Here are the key vocabulary words from the class:
Dialect - form of a language specific to a region or social group
Accent - particular pronunciation specific to a country, region or community
Lexicon - the vocabulary of a dialect
Bias - inclination or prejudice
Did you know that linguists suggest that the United States is home to up to 24 dialects? Though it would be interesting to study this further, today we looked at distinct pronunciation and vocabulary from the four major regions of the United States: The South, Northeast, Midwest and West.
Northeast
Vocabulary: word, hero, dungarees, pavement, stoop, mad
Accents: Boston accent (r-dropping)*, NYC accent (Long Island)
*"I parked my car in Harvard Yard"= "I pahked my cah in hahvahd yahd"
South
Vocabulary: ya'll, Bammer, po'boy, dang nabbit, buzzard, fixing to
Accents: pen = pin, lime (dipthong to monothong), America = amerca (Texas)
Midwest
Vocabulary: sack, bubbler, pop, davenport, barn burner
Accents: bag = baig, cat = kee-uht
West
Vocabulary: hella, wicked, bum, heavy, post up, drag, yo dude
Accents: mostly Standard American English
To review what we had learned, we played Dialect Jeopardy at the end of class!
Discussion question:
Do you agree with Max Weinreich's observation that "A language is a dialect with an army and navy?" Why or why not? What influence do you think politics have in how society deems what is the "correct" form of a language?
Yes I agree, because the language is very powerful, and from the use of it can do anything and get anywhere ie the language is as powerful as the army and navy did. The policy has a key role in the day-to-day in our lives, because like it or not, like it or not, politics is an "element" that is in all of our social environment. Society today does not have a correct language among themselves, all forms of speaking mainly in Brazil and the United States are correct, because as soon as we realize that there are different accents and pronunciations in different parts of each country in the United States, Brazil is the same way and are all correct.
ReplyDeleteCarlos Eduardo H. Jardim
In my opinion, the language provides one of the biggest competencies of humanity wich is communication. The policy has extreme influence on the population,they talk about what is "right" or "wrong", including the correct form of a language, but I think some people should not have bias against dialect because it is the identity of a group, and it is related to culture and diversity of peoples and nations. The dialects shows the diversity, creativity of language and it is important, cognitive and sociocultural.
ReplyDeleteMilena Amaral Gomes
In my opinion a language is that allows interaction in a society is a means that we know / understand the other and the do know / understand and know world sociocutural. Politics I see as something that age so prejudiced since devalues dialects that are featured as a wrong language, not educated. Neglecting so the language spoken in large part of the population.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, because when it comes to political language can indeed turn a weapon to turn against their own speakers, and can even be used to disqualify the interest of the people who speak it. I believe that political issues interfere in a language, since they can use authoritarian to impose a "correct."
ReplyDelete-Jessica