

NIrE ultimately follows the standard English lexicon. However, there are some words where the meanings or connotation of a word differ from English. For example, the word 'wean' is used in NIrE to refer to a child but in English, it refers to a young animal.

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Jamie Dornan Teaches You Northern Irish Slang | Vanity Fair

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1. Rhoticity

NIrE is a rhotic variation of English. Rhoticity refers to the /r/ pronunciation. For NIrE, the /r/ is pronounced clearly in any position. For example the word career. In British RP, it is pronounced as /kəˈrɪə(r)/ but in NIrE, it pronounced as /kə'ɹɪəɹ/. The /ɹ/ on both places are pronounced clealry.

2. Dental Fricatives

The dental fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ such as /θɪŋk/ and /ðɪs/ are often pronounced as /f/ and /v/. For example, the word both can be /bof/ or /bov/. However, the use of th-fronting also depends on external factors such as region and social class.

3. /t/ and /d/ lenition

In NIrE, the voiceless stop /t/ and voiced stop /d/ are usually pronounced with less force or dropped especially in unstressed syllables. For example, the /t/ sound in pit is dropped producing /pɪ/.

4. /h/ aspiration

The voiceless glottal fricative /h/ is pronounced with more aspiration. For example, /h/ sounds more like /ha/. So, the word house might sound like /haas/.

5. /ŋ/ and /n/ merger

The /ŋ/ sound and the /n/ sound are merged in some NIrE dialects. So, words such as song are pronounced as /son/.

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1. Intonation

NIrE tends to raise their intonation at the end of the sentence. It is similar to a person asking a question but their intonation does not rise fully at the end. Instead, the intonation lowers again. The video attached above shows how a Northern Irish English person speaks. Notice how the intonation is on the verge of rising fully but drops down quickly by the end. This pattern of intonation is used even if the sentence is not a question. This prosody is associated with friendliness and solidarity in Northern Ireland.

2. Stress

NIrE is a stress-timed language. It means that stressed syllables are pronounced longer and more prominent.

Example of stress-timing:

A happy hippo hopped and hiccuped.

In this sentence, the words happy, hopped and hiccuped are stressed as it sounds longer and more prominent.

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In my opinion, Jamaica English has a prominent African influence shown in vocabulary, syntax, and pronunciation, reflecting the nation's history and cultural connections to African diaspora communities. Jamaican English uses Creole elements for a unique flavor, like vocabulary and syntax, and blends with Spanish and Akan. Despite its cultural significance, Jamaica English is often stigmatized as "inferior" by speakers of other English varieties. This reflects wider linguistic prejudice towards minority languages. Jamaica English reflects the diverse cultural history and identity of Jamaica, making it a fascinating dialect of English that deserves recognition and celebration.

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majority of Jamaican speak Jamaican Patois.

many of the Jamaican words are respellings of Standard English words to imitate the pronunciation: love/luv; corn/kaan; follow/fallah/.

The phoneme system of Jamaican English is characterized by a number of unique features that set it apart from other forms of English. One of the most notable features is the presence of a large number of vowels with up to 14 distinct vowel of phonemes, including long and short vowels, diphthongs and triplet vowels.

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English vowels and word classes with Jamaican Creole equivalents 

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English vowels and word classes with Jamaican Creole equivalents 

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Northern Ireland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, located in the northeast of the island of Ireland. The population of Northern Ireland is approximately 1.9 million people, according to the most recent estimate from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) in 2020.

According to the Census of 2021, the population is also diversifying. The population of minority ethnic groups has grown, and the proportion of residents who were born outside the UK and Ireland has reached its highest-ever level—roughly one in fifteen. Data from the Census of 2021 on primary language, passports, and national identity all show that the population is becoming more and more varied. Regarding religion, the data show that their population is becoming more secular. A large proportion of peole in Northern Ireland have a British national identity. People in Northern Ireland are entitled to British and Irish passports.

The language spoken in Northern Ireland are English and Ulster-Scots. As of 2021, the Cencus has identified 96.6% of the Northern Ireland population are Caucasian while the other 3.4% of them are from minority ethnic groups such as Black, Indian and Chinese. Most of these minority ethnic groups reside in Belfast (7%).

The GDHI estimate for Northern Ireland for 2020 was £32,794 million. This represents £17,301 per head of population. The 2020 Northern Ireland GDHI per head of population figure was 80.7% of the corresponding UK figure. Northern Ireland’s total GDHI fell by 0.4% in 2020 which is in contrast to the overall UK GDHI growth which increased by 0.3%. Northern Ireland’s GDHI per head fell by 0.5% in 2020, which is lower than the growth of the UK as a whole which decreased by 0.2%.

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Jamaican English has its own phonological system that differs from Standard English. The main features of the Jamaican English phonological system are:

Vowel length distinction: Jamaican English distinguishes between long and short vowels. This means that the meaning of a word can change depending on the vowel length. For example, in Jamaican English, "bat" and "bath" have different vowel lengths and therefore different meanings.

Vowel Quality: Jamaican English has some vowels that differ from Standard English, such as the "a" sound in "father" is pronounced as a lower, more open vowel.

Palatization: Platalization is a common feature of Jamaican English, with the addition of the /j/ sound after /k/ and the addition of /g/ before vowels /a/. You can hear this in words like "can" and "girl".

Deletion after a vowel /r/: In Jamaican English, the /r/ sound is often not pronounced when it appears after a vowel in a word. For example, "car" can be pronounced "cah".

Reduced consonant clusters: Jamaican English tends to reduce or simplify consonant clusters, so words such as 'street' may be pronounced 'plaan' as 'stree' or 'plant'. Intonation and Stress: Like many English-based Creoles, Jamaican English has its own intonation and stress patterns. This affects the rhythm and flow of speech and gives Jamaican English its unique sound.

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Jamaican patois contain many loanwords, most of which are of African origin, mainly from Twi (a dialect of Akan).

Many of the loanwords come from English, but are also borrowed from Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arawak, African languages, Scottish and Irish dialects: The pronoun /unu/, used for the plural form of you, is taken from the Igbo language. Ganja(marijuana) from hindi.

The Jamaican also have their own phrases like ‘Weh yuh ah seh’ which translated to " what are you doing" but actually means " how are you doing".

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The pronunciation of the letter "r" known as rhoticity exhibits significant variations in Jamaica. Rhoticity's connection with greater education levels implies that pronunciation may vary depending on the social setting. Some words are frequently pronounced with the rhotic sound, while others are not. The probability of producing a Rhotic <r> sound decreases when the letter <r> in a word is followed by a consonant.

Jamaican English omits the pronunciation of the letter "r" in certain words like "father" and "turkey." "R" is considered as an unstressed syllable in "father." In this particular context, the pronunciation of the letter "r" is silent unless it is immediately followed by a vowel. The word "turkey" stands apart because the letter "r" is incorporated into a syllable that is emphasized. In this context, the letter "r" is omitted when it precedes a consonant.

Jamaican English showcases semi-rhoticity and can be classified as a type of English language. While English accents either keep or discard post-vocalic "r," Jamaican English retains it in stressed syllables' final segment but omits it in unstressed syllables and when followed by another consonant. Semi-rhoticity, a characteristic of Jamaican English, is observed in syllables that are both stressed and unstressed, for instance in words like "market" and "report".

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In Jamaican English, the stress is placed on the first syllable of a word, regardless of the number of syllables in the word. This means that all words in Jamaican English are stressed on the first syllable, giving the language a rhythmic and melodic quality.

For example, the word "banana" in Jamaican English with an accent on the first syllable is pronounced "BAH-nana" rather than "buh-NAH-nuh" in Standard English. Similarly, the word "computer" with stress on the first syllable is pronounced like "KUM-pyu-ta" rather than "kuhm-PYOO-tuh" in Standard English. Jamaican English stress patterns are determined by the stress of the first syllable of a word, not the number of syllables. This gives the language a distinct and recognizable rhythm that is characteristic of Jamaican culture and identity.

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The Jamaican Accent & Jamaican English Pronunciation

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The Jamaican Accent & Jamaican English Pronunciation

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The speaker explains how the Jamaican accent is characterized by its unique rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns, which can vary depending on the speaker's region and background. Jamaican English pronunciation also features a complex system of vowel and consonant sounds.

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The Jamaican Accent & Jamaican English Pronunciation

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Daily Planner Doc in Pastel Purple Pastel Yellow Teal Fun Patterns Illustrations Style (3)

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Both Caribbean Creoles and Englishes have been described as showing overall limited vowel reduction and a higher tendency toward syllable- than stress-timing compared to standard Southern British and American English, that is, adjacent syllables generally have small (rather than large) differences in syllable duration (Childs & Wolram, 2008, p.252 for The Bahamas; Ferreira & Drayton, fc., p.26 for Trinidad; Walker & Meyerhoff, 2015, p.132 for Bequia; Wells, 1982, p.572 for the Caribbean overall)

At the same time, the degree of syllable-timing is noted to be smaller than in languages usually considered to be fully syllable-timed, such as Spanish (e.g. Childs & Wolfram, 2008, p.252). However, to date, there has not been any empirical study of speech rhythm in the Caribbean.

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Daily Planner Doc in Pastel Purple Pastel Yellow Teal Fun Patterns Illustrations Style (1)

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One of the key features of Jamaican Patois intonation is the use of tone. Jamaican Patois, like many tonal languages, uses pitch to distinguish between different words. For example, the word "baa" with a high tone means "bar", while the same word with a low tone means "bath". The use of tone can affect the overall intonation of a sentence, creating rising or falling pitch patterns that are different from those in English.

Another important aspect of Jamaican Patois intonation is the use of creole features, such as reduplication. Reduplication involves repeating a word or part of a word to indicate intensity or emphasis. For example, the phrase "long long time" means "a very long time". The repetition of "long" in this phrase can affect the intonation of the sentence, creating a rhythmic pattern that is different from English.

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Jamaica is a diminutive island located in the Caribbean Sea. Based on its geographical area, it secured the 160th position in the rankings of the largest nations. Jamaica compensates for its diminutive size through its noteworthy population density in relation to global statistics. With an average population density of 685 individuals per square kilometer of land area (equivalent to 265 people per square kilometer), Jamaica ranks as the 35th most densely populated country in the world.

The United Nations (UN) has projected that Jamaica's population will reach 2.97 million by the year 2021, indicating a modest growth of 0.42% from the previous year's count of 2.96 million. Jamaica is situated at the 137th position in terms of its populace, while it holds the 165th rank in the growth rate of its population.

In 2021, Jamaica recorded a total of 45,970 births. The daily rate of a certain indicator is identified to be 126, placing the country at the 141st position. The report indicates that the crude birth rate is 15.47 per 1000 individuals. In the year 2021, Jamaica reportedly recorded 22.7 thousand deaths. At a rate of 62 units per day, the aforementioned metric places it at the rank of 137. The unprocessed attainment rate amounts to 7.64 per 1000 individuals in its raw form.

Approximately 1.65 million individuals currently reside in urban areas, constituting 56.65% of the population of Jamaica. Jamaica's ranking in urbanization is currently situated at the 140th position.

The gender ratio in Jamaica as of 2021 reveals a predominance of males at a rate of 98.46 per 100 females. In Jamaica, the total population comprises of 1.48 million males and 1.50 million females. The female population constitutes 50.39% of the overall demographic, while the male population accounts for 49.61%. Jamaica exhibits a statistically significant difference of 23.08 thousand more females than males in its demographic composition. Jamaica ranks 92nd out of 201 countries/territories with regards to the female-to-male proportion.

The demographic composition of Jamaica reveals a predominance of individuals who are classified as belonging to the black race, representing a majority percentage of 90.9%. Other racial groups are less represented, including East Indians at 1.3%, whites at 0.2%, Chinese at 0.2%, and individuals of mixed heritage at 7.3%. Lastly, a negligible fraction of the population is categorized as other, amounting to 0.1%.

English and patois English are the languages utilized for communication within the jurisdiction.

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Daily Planner Doc in Pastel Purple Pastel Yellow Teal Fun Patterns Illustrations Style (2)

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References for Northern Ireland

Kallen (2012). The English Language in Ireland:An Introduction. International Journal of Language, Translation and

Intercultural Communication, 1, 25-41. https://doi.org/10.12681/ijltic.8
Vanity Fair. (2018, November 21). Jamie Dornan Teaches you Northern Irish Slang | Vanity Fair

[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEdKqDZn3Bs

Reference for Jamaica

Trip, C. (2016, November 16). 15 Jamaican patois phrases to know. Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/caribbean/jamaica/articles/15-jamaican-patois-phrases-to-know/

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References for Northern Ireland

Al’s Action English. (2019, January 15). How To Do a Northern Irish Accent [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxtduqQrglY
Murillo, A. B. (2016). On Northern Irish English: A Phonological and Morphosyntactic Description. Varieties of English around the World I. https://addi.ehu.es/bitstream/handle/10810/21387/TFG_Beristain%20_Murillo.pdf?sequence=1

Robinson, J. (2007, April 1). Language, accent and dialect in Northern Ireland. British Library. https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/articles/accents-and-dialects-of-northern-ireland

Vlaović, M. (2017). Lexical peculiarities of Irish English. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/197875319.pdf

References for Jamaica

U A. (2015). Jamaikanski engleski. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/197875055.pdf

Wells, J. C. (1982). Introduction - Jamaican English. Accents of English, 13, 5-35. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511611759

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Reference for Northern Ireland

Accent Help. (2014, October 4). Northern Irish Accent Intonation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9SApeProCY&feature=youtu.be

Reference for Jamaica

Patrick, P. (2019). JAMAICAN CREOLE. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335664239_JAMAICAN_CREOLE

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According to the map above, we can see the close proximity between United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Ireland was one of the first places the Englishmen settled in therefore, Irish English (IrE) is the oldest overseas variety of English (Kallen 2012, as cited in Murillo, 2016). IrE was also known as Anglo-Irish and Hiberno-English.

Based on historical records, the earliest language introduced in Ireland was Gaelic or better known as Irish, which belongs to the Celtic family branch within the Indo-European family (King, 2006 as cited in Murillo, 2016). Irish was the primary language used there until the English invasion in 449 AC.

After the invasion, various languages such as English and Welsh came into use which causes Irish to exist alongside them. During that time, English was only used by the British minorities and had no power. Instead, Anglo-Norman was used in aristocracy.

By the 9th century, Scandinavian adventurers had found Ireland and thus bringing their language, Old Norse, to the land. Subsequently, some loanwords were transmitted from Old Norse to Irish.

In the 12th century, King of Leister asked Henry II of England for a favor as he realized he was losing his territories, a vast area from Dublin to Waterford also known as 'the Pale'. In 1169, Henry II recruited the Anglo-Normans and Flemish mercenaries for King of Leister to appear victorious in the battle. Alas, 2 years of battles went by, the Kingdom of Leister was lost. However, one of the Anglo-Norman mercenaries, Richard De Claire, claimed the Kingdom for himself (King,2006 as cited in Murillo, 2016). Consequently, Anglo-Norman became the primary language especially in aristocracy until 14th century.

In 1366, the Statutes of Kilkenny were written to guarantee that Anglo-Norman would not disappear but instead, banned the use of French and Irish in public. Defiance towards the statutes will result in punishment. Although Irish cannot be used publicly, people kept using it in private settings creating a diglossic environment. Through this, it has also resulted the adoption of several loanwords from Anglo-Norman.

In 14th and 15th centuries, the Protestant became the main govern. However, the English settler saw more identity resemblance in Catholics who spoke Irish. During this period, the Irish language was successfully revived.

At the beginning of 16th century, the English colonizers settled in Ireland. They congregated the Irish into 'plantations'. The Plantation of Ulster began in 1609, and it was made in order to prevent rebellion among population in the north of Ireland. This area had shown the strongest resistance towards the English colonizers as most of them are Gaelic-speakers (Robinson, 2006).

During the 17th century, Ireland were given to British settlers or in this case, planters. They brought in the English language into the area. Most settlers came from southwest Scotland and therefore became a large influence on the Northern Irish English (NIrE) that we have now.

At the end of the 19th century, Irish Catholic rebels went into a nine-year-long war with the English Protestant occupants. Unfortunately, the English had won and enforced laws to ban the use of Gaelic in Ireland. This has resulted in the Irishmen to learn English as an L2.

From there, English has spread widely into Ireland. For example, English has been implemented into Ireland's education. It is to the point that they have realized learning English will benefit their future lives (Harris, 1991 as cited by Murillo, 2016). This situation is known as 'Emancipation of Catholics'- giving up Gaelic and adopting English instead.

In addition, the Great Famine (1845-1849) has killed approximately two million Gaelic speakers which caused a remarkable decrease of Irish users. This has paved the way for English to rise as a powerful language. Nowadays, only 1% of the Irish population speaks their mother tongue despite English and Gaelic both having an official status.

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Compilation of Sarah Valentine saying phrases in Northern Irish English

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1. Could you be quiet? I'm trying to work.
/kʊd jʊ bi 'kwaɪət aɪm 'tɹaɪɪn tə 'wəɹk/

2. I'm sorry but why are these getting worse with time?
/aɪm ˈsoɹe bət waɪ ɑɹ ˈfiz ˈɡetɪn ˈwɜɹs wɪv 'taɪm/

3. You're the best
/jʊɹ ðə 'bɛs(t)/

4. Can I get a glass of water?
/ken 'aɪ ɡɪt ə ɡlæs ʌv ˈwɔdəɹ/

5.  Are you alright, love?
/ɑɹ 'jʊ olɹaɪt 'lov/

6. Girl, what is your real accent, please.
/'ɡəɹl wʌ(t) ɪz jʊɹ ɹil ˈaksɛn(t) pliz/

7. Those specific phrases that helps you remember the accent
/doz spəsɪfɪk fɹezəz dæ(t) hɛlp jʊ 'ɹɪmɛmbəɹ də ˈaksɛn(t)/

8. Run, there's a snake on the ground
/ɹɔn deɹz ə snek ɑn də gɹand/

9. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
/aɪ 'sɔ ə ˈkɪtən ˈitɪn ˈtʃɪkən ɪn də ˈkɪtʃən/

10. A happy hippo hopped and hiccuped
/ə ˈhapi ˈhɪpo hɑp(t) ænd ˈhɪkɔp(t)/

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References for Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. (n.d.). 2021 Census. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. https://www.nisra.gov.uk/statistics/census/2021-census#:~:text=The%20population%20of%20Northern%20Ireland,in%20Northern%20Ireland%20was%20768%2C810.

References for Jamaica

Jamaica demographics 2021. (2021, November 4). StatisticsTimes.com | Collection of Statistics and charts. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://statisticstimes.com/demographics/country/jamaica-demographics.php

Jamaica population 2022 (Live). (n.d.). 2022 World Population by Country. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/jamaica-population

Jamaica population and demographics from Jamaica |. (n.d.). Countries of the World - CountryReports. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.countryreports.org/country/Jamaica/population.htm

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The first people in Jamaica were Taino Indians. They came from northeastern South America and belonged to a bigger group called Arawakan Indians. This is what the Jamaica Embassy says. They moved and lived in Jamaica about 1400 years ago. Long ago, people who lived during the stone age traveled from the top of South America to Jamaica. The Tainos lived in Jamaica for a long time, almost 900 years. But when the Spanish came in 1494, they treated the Tainos very badly. The Tainos didn't have enough food and got very sick from European diseases. Within only 50 years, the Tainos were all gone. The Tainos didn't want the Spanish to take over their land. They fought back and some even chose to die instead of becoming slaves.

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Jamaica was conquered by the British from the Spanish in 1645. The ex-slaves of the Spanish individuals were determined to stand their ground, choosing to reside in the mountains instead. They resisted anyone's attempts to dominate them. The term Maroons was assigned to enslaved individuals who escaped, it being an Spanish word meaning "untamed". Jamaica was a preferred spot for pirates to congregate between the years 1660 and 1670.

In 1670, Britain received the island as a gift from Spain. The establishment of the Royal Africa Company occurred two years later, when a group of individuals came together to form the said enterprise. They engaged in the commerce of purchasing and vending enslaved individuals. The business entity generated considerable revenue in Jamaica while an abundance of individuals were trafficked and traded as slaves in the same location. However, the Maroons were successful in their struggle for freedom as the British government recognized their ownership rights and granted them liberty in 1740.

English has been firmly established in Jamaica since its acquisition from the Spanish in 1655. In today's society, a significant portion of the population consists of people with African heritage, which can be traced back to the transatlantic slave trade as a historical factor. The group of people with mixed ethnicities represents the second largest faction in the population. Although English is the formal language of Jamaica, the language mostly used by the people is Jamaican Patois.

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References for Northern Ireland

Murillo, A. B. (2016). On Northern Irish English: A Phonological and Morphosyntactic Description. Varieties of English around the World I. https://addi.ehu.es/bitstream/handle/10810/21387/TFG_Beristain%20_Murillo.pdf?sequence=1

Robinson, J. (2007, April 1). Language, accent and dialect in Northern Ireland. British Library. https://www.bl.uk/british-accents-and-dialects/articles/accents-and-dialects-of-northern-ireland

References for Jamaica

The history of Jamaica. (2022, July 15). Jamaica Information Service – The Voice of Jamaica. https://jis.gov.jm/information/jamaican-history/

The history of Jamaica. (2022, July 15). Jamaica Information Service – The Voice of Jamaica. https://jis.gov.jm/information/jamaican-history/

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Compilation of Sarah Valentine saying phrases in Jamaican Patois

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1. Girl, what is your real accent, please.
/ɡɜ(r)l wat ɪz jɔr ril ˈaksɛnt pliːz/

2. Can I get a glass of water?
/kɛn aɪ ɡɛt ə ɡlas ʌv ˈwata(r)/

3. You're the best
/jʊ(r) ðə bɛst/

4. I'm sorry but why are these getting worse with time?
/aɪm ˈsɔri bət waɪ ɑ(r) ˈdiz ˈɡɛtɪŋ ˈwɜrs wɪt taɪm/

5. Could you be quiet? I'm trying to work.
/kʊd ju bi ˈkwaɪət aɪm ˈtraɪɪn tə wɜ(r)k/

6. Are you alright, love?
/ɑr ja 'ɔlraɪt lɔv/

7. Those specific phrases that helps you remember the accent
/doz 'spasɪfɪk ˈfrezəz dɛt hɛlp ju 'rɪmɛmbə(r) də ˈaksɛnt/

8. Run, there's a snake on the ground
/rɒn derz ə snek ɑn də grʊnd/

9. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen
/a sɔ ə ˈkɪtən ˈitɪn ˈtʃɪkən ɪn də ˈkɪtʃən/

10. A happy hippo hopped and hiccuped
/ə ˈhapi ˈhɪpo hɑpt ænd ˈhɪkɔpt/

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All in all, after doing this assignment, we realized that language is always developing. Based on the two countries we had chosen, they went through many developments to get to the language that they speak now. However, it is also evolving right now. Other than that, this assignment gave us the chance to understand more about varieties of English. This particular aspect somehow makes us realize that no matter how we were colonized and used the language of the colonizer, we can never run away from our roots. The language will amalgamate to become a creole in order for us to communicate with one another. Based on the countries' history, it is apparent that they perceive people learning English as more educated- much like our country. What we have discussed in class was true, after all. Language is power much like how we perceive English now. Regardless of that, this assignment was eye-opening for us both as we get to learn the history and understand how it became the variation of English language it is now. For us, language shows a person's identity even if they are not speaking their native language(s).

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Valentine, S. (2023, April 30). Replying to @Momo what is her real accent? [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8Kkd6E3/

Valentine, S. (2023, April 30). Replying to @Ellie-Beau Are you alright love? [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KkRxHv/

Valentine, S. (2023, April 25). Replying to @Stella Can I get a glass of water?  [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KkjPUW/

Valentine, S. (2023, April 13). Replying to @Glizi13 Those specific phrases that help you remember the accent [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KkrCNB/

Valentine, S. (2023, April 33). Replying to @EzCookingwithNova Run, there’s a snake on the ground  [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8Kk68LT/

Valentine, S. (2023, April 6). I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KkrcFA/

Valentine, S. (2023, April 2). A happy hippo hopped and hiccuped [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KhKEUG/

Valentine, S. (2023, March 19). Replying to @daniel_the_amazing_singer You’re the best [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8Kk8YJa/

Valentine, S. (2023, February 14). Replying to @RoastedBeetSalad I’m Sorry but why are these getting worse with time? [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KhvX6r/

Valentine, S. (2023, January 13). Can you be quiet? I’m trying to work. [Video]. TikTok. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://vt.tiktok.com/ZS8KkLKP6/