Not all individuals who speak a specific language communicate that language in the exact same way. A language may be divided into several diverse dialects. Three things are required for a brand new tongue to evolve: the passage of time, a collection of individuals that live near each other, and the segregation of this group from other groups.
Although printed American English is consistent throughout the nation, there are many distinguishable differences in the pronunciation of words in the spoken language, depending on the region of the country. Eastern New England has one of the most distinct American dialects. “The letter ‘R’ is often silent, and ‘A’ is normally pronounced ‘AH,’ so we get ‘Pahk the cah in Hahvuhd yahd’” (Delaney). Unlike Boston and additional urban pronunciations, New York City’s dialect doesn’t show much similarity to the other dialects of the area. New York City’s pronunciation is the most rejected and mocked of all the American dialects. “‘IR’ changes to ‘OI,’ but ‘OI’ becomes ‘IR,’ and ‘TH’ becomes ‘D’ as in ‘Dey sell tirlets on doity-doid street’(Dela...
In the article “Do You Speak American?,” Robert MacNeil is trying to reach the american public, especially those who do not have a complete understanding of the ongoing changes that are happening to the English that is spoken throughout the United States. He uses a multitude of examples to prove this very fact. For one he wants to inform the people that one reason for this change is that average people now have more influence in the way language is spoken.Which to him is a good thing. He enjoys the new evolution that American English has undertaken. He believes that it is a step in the right direction. Another, example he uses are the changes different regions and/or group of people have made on the English language. He uses the different accents and dialect to show the growth and improvement that occurred. Even though, some linguist view these changes as wrong, MacNeil views them as necessary and as something that is unique to the United States. In essence, a necessary growth that only makes the United States grow into a better country. Thus, making it more diverse.
Linguists have identified up to six vowels Chicagoans are pronouncing in non-standard ways. But those vowels in BAT, BOT, and BUT are, McCarthy says, the big three” (qtd, in Minnoff.)
Finegan says this is something “living languages must do”. For me, I was raised in a military home in which we moved to a new region every couple of years. Coming from Germany, moving to Rochester, and then to Lowville, my dialect is a combination of all three speech communities. It is different than my parents, and will mostly be passed down to my children. As I age and move locations it is opted to change again as well. So it is not that I speak differently or incorrect than the rest of my family, my speech community is merely growing and changing as it is passed generation to generation. Richard Lederer stated in his article, “We are a teeming nations within a nation, a country that is like a world.” (150) He was portraying how our country, with a universal language, can be so diverted by each region’s version of the English language. I agree completely that although we all “sing” the same song of the American language, “we talk in melodies of infinite variety.” (150) The way our country was built was by different American regions doing their own work, for example, the south had plantations, where my ancestors were small town farmers who worked with manufacturing in mills and
Wright, Katy M. “The Role of Dialect Representation in Speaking from the Margins: “The Lesson” of Toni Cade Bambara.” Style. 42.1 (2008): 73-87. Proquest. SEMO Kent Lib., Cape Girardeau, MO. 12 April 2009. .
In “Do You Speak American?” by Robert MacNeil, MacNeil uses outside sources, personal anecdotes, and familiar diction in attempts to prove that the transformation of American English is a positive outcome and should be accepted.
This chapter focused mainly on misconceptions and attempting to clarify those misconceptions about accents. In the opinion of linguists, accent is a difficult word to define. This is due to the fact that language has variation therefore when it comes to a person having an accent or not, there is no true technical distinction because every person has different phonological aspects to their way of speaking. However, when forced to define this word, it is described as “a way of speaking” (Lippi-Green, 2012, p.44). Although Lippi- Green identified the difficulty linguists have in distinguishing between accent, dialect, and another language entirely, they were able to construct a loose way of distinguishing. Lippi- Green states that an accent can be determined by difference in phonological features alone, dialect can be determined by difference in syntax, lexicon, and semantics alone, and when all of these aspects are different from the original language it is considered another language entirely (Lippi-Green, 2012).
While some features of AAVE are apparently unique to this variety, in its structure it also shows many similarities with other varieties including a number of standard and nonstandard English varieties spoken in the US and the Caribbean. Speakers and writers of this dialect use some distinctive aspects of the phonological, lexical, and grammatical traits associated with this dialect. Many sociolinguists would reserve the term AAVE for varieties which are marked by the occurrence of certain distinctive grammatical features.
It is apparent that there are many types of dialect within American English. The coexisting of two or more languages, either serving together in the same area or servicing different areas, is as old as language itself (Pei 106). This has happened throughout time and appears to be inevitable. It is impossible to believe an entire country could conform to one language, and then only one dialect of that language. Throughout history societies have survived for some time using different languages until these language barriers tore territories apart. It is apparent how, in America, barriers between dialects separate black men from white men even more than physical conditions.
Words like 'book' and 'cook', as an example, will be pronounced as 'boo-k' or 'bewk' and 'koo-k'. this can be faithful alternative cities from the midlands, northern European nation and Scotland. funnily enough words like 'took' and 'look', not like another accents in northern cities, revert to the kind and square measure pronounced 'tuck' and 'luck'. N...
The way people speak English is primarily affected by where and from whom they learned to speak it. In many cases,
In the memoir titled “All Over but the Shoutin’”, the informal use of language is powerful. Slang words are used to help support visualization of the typical accents from the state of Alabama, such as: ain’t,
Not only are non-American dialects associated with characters who are outsiders and possess mal intent, but are also linked to characters who takes away “fun” or create boundaries. Zazu (Mufasa’s bird friend and right-hand) speaks in a British accent and lays strict rules for Simba and Nala to obey. Zazu essentially is shown to try to take away Simba and Nala’s fun and illustrates that again, people with non-American accents are disliked. This portrayal is also shown in another Disney classic, The Little Mermaid, as Sebastian has a Jamaican accent and tries to discipline Ariel and order her to follow rules while encouraging her to forget her dreams. The Lion King and The Little Mermaid are two of many Disney classics that carry this underlying
Analyzing dialects can be difficult due to the fact that is it hard to transcribe the pronunciation of an individual dialect because English is not spelled the same way it is pronounced. Furthermore, one person’s interpretation of spelling a dialect might not match up with another’s, so the reader might not “hear” the dialect properly. Regardless, written versions of dialects are essential to discussing dialectical differences.
Another hindrance of the America's urban schools is their disregard for African American Vernacular English. AAVE is not slang or broken English, but is a dialect that is prominent in urban areas and is spoken largely by bi-dialectal middle-class African Americans. It is not incorrectly spoken English, but has its own grammatical characteristics, vocabulary, and phonology. AAVE is often criticized as intrinsically deficient and socially limiting, however it has become conspicuous in urban culture and has woven itself into literature, film, and music of today. Furthermore, unfavorable views of this dialect are typically a result of ignorance of its structure. Many of those who negate the validity of AAVE have had little to no exposure to it. An overall knowledge of different languages and the progression of language over time also supports the composition of AAVE, for this dialect in actuality has many components that have been seen in many languages throughout time.
The two languages are very similar, so much that it is very easy to understand between the two countries. The languages do not need translation due to writing in what is called standard English. Standard English is the written English format used in all three countries making it very versatile and easy to understand. There only a handful of similarities between American English and British English. There is more of a difference than there are similarities.