Varieties, Dialects, Accents

Based in part onChilds, Wolfram & Schilling-Estes, Smith, and Rickford

Who in this room speaks a dialect?

Dialects

Dialects of American English as YOU see them

Dialects of American English

Some Popular Senses of DialectWe went to Boston for a vacation and the people there sure do speak a dialect.

Dialect here refers simple to those who speak differently from oneself.

Some Popular Senses of DialectI know we speak a dialect in the mountains, but its a very colorful way of speaking.

Dialect here refers to those varieties of English whose features have become widely recognized through American society, e.g., Southern drawlNew York accentEtc.

For a variety of historical and social reasons, some dialects have become much more marked than others in American society, and speakers of those varieties therefore accept the dialect label more comfortably.

Some Popular Senses of DialectThe kids in that neighborhood dont really speak English; they speak a dialect.

Dialect here is perceived as an imperfect attempt to speak correct or proper English

For example:Three milevs. Three milesHer ears be itchingvs.Her ears itchShe done grewvs. Shes grown up

Linguists maintain that:

Dialect is a neutral label to refer to any variety of a language that is shared by a group of speakers.

To speak a language is to speak some dialect of that language

In this definition, there is no inherently good or bad dialects

Dialect is simply how we refer to any language variety that typifies a group of speakers within a language.

Socially favored or standard varieties constitute dialects every bit as much as those varieties spoken by socially disfavored groups whose language differences are socially stigmatized.

Facts about dialectsAll languages consist of dialects (a language is a group of dialects; to speak a language is to speak a dialect of that language)Therefore, everyone speaks at least one dialectDialect differences are usually minor and dialects of a language are usually mutually intelligibleDialects are geographically, socially, politically determined

Facts about dialectsDialects can vary with respect to: Phonology pronunciation or the sound system of a language, e.g. r-less dialects of East Coast, pin/penMorphology the smallest meaningful units of a language, e.g., He dont know. The house needs painted.Syntax grammar or the words are put together to form sentences, e.g., We prevented the house (from) being destroyed.Lexicon vocabulary or the words of a language (e.g., lift/elevator, truck/lorry, pail/bucket)

Facts about dialectsSome linguists distinguish between dialect and accent:Different dialects have differences of grammar and vocabulary;Different accents have differences of pronunciation;Every user of English uses one dialect or another, and one accent or another.

Facts about dialectsThe status of any given dialect is arbitrarily determined (A language is a dialect with a navy and army)E.g., Swedish vs. NorwegianBut dialects can sometimes be mutually unintelligibleE.g., Mandarin vs. CantoneseThe terms dialect & language are politically and socially loaded.

Facts about dialectsDialect variation is a matter of difference, not deficit.Nonstandard dialects are self-contained systems, with their regular phonological and syntactic rules.Nonstandard dialects of English are close relatives to SE, sometimes reflecting older forms of SE.

American Dialects American dialects: How Linguists see themWhat are the major US dialects that linguists identify?American dialects: How people around the country see themWhich dialects do many Americans consider bad English?What do the majority of Americans see as the norm?America Dialects: How Hollywood sees them.

American Dialects - DiscussionDo you agree with the findings of Prestons study that concludes that two of the low-prestige dialects in the U.S. are those spoken in NY and Texas?As you were growing up, what dialects / accents did you make fun of? What were some of its features?Why was it considered funny?

Dialect Variation - PragmaticsDialects can also differ with respect to pragmaticsThe relationship between language and the contexts / situations in which it is usedConsider the contexts for these two sentences:Where are you GOing?Where are YOU going?

Dialect Variation: PragmaticsBoth have the structure of a wh- question, BUTThe first in fact would be typically used as a request for information (e.g. to a person you know is about to leave for a vacation).The second can also be a request for information (e.g. when asking several people in turn where each is going for their vacation). But the second can also be used in another way, to indicate that the person showing signs of leaving should not be going anywhere.

What is Standard English?What it is not:An arbitrary, a priori description of EnglishThe usage of a particular groupThe statistically most frequently occurring forms of EnglishA form imposed upon those who use it.Peter Strevens

A Working Definition of Standard EnglishA particular dialect of English, being the only non-localized dialect, of global currency without significant variation, universally accepted as the appropriate educational target in teaching English; which may be spoken with an unrestricted choice of accent.

Standard EnglishStrevens defines Standard English as that dialect of English that is not associated with any particular locality, and therefore occurs in any and every locality.It is not paired with a specific accent.

Global Currency for Standard EnglishThose who use Standard English whether as their mother tongue or as a foreign or second languageAre not confined to any single locality or geographical area;May be found in any inhabited region of the world.

Universal Acceptance of SEAlthough SE dialect is universally accepted as the educational target, no single accent fills an equivalent position.The tacit acceptance of SE dialect for educational purposes does not mean that it is best in some universal sense.

Standard English and Social ClassMost, if not all, English users switch between SE and some other dialect. People vary their language according to the social circumstances.Non-conformity to the norms of language use appropriate for the context is often seen as unacceptable behavior.

The English Languages? McArthurWill English as an international language succumb to the same fate as Latin?Vulgar Latin evolved into the Romance languagesClassical Latin was used for administration and literature and survived in writing.Standard English is more like Classical Latin than Vulgar Latin.SE has a common core negotiated among a a variety of national standard varieties.

Dialects, Standards, Vernaculars Wolfram & Schiling-EstesWhat do we listen to when we listen to people talk?HOW people talk as much or more than toWHAT people sayAfter listening, we usually make judgments about people by the kind of language they useTheir regional backgroundTheir social statusTheir ethnicityTheir educationetc.

So there are some who believe that language differences serve as the single most reliable indicator of social position in our society:When we live a certain way, we are expected to match that lifestyle with our talk;When we dont meet peoples expectations to match that lifestyle with our talk (e.g., a teacher talking like a punk), the mismatch between words and behavior is itself a topic for conversation.

Language differences are unavoidable in a society composed of a variety of social groups.

Dialectologists PositionDialects are not deviant forms of language, but simply different systems with distinct subsets of language patterns.

All language varieties are systematicFor any language feature, there are contexts in which the form may be used and contexts in which it is not typically used.

Appalachian Dialect Patterns1a.Building is hard work. b.She was building a house.2a.He likes hunting. b.He went hunting.3a.The child was charming the adults. b.The child was very charming.4a.He kept shocking the children. b.The story was shocking.5a.They thought fishing was easy. b.They were fishing this morning.

Further Patterns for Appalachian a-1a.They make money by building houses. b. They make money building houses.2a.You cant make much money fishing. b.You cant make much money by fishing.3a.People destroy the beauty of the mountains through littering. b. People destroy the beauty of the mountains littering.

More Patterns for Appalachian a-1a.She was disCOVering a trail. b. She was FOLlowing a trai.2a.She was rePEATing the chant. b.She was HOLlering the chant.3a.They were FIGuring the change. b.They were forGETting the change.4a.The baby was RECognizing her mother. b.The baby was WRECKing everything.

So what is Formal Standard English?Formal Standard English is a variety (i.e., dialect) of English thatIs based on the written language of established writersHas been codified in English grammar textsIs perpetuated in schools Is conservative and resistant to change

Then what is Informal Standard English?Informal Standard English is a variety (i.e., dialect) of English thatExists on a continuum, rather than a categorical notionIs flexible with respect to specific features of regional varietiesEmploys specific criteria to judge speech as standardIs defined in terms of what it is notAvoidance of socially stigmatized forms, e.g., double negatives They didnt do nothing.different verb agreement patterns Theys o.k.different irregular verb forms She done it.

Continuum of Standardness

Standard--A---B---C---D---ENonstandard

Standard or non-standard?Hes not as smart as I.Hes not so smart as I.He aint as smart as me.He not as smart as me.

Standard or non-standard?

Hes not to do that.He not supposed to do that.He dont supposed to do that. Hes not supposed to do that.

Standard or non-standard?Im right, aint I?Im right, arent I?Im right, am I not?Im right, isnt I?Im right, isnt it?

Standard or non-standard?A person should not change ones speech.One should not change ones speech.A person should not change their speech.A person should not change his or her speech.

Vernacular DialectsVarieties of language that are not classified as standard dialectsApplied to spoken languageExist on a continuumListener judgment essential in determining social unacceptabilityUsually characterized by presence of stigmatized structuresNot all speakers use the entire set of structures associated with that dialect

Labeling Vernacular DialectsStrong affective associations related to particular labelsNegro Dialect, Substandard Negro English, Nonstandard Negro English, Black English Afro-American English, Ebonics, Vernacular Black English, African American (Vernacular) English, African American LanguageLatino/a English, Chicano/a English, Hispanic English, CholoCalifornia talk, valley girl, surferWhich do you prefer? Why? Are they the same?What do you call the vernacular you speak?

Whats Standard?Whats a Dialect?Notice the different definitions of both standard and dialect found in the readings for this lecture.Can you write a paragraph outlining the differences siting sources read in class?