Dear All,
This week, you may choose to do this blog for extra credit. Each blog you write is worth about 2% of your grade. Therefore, an "A" on this blog will give you an additional 2% on your overall course grade. And "A-/B+" will get you 1.5. A "B" will get you 1%. A "C" will get you 0.5%. Anything lower than that... well, I'm not going to read it, because y'all are better writers than that!
You have a choice between two questions:
1. Choose a resolution from the Oakland Policy Statement (Baugh, pages 312-313). I recommend 2, 7, 9,12, or 13. Discuss whether you think that resolution is a good educational policy for students whose heritage language is Ebonics. Discuss, also, whether the changes that the educators made (the text in bold) weakened or improved the resolution.
2. As we've discovered, there were a lot of controversies within the Oakland Ebonics Controversy of 1996. People were debating:
Teaching techniques
Governmental funding
The linguistic validity of Ebonics
The question of whether Ebonics is a dialect or a language
Questions of racism in education
Which of these issues do you think is most central to -- is really at the heart of -- the Ebonics Controversy? Discuss why that issue is more important than the others.
This Extra Credit Assignment is due by Monday, Nov. 2!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Debate Groups!
Group 1
Tyler B.
Leila
Tyler G.
Group 2
Jon
Sam
Carmen
Group 3
Jackie
Jonathan
Alex
Mary
Group 4
Steven
Allen
Bekah
Jennifer
Tyler B.
Leila
Tyler G.
Group 2
Jon
Sam
Carmen
Group 3
Jackie
Jonathan
Alex
Mary
Group 4
Steven
Allen
Bekah
Jennifer
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday's Assignment: Read and Prepare!
Dear All,
This Friday we will have a short quiz in class based on some readings that will prepare us for next week. I am asking you to read, and take notes on, some background information on African American English. If you want to post your notes to the blog and discuss the reading through this medium, feel free! The reading can be found at this website:
http://www.pbs.org/speak/education/curriculum/high/aae/#background
Read the following subsections under "Background Information": "Brief History of AAE," "Features of AAE: A Brief Overview," "Grammatical Features," and "Pronunciation Features." You do not have to read about the Ann Arbor Decision.
This is not a long reading, and some of the information should look familiar. But we'll be talking about the Ebonics Debate thoroughly next week, and I want you each to have a good idea of what kind of dialect/language we are discussing.
This Friday we will have a short quiz in class based on some readings that will prepare us for next week. I am asking you to read, and take notes on, some background information on African American English. If you want to post your notes to the blog and discuss the reading through this medium, feel free! The reading can be found at this website:
http://www.pbs.org/speak/education/curriculum/high/aae/#background
Read the following subsections under "Background Information": "Brief History of AAE," "Features of AAE: A Brief Overview," "Grammatical Features," and "Pronunciation Features." You do not have to read about the Ann Arbor Decision.
This is not a long reading, and some of the information should look familiar. But we'll be talking about the Ebonics Debate thoroughly next week, and I want you each to have a good idea of what kind of dialect/language we are discussing.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Jackie Hand
Dr. Hughes
10/16/09
Eng 1101
After reading a few of these websites, I have come to the conclusion that it is things like this that give southerners a bad name. In expressing things in the way that they did, the various authors put all of the south into one category. In Ron Collins’ “Southern Dialect Converter” he degrades the south as a whole. He acts as if the entire southern United States has the same accent, slang, and sayings for everything. This is in no way accurate. Collins uses a lot of the same conversions as Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be a Redneck If…” That just goes to show how accurate his “findings” are. However, the quiz “Are You a Yankee or a Rebel” is somewhat accurate. Me, personally, got an 88% Dixie. It is funny, because since I have lived in so many places and have family everywhere, I recognized almost all of the “slang.” “Northerners tend to think of the South as a homogenous and somewhat mysterious monolith, where English has an indiscriminate “twang” or “drawl” and is peppered with pan-regional idioms,” as said by Rosina-Lippi Green says in her passage “Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Belles.” Even just the title sums up the South. There is a definite difference in say a Hillbilly and a Southern Belle. The way that Collins portrays his conversions of words makes it out like a Southern Belle would use all the same slang as a Hillbilly. This is in no way true. In my opinion, a Hillbilly is like Jethro Clampette and a Southern Belle is like Scarlet O’Hara. Two very different types of Southern, but Southern none the less. However, the Wikipedia site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English sums it up very well. This site describes each region of the south and how they speak, and why their accent sounds the way they do. To me, this site was the most "legit" when it comes to describing the south. I think that this website helped to redeem the others that were very ignorant. The South is a part of the United States as well as any northern, western, or eastern state. It is unfair that we are categorized as one thing.
Dr. Hughes
10/16/09
Eng 1101
After reading a few of these websites, I have come to the conclusion that it is things like this that give southerners a bad name. In expressing things in the way that they did, the various authors put all of the south into one category. In Ron Collins’ “Southern Dialect Converter” he degrades the south as a whole. He acts as if the entire southern United States has the same accent, slang, and sayings for everything. This is in no way accurate. Collins uses a lot of the same conversions as Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be a Redneck If…” That just goes to show how accurate his “findings” are. However, the quiz “Are You a Yankee or a Rebel” is somewhat accurate. Me, personally, got an 88% Dixie. It is funny, because since I have lived in so many places and have family everywhere, I recognized almost all of the “slang.” “Northerners tend to think of the South as a homogenous and somewhat mysterious monolith, where English has an indiscriminate “twang” or “drawl” and is peppered with pan-regional idioms,” as said by Rosina-Lippi Green says in her passage “Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Belles.” Even just the title sums up the South. There is a definite difference in say a Hillbilly and a Southern Belle. The way that Collins portrays his conversions of words makes it out like a Southern Belle would use all the same slang as a Hillbilly. This is in no way true. In my opinion, a Hillbilly is like Jethro Clampette and a Southern Belle is like Scarlet O’Hara. Two very different types of Southern, but Southern none the less. However, the Wikipedia site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English sums it up very well. This site describes each region of the south and how they speak, and why their accent sounds the way they do. To me, this site was the most "legit" when it comes to describing the south. I think that this website helped to redeem the others that were very ignorant. The South is a part of the United States as well as any northern, western, or eastern state. It is unfair that we are categorized as one thing.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Blog 7: I Hate Ron Collin
Jon Cuccia
English 1101
Dr. Jennifer A. Hughes
16 October 2009
In each of the four web pages I visited for this blog were prevailing points which stood out to me. The first web page I visited was “Ron Collin’s Southern Dialect Converter” (http://vaiden.net/convert.html). His page immediately set the tone by playing obnoxious banjo music, and shortly afterwards I noticed the confederate images and a particularly questioning image of Beavis picking his nose while dressed up as Uncle Sam. Seeing as all this preludes the actual southern dialect conversion, I was pretty upset to begin with. I estimate his page contained a few hundred southernisms, many of which are unheard of and thought up only for humor, and a few which reference back to themselves. The combination of all this left a bad taste in my mouth, and I gathered that rather than a genuine respect for southern dialect, Mr. Collins displayed more of an enthusiasm, although I am certain he holds all things southern very dear to him.
Moving along, I came to the two web pages by alpha dictionary. This first one, “Are you a Yankee or Rebel?”(http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html) I found quite interesting. Throughout the questions, it displayed the origins of certain ways of pronunciation and dialect, whether they are widely used throughout the U.S., the southeastern U.S., the Deep South, the Midwest, or Northeastern U.S. and Great Lakes areas. Thus, the quiz lets you examine dialects in general, is informative. The second page by alpha dictionary is “A Glossary of Southern Accents” (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html). This page is like the very first page in many ways, as it has a similar list of southern words and what they mean. It is different, however, in that it has added depth, such as what part of speech each word is. The text is formatted into a table, making it easy to read, and lastly the font color doesn’t clash with the background in a way that makes reading painful. Overall, I believe the alpha dictionary pages maintain a bit playful humor, while still being informative. Of the four pages I visited, these two display the best use of moderation in dealing with the southern dialect.
Finally, I visited the wikipedia page “Southern American English” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English). The page was very in depth, including the differentiation between new and old southern dialects, as well as charts displaying areas affected by certain phonetical changes. The page goes very far to depict the “indiscriminate twang” that Rosina Lippi-Green describes in her book “Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Bells” with phonetic symbols and using word examples. Overall I found the page very informative and impartial, just as a wiki entry should be.
In conclusion, I leave my thoughts on the matter of Southern language and it’s reputation, and even dialects in general. Most people use Standard American English when communicating formally and in writing. No one speaks with Standard American English, and everyone speaks differently. I fail to see the reason of language controversy between the North and the South as anything more than a continuation of the long-held enmity between the two.
English 1101
Dr. Jennifer A. Hughes
16 October 2009
In each of the four web pages I visited for this blog were prevailing points which stood out to me. The first web page I visited was “Ron Collin’s Southern Dialect Converter” (http://vaiden.net/convert.html). His page immediately set the tone by playing obnoxious banjo music, and shortly afterwards I noticed the confederate images and a particularly questioning image of Beavis picking his nose while dressed up as Uncle Sam. Seeing as all this preludes the actual southern dialect conversion, I was pretty upset to begin with. I estimate his page contained a few hundred southernisms, many of which are unheard of and thought up only for humor, and a few which reference back to themselves. The combination of all this left a bad taste in my mouth, and I gathered that rather than a genuine respect for southern dialect, Mr. Collins displayed more of an enthusiasm, although I am certain he holds all things southern very dear to him.
Moving along, I came to the two web pages by alpha dictionary. This first one, “Are you a Yankee or Rebel?”(http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html) I found quite interesting. Throughout the questions, it displayed the origins of certain ways of pronunciation and dialect, whether they are widely used throughout the U.S., the southeastern U.S., the Deep South, the Midwest, or Northeastern U.S. and Great Lakes areas. Thus, the quiz lets you examine dialects in general, is informative. The second page by alpha dictionary is “A Glossary of Southern Accents” (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html). This page is like the very first page in many ways, as it has a similar list of southern words and what they mean. It is different, however, in that it has added depth, such as what part of speech each word is. The text is formatted into a table, making it easy to read, and lastly the font color doesn’t clash with the background in a way that makes reading painful. Overall, I believe the alpha dictionary pages maintain a bit playful humor, while still being informative. Of the four pages I visited, these two display the best use of moderation in dealing with the southern dialect.
Finally, I visited the wikipedia page “Southern American English” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English). The page was very in depth, including the differentiation between new and old southern dialects, as well as charts displaying areas affected by certain phonetical changes. The page goes very far to depict the “indiscriminate twang” that Rosina Lippi-Green describes in her book “Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Bells” with phonetic symbols and using word examples. Overall I found the page very informative and impartial, just as a wiki entry should be.
In conclusion, I leave my thoughts on the matter of Southern language and it’s reputation, and even dialects in general. Most people use Standard American English when communicating formally and in writing. No one speaks with Standard American English, and everyone speaks differently. I fail to see the reason of language controversy between the North and the South as anything more than a continuation of the long-held enmity between the two.
Mary Elizabeth Lowe
English 1101
Hughes
October 16, 2009
Each nation, state and often times from town to town, there are dialect differences. There are also doctors, lawyers, McDonald’s employees and homeless people in every town. An attempt to state that there is a direct correlation between a particular accent and overall intelligence is an unfair statement. However, the monolithic idea that all Southerners live, speak and think in the same manner is a source of great entertainment for some people such as Ron Collins in his “Southern Dialect Converter”. In the introductory title of his website he uses the words, “Innernet Xplorur”. This purposeful misspelling obviously took quite a bit of thought to even come up with such a ridiculous phrase, but his lighthearted manner subtly makes fun of the stereotype that all Southerners speak and spell in such an erroneous way.
Further down on Ron Collin’s website he reinforces the belief that, “Northerners tend to think of the south as a homogeneous and somewhat mysterious monolith, where English has an indiscriminate “twang” or a “drawl” and is peppered with funny, pan- religious idioms.” Collins artfully creates a list of “Ways to Annoy a Yankee” and “ Warning From the Southern Tourism Bureau”. In many ways the items on the lists are valid points, for we all know someone who has a bathtub on their front porch or says “ain’t” every other word, which makes the lists entertaining. However, overall these lists are written in an air or sarcasm and a joking manner, for Collins appears to be a smart man merely ridiculing Northern stereotypes while honoring his heritage and standing as a proud Southern dialect speaking man. He respects the Southern accent and is proud to be a part of the language and way of life despite inaccurate labels placed upon Southern intelligence which is often simply used in a stylistic manner adding flair to every word.
English 1101
Hughes
October 16, 2009
Each nation, state and often times from town to town, there are dialect differences. There are also doctors, lawyers, McDonald’s employees and homeless people in every town. An attempt to state that there is a direct correlation between a particular accent and overall intelligence is an unfair statement. However, the monolithic idea that all Southerners live, speak and think in the same manner is a source of great entertainment for some people such as Ron Collins in his “Southern Dialect Converter”. In the introductory title of his website he uses the words, “Innernet Xplorur”. This purposeful misspelling obviously took quite a bit of thought to even come up with such a ridiculous phrase, but his lighthearted manner subtly makes fun of the stereotype that all Southerners speak and spell in such an erroneous way.
Further down on Ron Collin’s website he reinforces the belief that, “Northerners tend to think of the south as a homogeneous and somewhat mysterious monolith, where English has an indiscriminate “twang” or a “drawl” and is peppered with funny, pan- religious idioms.” Collins artfully creates a list of “Ways to Annoy a Yankee” and “ Warning From the Southern Tourism Bureau”. In many ways the items on the lists are valid points, for we all know someone who has a bathtub on their front porch or says “ain’t” every other word, which makes the lists entertaining. However, overall these lists are written in an air or sarcasm and a joking manner, for Collins appears to be a smart man merely ridiculing Northern stereotypes while honoring his heritage and standing as a proud Southern dialect speaking man. He respects the Southern accent and is proud to be a part of the language and way of life despite inaccurate labels placed upon Southern intelligence which is often simply used in a stylistic manner adding flair to every word.
OH NO THEY DIDN'T
Leila Shearon
Before I begin this blog I must "WOW". As I was researching and looking over the websites I noticed a common trait that they help. They stereotyped the south immensely www.alphadictionary.com realized a quiz that would "help" one find answer the question "Are you a Yankee or a Rebel". This quiz introduction questioned people of southern background saying" are y'all speaking Bubbaese". This is offensive. This phrase demotes southerners in society of intelligence. The south is full of scholars and successful business men. I take offense to the stereotype of the uneducated hillbilly redneck. http://vaiden.net/convert.html does the same of stereotyping the south and their dialect. The give the impression that every person below the mason Dixon line miss pronounces most words. Everyone does not say "Aigs" instead of "Eggs" This is rude. I believe Lippi Green jumped on the band wagon (as a few “southerners” would say) in this stereotyping. In his writing about southern dialect he titled it “Hillbillies,Rednecks, and Southern Belles” . Once again not all southernes fall under this category.Green redeems herself by arguing the fact that “There is a great deal of diversity in the south”(209). What is Southernese? Www.alphadictionary.com gives definetions to words and prnuciation that is said to only be heard in the south. Why would the call it southerenesse. The southeren dialect is not a different language. It is an accent just like the northern accent. We live in a America and we are not aliens we are normal people that are all unique in the way we speak and act. We are not “rednecks” or “southernbelles”(they do exist) but WE are American people.
Before I begin this blog I must "WOW". As I was researching and looking over the websites I noticed a common trait that they help. They stereotyped the south immensely www.alphadictionary.com realized a quiz that would "help" one find answer the question "Are you a Yankee or a Rebel". This quiz introduction questioned people of southern background saying" are y'all speaking Bubbaese". This is offensive. This phrase demotes southerners in society of intelligence. The south is full of scholars and successful business men. I take offense to the stereotype of the uneducated hillbilly redneck. http://vaiden.net/convert.html does the same of stereotyping the south and their dialect. The give the impression that every person below the mason Dixon line miss pronounces most words. Everyone does not say "Aigs" instead of "Eggs" This is rude. I believe Lippi Green jumped on the band wagon (as a few “southerners” would say) in this stereotyping. In his writing about southern dialect he titled it “Hillbillies,Rednecks, and Southern Belles” . Once again not all southernes fall under this category.Green redeems herself by arguing the fact that “There is a great deal of diversity in the south”(209). What is Southernese? Www.alphadictionary.com gives definetions to words and prnuciation that is said to only be heard in the south. Why would the call it southerenesse. The southeren dialect is not a different language. It is an accent just like the northern accent. We live in a America and we are not aliens we are normal people that are all unique in the way we speak and act. We are not “rednecks” or “southernbelles”(they do exist) but WE are American people.
Southern Accents...Yes There is More Than One
Jonathan Dishon
Dr. Hughes
October 16, 2009
When looking at the different websites and how they treat the Southern accent I found that two of the websites leaned more towards the Southern accent being monolithic and the other two leaned more towards there being more than one style of a Southern accent. “The Glossary of Quaint Southernisms” by Dr. Goodword was one of the examples of a website being slanted more towards the South having a monolithic accent. This website has many “southernisms” but some of the words and sayings I have never heard before in my life, which has been spent almost entirely in the South. Now none of the websites that promote the monolithic Southern dialect do so in a harsh way, but they are still incorrect. The southernisms in the glossary are from all over the South and many states in the South do not share common southernisms. This is because many of the states have different influences that help to establish their own dialect. For example, common sayings in Louisiana may not be common in Texas or Tennessee because there are different influences in their respective dialects. These different influences show that there is no single monolithic Southern dialect, but multiple dialects throughout the South. The Wikipedia source was a good example of the different styles of dialects throughout the South. Rosina Lippi-Green states, “Southerners exhibit insecurity about their language and a willingness to accept responsibility for poor communication or bad language (213).” Now this is a highly different approach to saying the South has a monolithic accent then any of the websites. The websites were subtle in their approach and tried to incorporate fun so that the message would not be so straight forward. Rosina Lippi-Green on the other hand does not try and sugar coat things and just comes and states that there is a monolithic dialect and that it is wrong; when in fact she is wrong in her statement that we are insecure about our language and that our dialect is wrong. First off, Southerners are a very proud people so they would not just give in and admit their language is wrong. Also there is no official standard for language yet, so her suggestion that there is only one Southern dialect and that it is wrong is unsupported and incorrect. Again the Wikipedia source can be used to show the varieties of Southern dialects and how they are used every day and are accepted by everyone because there is no wrong language. In conclusion all of these sources had their own takes on the debate of a monolithic Southern accent and all of them showed great examples both for and against their choice of whether there is a monolithic accent or not, but just for the record there is more than one Southern accent.
Dr. Hughes
October 16, 2009
When looking at the different websites and how they treat the Southern accent I found that two of the websites leaned more towards the Southern accent being monolithic and the other two leaned more towards there being more than one style of a Southern accent. “The Glossary of Quaint Southernisms” by Dr. Goodword was one of the examples of a website being slanted more towards the South having a monolithic accent. This website has many “southernisms” but some of the words and sayings I have never heard before in my life, which has been spent almost entirely in the South. Now none of the websites that promote the monolithic Southern dialect do so in a harsh way, but they are still incorrect. The southernisms in the glossary are from all over the South and many states in the South do not share common southernisms. This is because many of the states have different influences that help to establish their own dialect. For example, common sayings in Louisiana may not be common in Texas or Tennessee because there are different influences in their respective dialects. These different influences show that there is no single monolithic Southern dialect, but multiple dialects throughout the South. The Wikipedia source was a good example of the different styles of dialects throughout the South. Rosina Lippi-Green states, “Southerners exhibit insecurity about their language and a willingness to accept responsibility for poor communication or bad language (213).” Now this is a highly different approach to saying the South has a monolithic accent then any of the websites. The websites were subtle in their approach and tried to incorporate fun so that the message would not be so straight forward. Rosina Lippi-Green on the other hand does not try and sugar coat things and just comes and states that there is a monolithic dialect and that it is wrong; when in fact she is wrong in her statement that we are insecure about our language and that our dialect is wrong. First off, Southerners are a very proud people so they would not just give in and admit their language is wrong. Also there is no official standard for language yet, so her suggestion that there is only one Southern dialect and that it is wrong is unsupported and incorrect. Again the Wikipedia source can be used to show the varieties of Southern dialects and how they are used every day and are accepted by everyone because there is no wrong language. In conclusion all of these sources had their own takes on the debate of a monolithic Southern accent and all of them showed great examples both for and against their choice of whether there is a monolithic accent or not, but just for the record there is more than one Southern accent.
The frosting in a cake!
We have been talking all this week long about the southern dialect. I have live in Georgia for six years and I do not see any difference in the dialect. I have not travel to the north side of the U.S. so maybe that is why I cannot recognize the differences in dialects. But been in those websites, have give me some information about the dialect. I, certainly, know that the southerners are “recognize” for been dumb and stupid only because of the way they speak. I used to see that in cartoons. I found that judging someone by their dialect is unreasonable and irrational with no explanation to why they think that. It is only a dialect. That is it. Having a dialect does not make someone less of a person. “A Glossary of Quaint Southernisms,” http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html, somehow makes fun of the south dialect but also explains the definitions in a much sophisticated way by saying that while one read and “laugh at these entries, the important thing to remember as you laugh at these entries is that they represent perfectly good English.” In this website, the writer is writing words and sort of making fun on how they write and pronounce it. But, he writes the definitions in a Standard American English. I find that the Ron Collins’ Southern Dialect converter, http://vaiden.net/convert.html, states that the south is monolith because it only uses words and explain them in a broad way. It did not state where each word came from, it just let us know, the reader, that those words are used thoroughly I the South area. On the other hand, I identify that the Southern American English, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English, believe that the South has many different dialects within. This websites states that “there is no single Southern accent.” There are the Atlantic, Midland and Highland, Gulf of Mexico, and African-influenced, and much more other dialects. “There is a great deal of diversity in the south” and still people all around the United States think there is only one South Dialect (Rosina Lippi-Green 209). I find a dialect to be charming in its own way, and it gives a twist to the way how someone speaks. A dialect gives its own uniqueness to a language.
Southern Reputations
Jennifer Conley
Ms. Hughes
16 October 2009
Even though I was raised in the south, I realized after looking over these websites that there is a lot more to southern states than I would have guessed. After looking over the Southern Dialect Converter, which you can view at http://vaiden.net/convert.html , one can assume that the individual made the site out of respect for his southern heritage. Giving everyday words used in the south a definition in standard English so anyone can understand was nice, but viewing further on down it is clear that the individual cares for the south in more than just its' language. By the information given after the glossary of words, turns this web page from informational page into a bias only for the south, treating it as a monolith.
Like the above website, A Glossary of Southern Accents, which is viewed at http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html , also gives an assortment of any or all southern accents, promoting that it is a monolith. However, it talks about all southern accents, giving meaning to all of them and not just one. The entry at the beginning of the page also contradicts that it is a monolith in saying that people from variations of regions, be it north or south, all have an accent. Then after every letter entry of this glossary it gives a link to http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html . This link gives a test of how much of a rebel or Yankee a person is. Instead of just asking southern or northern question like shown in this week's reading, it asks more general questions of how one would pronounce certain words or what words we would use in everyday life. With every answer given, it tells you what region or specific state in which your answer mostly comes from. This also supports that A Glossary of Southern Accents was not made in a bias opinion, but based on more statistics too.
The last site we had to look at, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English , proved to be the most non-monolith when promoting the south. On this site it talks about how the south came to be and the people who populate it. It also mentions how all the people that first populated the south came from different places with a variety of dialects. This supports Lippi-Green when she states, " Finally, it does not take into account racial and ethnic diversity in the south which results in another dimension of language variation, particularly the presence of indigenous language communities where the core language may not be English at all (Spanish, Louisiana Creole, Native American languages), not to mention the large population of African Americans and the ways that southern AAVE differ from other geographical versions of AAVE."
Ms. Hughes
16 October 2009
Even though I was raised in the south, I realized after looking over these websites that there is a lot more to southern states than I would have guessed. After looking over the Southern Dialect Converter, which you can view at http://vaiden.net/convert.html , one can assume that the individual made the site out of respect for his southern heritage. Giving everyday words used in the south a definition in standard English so anyone can understand was nice, but viewing further on down it is clear that the individual cares for the south in more than just its' language. By the information given after the glossary of words, turns this web page from informational page into a bias only for the south, treating it as a monolith.
Like the above website, A Glossary of Southern Accents, which is viewed at http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html , also gives an assortment of any or all southern accents, promoting that it is a monolith. However, it talks about all southern accents, giving meaning to all of them and not just one. The entry at the beginning of the page also contradicts that it is a monolith in saying that people from variations of regions, be it north or south, all have an accent. Then after every letter entry of this glossary it gives a link to http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html . This link gives a test of how much of a rebel or Yankee a person is. Instead of just asking southern or northern question like shown in this week's reading, it asks more general questions of how one would pronounce certain words or what words we would use in everyday life. With every answer given, it tells you what region or specific state in which your answer mostly comes from. This also supports that A Glossary of Southern Accents was not made in a bias opinion, but based on more statistics too.
The last site we had to look at, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English , proved to be the most non-monolith when promoting the south. On this site it talks about how the south came to be and the people who populate it. It also mentions how all the people that first populated the south came from different places with a variety of dialects. This supports Lippi-Green when she states, " Finally, it does not take into account racial and ethnic diversity in the south which results in another dimension of language variation, particularly the presence of indigenous language communities where the core language may not be English at all (Spanish, Louisiana Creole, Native American languages), not to mention the large population of African Americans and the ways that southern AAVE differ from other geographical versions of AAVE."
South or North...Your in America Regardless
Tyler Benson
Dr. Hughes
Engl. 1101
10/15/09
For this Blog I chose the first two websites and scanned through them, the first being easier to leave due to the harsh banjo music which made it almost impossible to bear. The second website intrigued me more, however, because it allowed me to express what I used in language, and I was able to see where most of the things I say come from. Both sights were intriguing, even though the banjo music made me want to leave as soon as I opened the first link, but both sights treated the Southern dialect in different and very distinct ways. What I found was that they were quite the polar opposites when treating the South with respect and not being biased. To me being biased against dialect, the north or south in general, seems alright.
The first website (http://vaiden.net/convert.html) immediately opened with the dreaded instrument of the Southern stereotype…the banjo. AS soon as I opened it I began to laugh, but after a while it took its toll on me and I had to get off the site. I did read many of the things that were posted on it, including the pictures and translations if words supposedly used by all Southerners. Some interesting ones being, “Algebra”, which is Algae of the bra apparently. There were more very funny and stereotypical definitions, which some people more than likely would have found offensive if from certain parts of the south. I think if the author of the website would have included the regions in which the word was used based off actual surveys this website would be fairly legit. I do believe that it was more of a fun, joking sort of sight not really meant to be scholarly. To me this is perfectly fine, I am sure if you search hard enough you will find a website that does the same thing only with stereotypical words that Northerners use. It just comes down to having fun. This website is for entertainment purposes and Southerners and northerners both need to get over pride for their accent and get along.
The second site that I viewed (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html ) took me to a sort of survey type format in which I proceeded in answering questions using my own day to day word use. It was very entertaining and I spent some time on it going back and choosing different options just to know where the word came from. The website looked like the person was unbiased and actually viewed both the north and south with distinct regions. They did not clump them together, and example being if you answered a certain way it would say it comes from Texas and the South eastern United States or the Midwest and New England area. It is not clumping people together which is a good thing making it to where the prideful north and south cant moan and complain about the website. I liked this website more than the first, not because of its treatment of the south, but because it is informative and interesting.
The main point that needs to be made is that the north and south are just in a large argument and need to all in all just get over it. They create identities for each other that are partially true and partially not. Lippi-Green says it well in her work “Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Belles” when she talks about the north and south basically making up things about each other. Lippi-Green states that “The North and the South have conspired to create each other’s identities as well as their own.” (205). This quote is entirely true when it comes to viewing the northern areas and southern ones as well. The South and North are just prideful and attack each other’s accents saying that theirs is superior. It doesn’t matter, let them fight it out. It is pointless to waste energy arguing about who is superior based on accents separated by a civil war that happened in the past. The south and north need to see that it is pointless, they are all Americans above anything…they should act like it.
Dr. Hughes
Engl. 1101
10/15/09
For this Blog I chose the first two websites and scanned through them, the first being easier to leave due to the harsh banjo music which made it almost impossible to bear. The second website intrigued me more, however, because it allowed me to express what I used in language, and I was able to see where most of the things I say come from. Both sights were intriguing, even though the banjo music made me want to leave as soon as I opened the first link, but both sights treated the Southern dialect in different and very distinct ways. What I found was that they were quite the polar opposites when treating the South with respect and not being biased. To me being biased against dialect, the north or south in general, seems alright.
The first website (http://vaiden.net/convert.html) immediately opened with the dreaded instrument of the Southern stereotype…the banjo. AS soon as I opened it I began to laugh, but after a while it took its toll on me and I had to get off the site. I did read many of the things that were posted on it, including the pictures and translations if words supposedly used by all Southerners. Some interesting ones being, “Algebra”, which is Algae of the bra apparently. There were more very funny and stereotypical definitions, which some people more than likely would have found offensive if from certain parts of the south. I think if the author of the website would have included the regions in which the word was used based off actual surveys this website would be fairly legit. I do believe that it was more of a fun, joking sort of sight not really meant to be scholarly. To me this is perfectly fine, I am sure if you search hard enough you will find a website that does the same thing only with stereotypical words that Northerners use. It just comes down to having fun. This website is for entertainment purposes and Southerners and northerners both need to get over pride for their accent and get along.
The second site that I viewed (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html ) took me to a sort of survey type format in which I proceeded in answering questions using my own day to day word use. It was very entertaining and I spent some time on it going back and choosing different options just to know where the word came from. The website looked like the person was unbiased and actually viewed both the north and south with distinct regions. They did not clump them together, and example being if you answered a certain way it would say it comes from Texas and the South eastern United States or the Midwest and New England area. It is not clumping people together which is a good thing making it to where the prideful north and south cant moan and complain about the website. I liked this website more than the first, not because of its treatment of the south, but because it is informative and interesting.
The main point that needs to be made is that the north and south are just in a large argument and need to all in all just get over it. They create identities for each other that are partially true and partially not. Lippi-Green says it well in her work “Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Belles” when she talks about the north and south basically making up things about each other. Lippi-Green states that “The North and the South have conspired to create each other’s identities as well as their own.” (205). This quote is entirely true when it comes to viewing the northern areas and southern ones as well. The South and North are just prideful and attack each other’s accents saying that theirs is superior. It doesn’t matter, let them fight it out. It is pointless to waste energy arguing about who is superior based on accents separated by a civil war that happened in the past. The south and north need to see that it is pointless, they are all Americans above anything…they should act like it.
Respect My Accent And I'll Respect Yours
Steven Holland
Engl 1101
Dr. Hughes
Blog 7
The Southern accent is often regarded with disrespect by people of other dialects. This may be caused by someone misunderstanding what the person has to say. Since the Southern accent is sometimes difficult to understand, there is a website that has the intention of helping people to understand the Southern accent. Ron Collins’ Southern Dialect Converter (http://vaiden.net/convert.html) explains various Southern phrases and translates them into more Standard English. Some Southerners might take offense to this website and say “he’s makin’ fun o’ the way we talk,” but he actually seems to respect the Southern accent. The main goal of the website is to explain what many common Southern phrases mean. Another website that does a very good job of this is the alphadictionary (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html). It basically serves the same purpose as the Southern Dialect Converter. It is not disrespecting the dialect; it is intended to help someone who doesn’t know many Southern phrases. Another part of the alphadictionary is the Rebel or Yankee Test (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html). This test is neutral towards respect of the different accents since all it is doing is determining what accent the user has. According to Rosina Lippi-Green, “There is a great deal of diversity in the South” (Liipi-Green 209). This suggests that the Southern accent is not a monolith. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English) takes the same view on the subject. The fact that Wikipedia uses the term sub-regional dialects, with reference to the South, shows that the Southern accent is not a monolith. Wikipedia clearly states that “there is no single "Southern accent". Instead, there are a number of sub-regional dialects found across the Southern United States which are collectively known as Southern American English” (Wikipedia). The idea of a Southern dialect monolith seems nonexistent because the different regions of the South have their own dialects.
Engl 1101
Dr. Hughes
Blog 7
The Southern accent is often regarded with disrespect by people of other dialects. This may be caused by someone misunderstanding what the person has to say. Since the Southern accent is sometimes difficult to understand, there is a website that has the intention of helping people to understand the Southern accent. Ron Collins’ Southern Dialect Converter (http://vaiden.net/convert.html) explains various Southern phrases and translates them into more Standard English. Some Southerners might take offense to this website and say “he’s makin’ fun o’ the way we talk,” but he actually seems to respect the Southern accent. The main goal of the website is to explain what many common Southern phrases mean. Another website that does a very good job of this is the alphadictionary (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html). It basically serves the same purpose as the Southern Dialect Converter. It is not disrespecting the dialect; it is intended to help someone who doesn’t know many Southern phrases. Another part of the alphadictionary is the Rebel or Yankee Test (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html). This test is neutral towards respect of the different accents since all it is doing is determining what accent the user has. According to Rosina Lippi-Green, “There is a great deal of diversity in the South” (Liipi-Green 209). This suggests that the Southern accent is not a monolith. Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English) takes the same view on the subject. The fact that Wikipedia uses the term sub-regional dialects, with reference to the South, shows that the Southern accent is not a monolith. Wikipedia clearly states that “there is no single "Southern accent". Instead, there are a number of sub-regional dialects found across the Southern United States which are collectively known as Southern American English” (Wikipedia). The idea of a Southern dialect monolith seems nonexistent because the different regions of the South have their own dialects.
Sweet Home ..Alabama?? Bammer?? Bama?
Bekah Medford
Dr.Hughes
Blog: Oct 16
Starting this blog, my initial plan was to just quickly read through the sites, pick one, and just write about it to get through the assignment. As I started this process I realized that while reading each blog there were many interesting ideas, statements, opinions, and facts about the South spread throughout each and every site. My “quick” assignment then proceeded to take up much more of my evening than I had originally planned. Each site was very interesting and presents their views on the South in their own way. Though each site was discussing the Southern dialect or dialects, the treatment of the Southern dialect or dialects varied. Out of the four the views and opinions given off by the site ranged from the South as monolith, to the South having several southern dialects.
Regarding the view of “south as monolith”, I felt the Southern Dialect convertor (http://vaiden.net/convert.html) and “The Glossary of Quaint Southernism” (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html ) was the strongest in promoting this. I almost felt like the first of the two was utilizing a “strategy of condescention” because though very funny, and maybe true for many, it was extremely stereotypical of the South. The layout of the site also featured very stereotypical Southern characteristics. Now the second site of the two, though presenting the idea that there is just one Southern dialect, did so in a very respectful way. The introduction on the site stating that the Southern accent is perfect English but a dialect is fighting for the Southern dialect and not putting it down.
My favorite site was the Yankee/Southern test(http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html). This job did a very good job of varying different accents of dialects and attaching them to different regions, not just specifically the South or the North. The range of different regions went along with the distinction some tend to make between the Southern states. “Tennessee and Kentucky are the “outer states”; Texas is its own kind of south; whereas Florida is hardly south at all in the minds of Northerners” (Lippi-Green, 203). After taking the quiz I found myself to be “48% Dixie, barely in Yankdom.” This site is a very interesting way to see how other accents say certain words. This site began to move towards the idea that the South is not a monolith but instead has several dialects. Following this site, the Wikipedia site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English did not support the idea that the South was a monolith at all. It uses the words “groups” or “sub-dialacts”. Living in the South I have heard and I know there are several types of different southern accents, yet it was still interesting to review these sites and notice different views of Southern talk.
Dr.Hughes
Blog: Oct 16
Starting this blog, my initial plan was to just quickly read through the sites, pick one, and just write about it to get through the assignment. As I started this process I realized that while reading each blog there were many interesting ideas, statements, opinions, and facts about the South spread throughout each and every site. My “quick” assignment then proceeded to take up much more of my evening than I had originally planned. Each site was very interesting and presents their views on the South in their own way. Though each site was discussing the Southern dialect or dialects, the treatment of the Southern dialect or dialects varied. Out of the four the views and opinions given off by the site ranged from the South as monolith, to the South having several southern dialects.
Regarding the view of “south as monolith”, I felt the Southern Dialect convertor (http://vaiden.net/convert.html) and “The Glossary of Quaint Southernism” (http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html ) was the strongest in promoting this. I almost felt like the first of the two was utilizing a “strategy of condescention” because though very funny, and maybe true for many, it was extremely stereotypical of the South. The layout of the site also featured very stereotypical Southern characteristics. Now the second site of the two, though presenting the idea that there is just one Southern dialect, did so in a very respectful way. The introduction on the site stating that the Southern accent is perfect English but a dialect is fighting for the Southern dialect and not putting it down.
My favorite site was the Yankee/Southern test(http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html). This job did a very good job of varying different accents of dialects and attaching them to different regions, not just specifically the South or the North. The range of different regions went along with the distinction some tend to make between the Southern states. “Tennessee and Kentucky are the “outer states”; Texas is its own kind of south; whereas Florida is hardly south at all in the minds of Northerners” (Lippi-Green, 203). After taking the quiz I found myself to be “48% Dixie, barely in Yankdom.” This site is a very interesting way to see how other accents say certain words. This site began to move towards the idea that the South is not a monolith but instead has several dialects. Following this site, the Wikipedia site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English did not support the idea that the South was a monolith at all. It uses the words “groups” or “sub-dialacts”. Living in the South I have heard and I know there are several types of different southern accents, yet it was still interesting to review these sites and notice different views of Southern talk.
The Dirty South
Tyler Gunnin
Dr. Hughes
English 1101
10/16/09
The citizens of the Southern region of the United States take pride in their language and accent. Although this may be true, it does not mean the various other regions of the country believe the Southern accent is proper. Many people think of it as a monolith because of the single unified region that is so well organized with the people all together as one, and as a result of this, many other regions have certain respects and disrespects for the South.
Multiple websites and books have been created to display some sort of attention toward the Southern dialect. In this sense, it seems as if many people have respect for the largest accent group in the country, however, this is not so true. Two sites that seek to pay their honor to the South, Vaiden.net and Alphadictionary.com, seem to bring about a poor view of the region. The websites may be all in fun, and they are enjoyable to visit, but they present their own version of the dictionary, in a Southern manner similar to Jeff Foxworthy's "redneck language." Both viewpoints, that it makes fun of the Southern dialect, and/or it is respectable toward the region, can be supported by these sites. In a writing "Hillbilliies, Rednecks, and Bells," author Rosina Lippi-Green suggests that, "The fact that a Southern accent lies at the heart of anyone's construction of the south can be documented in a variety of ways." Based off of this statement, the dictionary established by both websites seems less as an insult and more like a praise of the south "documented in a variety of ways."
When such posts are made in any entertainment industry or even the Internet, other regions get the idea that the South is quite less intelligent than the rest of the country. Many comedians make a living off of making fun of the Southern dialect, but it is not out of the question that many parodies of the South are made because of the respect other regions have for this strong monolith. The South has always been a large group of similar people that take pride in their accent, and no television show or website displaying "redneck" words could ever snatch the pride the men and women of the confederacy hold on to so desperately after all of these years. The South may not seem as intelligent, respectable, or lively as other regions, because of the false advertisements made by other people across the country, but this strong dialect will never be torn down in the sense that it is such a strong area, characterized by people who take pride in their confederate flags and representatives at the national level that partake and have had success in activities just as well as other highly elected officals around the nation.
Dr. Hughes
English 1101
10/16/09
The citizens of the Southern region of the United States take pride in their language and accent. Although this may be true, it does not mean the various other regions of the country believe the Southern accent is proper. Many people think of it as a monolith because of the single unified region that is so well organized with the people all together as one, and as a result of this, many other regions have certain respects and disrespects for the South.
Multiple websites and books have been created to display some sort of attention toward the Southern dialect. In this sense, it seems as if many people have respect for the largest accent group in the country, however, this is not so true. Two sites that seek to pay their honor to the South, Vaiden.net and Alphadictionary.com, seem to bring about a poor view of the region. The websites may be all in fun, and they are enjoyable to visit, but they present their own version of the dictionary, in a Southern manner similar to Jeff Foxworthy's "redneck language." Both viewpoints, that it makes fun of the Southern dialect, and/or it is respectable toward the region, can be supported by these sites. In a writing "Hillbilliies, Rednecks, and Bells," author Rosina Lippi-Green suggests that, "The fact that a Southern accent lies at the heart of anyone's construction of the south can be documented in a variety of ways." Based off of this statement, the dictionary established by both websites seems less as an insult and more like a praise of the south "documented in a variety of ways."
When such posts are made in any entertainment industry or even the Internet, other regions get the idea that the South is quite less intelligent than the rest of the country. Many comedians make a living off of making fun of the Southern dialect, but it is not out of the question that many parodies of the South are made because of the respect other regions have for this strong monolith. The South has always been a large group of similar people that take pride in their accent, and no television show or website displaying "redneck" words could ever snatch the pride the men and women of the confederacy hold on to so desperately after all of these years. The South may not seem as intelligent, respectable, or lively as other regions, because of the false advertisements made by other people across the country, but this strong dialect will never be torn down in the sense that it is such a strong area, characterized by people who take pride in their confederate flags and representatives at the national level that partake and have had success in activities just as well as other highly elected officals around the nation.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Blog Prompt for Oct. 16: Southern Reputations
Dear All,
For this blog, I want you to look at the following websites:
http://vaiden.net/convert.html
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English
Then I would like for you to discuss one or more of these sites' treatment of Southern dialect. Does it treat the South as a monolith? Does it utilize a "strategy of condescention" (as mentioned on page 208 of your reading), or does it respect Southern dialects?
There is one big rule for this blog: You must cite Rosina Lippi-Green ("Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Bells") at least once in the blog, and you must integrate the quotation artfully into the paper -- no dropping! (If you missed class and do not know what "dropping" is, read section MLA-3 on how to integrate sources into your writing.)
For this blog, I want you to look at the following websites:
http://vaiden.net/convert.html
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/yankeetest.html
http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/southernese.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English
Then I would like for you to discuss one or more of these sites' treatment of Southern dialect. Does it treat the South as a monolith? Does it utilize a "strategy of condescention" (as mentioned on page 208 of your reading), or does it respect Southern dialects?
There is one big rule for this blog: You must cite Rosina Lippi-Green ("Hillbillies, Rednecks, and Southern Bells") at least once in the blog, and you must integrate the quotation artfully into the paper -- no dropping! (If you missed class and do not know what "dropping" is, read section MLA-3 on how to integrate sources into your writing.)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Intro
Every day children are born all over the world, and will develop a knowledge of language in their early years that will continue to grow through their childhood. Although anyone can witness that children in fact do learn their mother language painlessly and easily, one problem holds: how? Seeking to answer this question, Steven Pinker states that language is “a distinct piece of the biological makeup of our brains” (Pinker, 18). On the other hand, Dalrymple asserts the influence of culture, as “it is a sociological truism that children tend to speak not merely the language but the dialect of their parents” (Dalrymple, 5). The two men’s opposing explanations of language further muddy the water. Is language really the product of our cultural influences, or is there really “an instinct to acquire and art”? In truth, no matter how strong Dalrymple’s argument for culture and Pinker’s argument for biology are, they do not stand strong enough to justify that language originates from either cause alone. Human linguistic development originates from a fine blend of both biological and cultural influences.
Language's development (biological or cultural?)
Carmen Solis
Dr. Hughes
The human being has a massive capacity to learn a language. Many people have tried to explain how an individual learns and adapt to a language. In the medical science, scientists believe that in our brains we have a membrane or a gene that is responsible to develop a language. Also, there are many writers that have argued about this topic whether language is learned biological or cultural; Pinker and Dalrymple are one of them. They explain thoroughly in their writing how language is developed in a human-being. Pinker states that language is an ability that comes naturally; Dalrymple explains that the cultural environment that one lives in has a great influence on the language. As a matter of fact, language's development is biological and cultural.
Dr. Hughes
The human being has a massive capacity to learn a language. Many people have tried to explain how an individual learns and adapt to a language. In the medical science, scientists believe that in our brains we have a membrane or a gene that is responsible to develop a language. Also, there are many writers that have argued about this topic whether language is learned biological or cultural; Pinker and Dalrymple are one of them. They explain thoroughly in their writing how language is developed in a human-being. Pinker states that language is an ability that comes naturally; Dalrymple explains that the cultural environment that one lives in has a great influence on the language. As a matter of fact, language's development is biological and cultural.
Communicating With Animals: Can They Communicate Back?
Steven Holland
Engl 1101
Dr. Hughes
Blog 6
Have you ever talked to your pet and then you wonder whether it can really understand what you are saying to it? A lot of people do talk to their pets, and most of them do not think that animals are capable of communicating with humans. They often think about most animals’ incapability of speech, they then assume that there is no possible way that an animal could communicate with a human. Animals can, in fact, communicate with humans; they just do not use the same methods of communicating that most humans use every day: speech. Animals can communicate with humans using several different methods of communication, including sign language, that do not require speech. Many animals have been trained to use several of these methods in order to communicate with humans.
Engl 1101
Dr. Hughes
Blog 6
Have you ever talked to your pet and then you wonder whether it can really understand what you are saying to it? A lot of people do talk to their pets, and most of them do not think that animals are capable of communicating with humans. They often think about most animals’ incapability of speech, they then assume that there is no possible way that an animal could communicate with a human. Animals can, in fact, communicate with humans; they just do not use the same methods of communicating that most humans use every day: speech. Animals can communicate with humans using several different methods of communication, including sign language, that do not require speech. Many animals have been trained to use several of these methods in order to communicate with humans.
Language: have it or gain it?(INTRO)
Leila Shearon
Hughes
10.2.09
“Mamma” and “dada” are the most common first words that an English speaking baby verbalizes. Months before those particular words escaped the infants mouth he/she was already familiar with communication. “Ohh” and “awww” added with hand motions and other gesture to signal hunger or a want. As the baby is stepping into the world of more advanced language scientist and psychologist begin to pose questions. Is language a learned element of life or is it something that is merely learned? Dalrymple and Pinker are two of the many men and women that has studied and stated their views on this subject. Pinker states that language is biological, inherited from your parents. Dalrymple, on the other hand, argues that language is learned and does not occur “naturally”. The development of language in a human child is not strictly the work of neither nature nor nurture; it is a combination of both. Both aspects mix together and form one of the most important skills in the life of this child, language.
Hughes
10.2.09
“Mamma” and “dada” are the most common first words that an English speaking baby verbalizes. Months before those particular words escaped the infants mouth he/she was already familiar with communication. “Ohh” and “awww” added with hand motions and other gesture to signal hunger or a want. As the baby is stepping into the world of more advanced language scientist and psychologist begin to pose questions. Is language a learned element of life or is it something that is merely learned? Dalrymple and Pinker are two of the many men and women that has studied and stated their views on this subject. Pinker states that language is biological, inherited from your parents. Dalrymple, on the other hand, argues that language is learned and does not occur “naturally”. The development of language in a human child is not strictly the work of neither nature nor nurture; it is a combination of both. Both aspects mix together and form one of the most important skills in the life of this child, language.
Introduction
Mary Elizabeth Lowe
English 1101
Hughes
10/1/2009
Language is a vital quality in humanity which conveys love and joy, hate and fear as well as an endless sphere of thoughts and emotions. One pressing question though, is how does this instrument called language come to be acquired so naturally in human beings? The possession of language uniquely distinguishes humans from all other species but how this superior mechanism is attained is surrounded in great debate. One explanation was spoken by Pinker as he said, “Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in a child spontaneously without conscious effort or formal instruction”
(Pinker, 3). An equally authoritative outlook states, “It is utterly implausible to suggest that imitation of parents has nothing whatever to do with the acquisition of language” ( Dalrymple, 3).While a number of individuals believe that language is either biological or learned, a more logical conclusion is a blend of both inheritance and learning. A biological neural program in each human being’s head is an innate essential for future language; however, it is equally vital to hear people speak in order to learn language and reach one’s linguistic potential.
English 1101
Hughes
10/1/2009
Language is a vital quality in humanity which conveys love and joy, hate and fear as well as an endless sphere of thoughts and emotions. One pressing question though, is how does this instrument called language come to be acquired so naturally in human beings? The possession of language uniquely distinguishes humans from all other species but how this superior mechanism is attained is surrounded in great debate. One explanation was spoken by Pinker as he said, “Language is a complex, specialized skill, which develops in a child spontaneously without conscious effort or formal instruction”
(Pinker, 3). An equally authoritative outlook states, “It is utterly implausible to suggest that imitation of parents has nothing whatever to do with the acquisition of language” ( Dalrymple, 3).While a number of individuals believe that language is either biological or learned, a more logical conclusion is a blend of both inheritance and learning. A biological neural program in each human being’s head is an innate essential for future language; however, it is equally vital to hear people speak in order to learn language and reach one’s linguistic potential.
Introduction: Learning Language: Biological or Cultural?
Jennifer Conley
Ms. Hughes
Paper Introduction
2 October 2009
Have you ever wondered where language comes from or how we obtain it? After many studies have been conducted about language the evidence supported by Steven Pinker and Theodore Dalrymple's theories appears more logical than others. As a well respected Harvard Professor of Psychology, Steven Pinker believes that language is a human instinct, wired into to our brains biologically. Contradicting Pinker's theory, Theodore Dalrymple believes that language is learner through our culture that surrounds us every day. While both theories have very compelling arguments and sufficient evidence to back them up some people would still disagree that just one of their theories is right. Language is biological in that the brain already has the capacity to learn language, but culture effects the way one actually speaks language.
Ms. Hughes
Paper Introduction
2 October 2009
Have you ever wondered where language comes from or how we obtain it? After many studies have been conducted about language the evidence supported by Steven Pinker and Theodore Dalrymple's theories appears more logical than others. As a well respected Harvard Professor of Psychology, Steven Pinker believes that language is a human instinct, wired into to our brains biologically. Contradicting Pinker's theory, Theodore Dalrymple believes that language is learner through our culture that surrounds us every day. While both theories have very compelling arguments and sufficient evidence to back them up some people would still disagree that just one of their theories is right. Language is biological in that the brain already has the capacity to learn language, but culture effects the way one actually speaks language.
Learning Language: Biological, Cultural, or Both?
Tyler Gunnin
English 1101
Dr. Hughes
10/2/09
Many of the people being born everyday are given the gift of language. As we develop and grow into mature human beings, that gift is finally unveiled to us. The knowledge of language is something that does not just breathe itself into our bodies on the day of our birth. Although it seems reasonable that the way we speak just appears to us naturally, there is the question regarding whether or not we pick up language biologically, from our parents, or culturally, from the world around us. The language we speak is given to us through the genes of our parents and the outside world's culture that we are presented to every day.
English 1101
Dr. Hughes
10/2/09
Many of the people being born everyday are given the gift of language. As we develop and grow into mature human beings, that gift is finally unveiled to us. The knowledge of language is something that does not just breathe itself into our bodies on the day of our birth. Although it seems reasonable that the way we speak just appears to us naturally, there is the question regarding whether or not we pick up language biologically, from our parents, or culturally, from the world around us. The language we speak is given to us through the genes of our parents and the outside world's culture that we are presented to every day.
The Recipe for Learning Language:intro
Rebekah Medford
October 2, 2009
Dr.Hughes
The Recipe for Learning Language
Introduction:
Looking into the recipe of learning language one will find two types of ingredients: biological and cultural. Many people believe that learning language is strictly biological, while others believe language is learned culturally. Derived from English naturalist, Charles Darwin, the concept of language as instinct or a biological trait has been researched and debated over by many linguists, including Steven Pinker. Pinker’s book “The Language Instinct” argues the point that at children are born with the innate ability to create language. In direct contrast to Darwin’s views and Pinker’s writings, there are likewise linguist who strongly believe that cultural is the main ingredient in learning language. Linguist such as Theodore Dalyrmple in his book “The Gift of Language” research different aspects of a person’s cultural that would affect their language ability. Limited vocabulary, parent’s education, the ability to express thought are topics Dalyrmple uses to provide evidence or verify his argument. Linguists from both sides of the argument have brought interesting views, examples, and evidence to defend their ingredient whether it be biological or cultural. In reality, the biological and cultural elements are blended together to create a unique, personal, learned language.
October 2, 2009
Dr.Hughes
The Recipe for Learning Language
Introduction:
Looking into the recipe of learning language one will find two types of ingredients: biological and cultural. Many people believe that learning language is strictly biological, while others believe language is learned culturally. Derived from English naturalist, Charles Darwin, the concept of language as instinct or a biological trait has been researched and debated over by many linguists, including Steven Pinker. Pinker’s book “The Language Instinct” argues the point that at children are born with the innate ability to create language. In direct contrast to Darwin’s views and Pinker’s writings, there are likewise linguist who strongly believe that cultural is the main ingredient in learning language. Linguist such as Theodore Dalyrmple in his book “The Gift of Language” research different aspects of a person’s cultural that would affect their language ability. Limited vocabulary, parent’s education, the ability to express thought are topics Dalyrmple uses to provide evidence or verify his argument. Linguists from both sides of the argument have brought interesting views, examples, and evidence to defend their ingredient whether it be biological or cultural. In reality, the biological and cultural elements are blended together to create a unique, personal, learned language.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Is language learned or biological? [intro]
Samantha Redden
October 1, 2009
Dr. Hughes
Is language learned or biological?
The desire to communicate is an instinct to any animal, especially humans. This instinct is a biological trait passed down through generations. This trait is triggered when a child begins to observe and practice the language spoken around them. Because children easily pick up their language without extensive teachings, the desire to communicate is biological. However, considering the fact that children are taught their native language by being around and communicating with other natives; language is taught.
October 1, 2009
Dr. Hughes
Is language learned or biological?
The desire to communicate is an instinct to any animal, especially humans. This instinct is a biological trait passed down through generations. This trait is triggered when a child begins to observe and practice the language spoken around them. Because children easily pick up their language without extensive teachings, the desire to communicate is biological. However, considering the fact that children are taught their native language by being around and communicating with other natives; language is taught.
Language Authority In America
Jonathan Dishon
ENG 1101
Dr. Hughes
October 1, 2009
Of the roughly 307 and half million people in the United States 96 percent of them speak English, and of those, 82 percent speak English as their native or first language leaving about 14 percent that speak English as a secondary language and also around 17 percent that do not even speak English (D’Agostino). Now the United States has no official language to date, but I believe that the United States should strongly consider coming up with a national language while at the same time preserving the variety of languages that are intact and spoken today. The language authority would be set up to help establish a standard for all citizens in the United States, not to demolish all the other languages spoken in the United States. So I believe that the establishment of a language authority in the United States would greatly benefit the country as a whole.
ENG 1101
Dr. Hughes
October 1, 2009
Of the roughly 307 and half million people in the United States 96 percent of them speak English, and of those, 82 percent speak English as their native or first language leaving about 14 percent that speak English as a secondary language and also around 17 percent that do not even speak English (D’Agostino). Now the United States has no official language to date, but I believe that the United States should strongly consider coming up with a national language while at the same time preserving the variety of languages that are intact and spoken today. The language authority would be set up to help establish a standard for all citizens in the United States, not to demolish all the other languages spoken in the United States. So I believe that the establishment of a language authority in the United States would greatly benefit the country as a whole.
Tyler Benson
Ms. Hughes
10/1/09
Introduction:
Animal communication is something that has been proven over numerous tests and is a valid fact. Animals have the ability to recognize a certain tone, gesture, or posture but animals cannot understand the words we are producing during these actions. Animals are clever and many have proven that they can show us what they desire through sign language and other forms of communication. They may be able to express wants, but it is only through memorizing the right answer to a problem that we train them to solve. Animals cannot understand human language; they merely adapt to perform sophisticated tricks that appeal to the urge to personify. Survival and comfort are the only two things animals really care about and they will adapt in order to get it. If it means that a monkey must move its hands in a certain way to obtain food and shelter for survival and comfort it will eventually learn how to do it.
Ms. Hughes
10/1/09
Introduction:
Animal communication is something that has been proven over numerous tests and is a valid fact. Animals have the ability to recognize a certain tone, gesture, or posture but animals cannot understand the words we are producing during these actions. Animals are clever and many have proven that they can show us what they desire through sign language and other forms of communication. They may be able to express wants, but it is only through memorizing the right answer to a problem that we train them to solve. Animals cannot understand human language; they merely adapt to perform sophisticated tricks that appeal to the urge to personify. Survival and comfort are the only two things animals really care about and they will adapt in order to get it. If it means that a monkey must move its hands in a certain way to obtain food and shelter for survival and comfort it will eventually learn how to do it.
Intro to U.S. Official Language
Jackie Hand
Dr. Hughes
10/1/09
America: The melting pot. Apart from English, there are roughly 28 million people who speak Spanish natively. Also according to Borgna Brunner, “After English and Spanish, however, few realize that French is spoken regularly in more American homes more than any other language (1.6 million). More than a million Americans also regularly speak German, Italian, and Chinese. And among the top languages spoken by Americans at home is one that has been spoken in this country long before English and Spanish arrived Navajo.” (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/multilingual1.html) There are 175 Native American languages currently in the United States. Of those languages, only 20 of them are alive and well, 30 of them are partially still spoken, but about 125 of them will be lost within the next 20 years. It is apparent to anyone who lives in our great nation that English is the most popular language amongst our people, yet it is not our official language. But, history shows that many Native American people were forced to forget their heritages and learn English, “just because”. The United States would benefit from making English its official language because of the people here speak it, it unifies us as a nation, and it facilitates communication. However, this can be done in a way as not to force others to lose their heritage. And if we are unsure ourselves of a national language, then it is hypocritical of our leaders to force this certain one upon their very own citizens.
Dr. Hughes
10/1/09
America: The melting pot. Apart from English, there are roughly 28 million people who speak Spanish natively. Also according to Borgna Brunner, “After English and Spanish, however, few realize that French is spoken regularly in more American homes more than any other language (1.6 million). More than a million Americans also regularly speak German, Italian, and Chinese. And among the top languages spoken by Americans at home is one that has been spoken in this country long before English and Spanish arrived Navajo.” (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/multilingual1.html) There are 175 Native American languages currently in the United States. Of those languages, only 20 of them are alive and well, 30 of them are partially still spoken, but about 125 of them will be lost within the next 20 years. It is apparent to anyone who lives in our great nation that English is the most popular language amongst our people, yet it is not our official language. But, history shows that many Native American people were forced to forget their heritages and learn English, “just because”. The United States would benefit from making English its official language because of the people here speak it, it unifies us as a nation, and it facilitates communication. However, this can be done in a way as not to force others to lose their heritage. And if we are unsure ourselves of a national language, then it is hypocritical of our leaders to force this certain one upon their very own citizens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)