First Blog Post

Jennifer Conley

Mrs. Hughes
English 1101
21 August 2009

Throughout my life I've been exposed to many languages. Does that mean I understood all of them? No, more than half the time I could not understand what any of the people were saying. I have taken a beginning course on French but that was six years ago and all I can remember is the alphabet and I have also taken Spanish 1 and 2, but only because I had to in high school to graduate. Spanish helped a little when I went over to my friend Abel's house once in a while and it even helped me in a few soccer games, but because I have not tried to keep learning or using the language I have pretty much forgotten mostly everything. Now outside of what I cannot remember from the classroom, there is an abundance of languages I have heard or people talk to accents I have heard. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and was raised there for seven years and a lot of people down there have a French background. Because I was so young then, I really do not remember if anyone spoke French around me, but I do however remember their accents. Yes, they are from the south but they have a whole different type of accent. From there I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. Honestly the people there just had regular voices. Virginia is considered a southern state but I never heard anything close to a southern accent there. I am not sure if it is because of how far from the "deep south" it is or maybe because of the location of where I specifically lived, so I consider that to be a neutral area when it comes to accents. The only time I heard any type of accent there was if I went to see my dad on the Navy base, where there are many different people with different dialects and accents. Then when I moved from there to Georgia I was surrounded by southern accents. And now I have grown accustomed to the southern accent and it is weird to hear people with other accents. Even through the exposure of different languages I feel that my life has not been impacted by any of them except for the English language because it has gotten me to where I am today.

Jackie Hand's Post

Jackie Hand
English 1101
Dr. Hughes
Blog 1
I believe that the part of the world one live in plays a HUGE role to one’s grammar, accent, etc. Both of my parents are from Pennsylvania, my mother from Pittsburgh and my father from Scranton. My father has his doctorate to teach Kinesiology, and he took a lot of grammar classes. He has always corrected me for as long as I can remember. I think that is why I have so many pet peeves when it comes to talking.
When I was younger, my family moved around a LOT, from Louisiana to Georgia to Pennsylvania to New Jersey and several other places. So I was never really in one place long enough to develop any certain accent. When I was in fifth grade, we moved to Cedartown, which by the way is a tiny hick town. Everyone there has the stereotypical southern accent, and since I went to school with those people for eight years, I picked it up. I think its funny how my parents are so obviously from the north, but when people talk to me, they think I’ve lived in the south my whole life. I really like having a southern accent though. It is a great conversation starter!
My brothers and sister, however, have not picked up the “southern drawl.” I’m not really sure why. Another strange thing about my way of speaking is that whenever I have been up north for a little while, I start to lose my accent. I guess because I’m usually around both accents every day. When I’m away, people from home will call me and often say, “Jackie? Is that you? You sound so…northern!” It’s funny because a lot of people from Cedartown say I sound like a “Yankee” but people from up north say I’m a little southern bell. I think a lot of people don’t realize how different sayings and slangs are within our own country. That is one thing that has always been so fascinating to me. My friends from up north always make me say things like “heeey yaaa’ll” and quotes from movies like Sweet Home Alabama. And boys up north always want to meet me because everyone loves southern girls!
Honestly I would not change a thing about the way I talk. I have the cute drawl, but I also have excellent grammar. Also, I always try to broaden my vocabulary because I don’t want to be put into that stereotype of a “dumb southerner.” I am glad that things worked out how they did for me, because I think my accent says a lot about my personality. I just would not be Jackie without it.

Southern Accent

Steven Holland
Engl 1101
Dr. Hughes
Blog 1

Having grown up in Georgia for my entire life, I grew up speaking English with a somewhat Southern accent. It may not be as pronounced as other Southerners' accents, but it's there. Almost my entire family also grew up in the South, so therefore they also inherited the Southern accent. My dad's side of the family seem to have originated from the South(but not really) because they've lived in the South for so long. It seems like that whole side of the family has a Southern accent. However, my mom is from the North. She is always correcting the rest of us when we say something wrong or mispronounce a word. She sometimes has to come to me or my brother for a "translation" of what my dad is trying to say because he often mispronounces or misuses words. The funny part is that we have actually somewhat converted her to the South.
English is really the only language I know. Even though I took French in middle and high school, most of it has one way or another worked its way out of my brain. In high school, I had a lot of friends who spoke Spanish. Since I didn't speak Spanish, I often had no clue what they were saying to eachother half the time. I would always ask one of them what the others were saying and then jokingly say, "you've got to teach me Spanish some day."

Blog 1: A Tale of (limited) Linguistics

Jon Cuccia

English 1101

Dr. Jennifer A. Hughes

21 August 2009

My linguistic history is somewhat limited, but all the same, it continues to broaden with each passing day. I can confidently say that English is my only fluent language, and that I have had relatively little exposure to other languages. I probably had never even heard another language be spoken until I was nearly in high school. Growing up in Blairsville has that drawback, although the community seems to be diversifying at a rapid pace now.

My only real experience with a language other then English was during my first two years of high school, when I took the only foreign language offered: Spanish. I took to the language quite quickly and even managed to sound authentic in doing so. It wasn’t long into the course before I became very interested in the language and the associated culture. Through the small class, I gained a better understanding of not only the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking culture, but even of the English language. Noticing the similarities between the two really emphasized their common Latin base. Unfortunately, the next year when I returned for the Spanish II course, the normal teacher was on maternity leave. My knowledge and familiarity of the Spanish language has only decreased since my first year of high school, tragic as it may be.

Finally, the only other mildly interesting I can say about my linguistic history is concerning my family. As I first read over the prompt, I dismissed my family’s part, as they all speak English. Upon further consideration however, I realized that growing up with the family I have had influenced me in a unique way. My two younger siblings have struggled with mental disabilities all their lives. Their methods of communication are not always clear, especially when verbal, and living with them for 14 years has really made me better at interpreting language in different ways.

Conclusively, my linguistic history has been straightforward, but enjoyable. I earnestly hope that throughout my college experience, it can continue to grow.

My Personal Language

Samantha Redden
August 21, 2009
Blog 1
Dr. Hughes
My Personal Language
My language, my own personal dialogue, changes every day. I may learn a new way of saying a certain word, sometimes more educated, other times teenage slang. I may hear a word or phrase I use on a typical basis in a different language and substitute it into my English, for example, “Hola! Como estas?” The changes I make to the way I speak add character into my voice. They allow someone to analyze the type of person I am by the way I speak to them. That is being prejudice; however, everyone does it without realizing. My vocabulary, dialect, diction, and sentence phrasing is constantly developing due to my family, friends, and type of environment I am in.
Often, my stepmother, an English teacher, will correct the way I speak, attempting to make me talk more sophisticated. When I am in my home with my family my “personal language” evolves in order to convince them I have a scholarly vocabulary. However, the minute my bedroom door closes and I get a phone call from a friend “ya’ll,” “ain’t” and other typical southern words come pouring out of me. The way I speak, particularly my vocabulary transforms from one environment to the next within a split second. One minute I am in my dorm room kicked back on my bed with a friend using my beautiful slang, and the next I am sitting in a formal classroom setting dissecting the meaning of language.
Because my language changes according to who I am with or where I am doesn’t not mean that I necessarily try to “fit in.” Everyone at some point in their day changes the way they use their words because of who they are talking to. If I spoke to my friend in my dorm room the way I speak to my classmates, she would look at me as if I had three heads. No one expects anyone else to speak the same way everywhere you go no matter who you are with. The way I speak and the vocabulary I use is all a part of my own language, one in which is changed by those around me and my environment, but still a language that defines me.

Blog Uno

Tyler Gunnin
Over the course of my lifetime, I have been exposed to many diverse languages. I was born in Atlanta and have lived around the area for close to nineteen years now. As a result of this, I have mainly been around the typical “Southern” accent. When I think about my heritage and my family, I really would have loved to have been more open to learning and understanding various languages.
Honestly, I do not know if I had ever heard another language besides my native English and a little Spanish here and there, because of the Mexican restaurants scattered around my town, until I moved into my seventh grade year. When presented with the opportunity to be able to choose between whether I would rather take a course in Spanish or French, I went out on a limb and chose the uncommon subject, French. I did not quite realize how much of an advantage I could have received by choosing Spanish because of the many Mexican-Americans in our country alone. Still, there is no way I regret selecting French to be my new language barrier to tackle. I took the course from seventh to tenth grade year and I became surprisingly fluent in the language. Actually, this may be a little lame, I was entered into contests my seventh and eighth grade year to be tested on my knowledge of the French I had learned. Both years I attended the competition, I received the top prize of being “superior”, and I later went on to being admitted to French Honor Society, and very close to graduating with my foreign language seal. Sadly enough as it is, today I could not sit here and hold a conversation in French. I know multiple words and sentences, but I would sound very much like a novice in learning the great language.
I also really enjoy being around my diverse friends from my high school, considering my entire family is either from Tennessee or Georgia. When going to family gatherings and being around my family’s Southern accent all the time, it gets a little too complacent for me in a way. I am thoroughly satisfied with my family’s great heritage and background, but all of the various accents and languages from my friends at school are great. My best friend just so happens to be Korean. Of course when we talk he sounds just like an average American, but when we get to his house, it is a whole new story. His mom and dad speak very little English, so he must speak to them in Korean. I love listening to them talk and having no clue whatsoever if they are talking about the weather, dinner, or how they don’t want that Tyler kid at their house every single day. He has actually taught me a few Korean words which I use when speaking to his parents, or any other person I see who looks Asian just to throw them off. Other diverse languages I hear from my buddies at school are: British, African, Spanish, German, Irish, Puerto Rican, Northern, and extremely Southern. I definitely have a ton of diverse friends I am around back at home, and they all have a different opinion on how we American people sound.
Language is a huge part of what sets people apart from one another. There are tons of different heritages and cultures throughout the world and all have that certain characteristic of language that brings them together as a whole. The greatest thing about language is that it may in fact bring families and ethnic groups together, but it also makes the entire world become one because of the motive language serves, communicating and expressing ideas to one another.

Blog number one Tyler Benson

Tyler BensonEngl 1101Mrs. HughesBlog 1


Over the course of my life I have only been exposed to one language, and looking back on it I wish I had been exposed to at least one other. It is important to be in touch with your native culture, but it can be helpful to have a second language. As I speak only English, I was previously exposed to the language of Spanish which I was well taught in. As the years passed, however, I slowly lost most of the Spanish I knew as I did not study and rehearse it like I should have. Due to this I barely know any to this day and it is a real shame that it was a language lost.
I will say that language is a gift to have and those who are able to speak two languages will have more opportunities in many ways than others. Fortunately, I will take Spanish at Young Harris in the future so I may be able to get in touch with the language once again. Other than that I speak only English and I am very proud of it. It is important to respect and take pride in your original language because it is your culture. As we discussed in our previous class, if we did not have language we would not be able to come together as a people. So other than respecting your culture our language is important in means of survival as a group.
Hopefully I will be able to learn much more about the importance of language in our future classes. My history may not be rich with language only knowing one kind and having forgotten a second, but I hope my future will hold new adventures in the direction of language.

Tyler Benson

I Speak Theatre

Bekah Medford
Engl 1101
Mrs.Hughes
Week 1


Being a theatre geek since...let’s just say diapers (I don’t count my kicking in my mother’s belly as dancing), I have been surrounded by many different forms of language. Each different type of language found in theatre whether it be different because of the dialect of the character, or the contrasting body language one uses to convey an emotion on stage has become important to who I am.
Though “the languages of theatre” may sound unfamiliar to the average American, they do in fact derive from the English language along with many other well known languages. Each different language has its affect on the many languages found on a stage. Being a native English speaker the words that I speak during a show are English. Yet still this English language I use can be broken down further by each dialect. From the thick slow country twang of a Southern woman in a trailer park, to the New Jersey accent of Frenchy, a dreamy teenager in Grease, each character I portrayed could not be brought to life without their own person language. Language also affects the setting of a story. The grammar I had to use for instance with Juliet has to use the grammar found in the Elizabethan English. Without the correct grammar and word usage the placement of the story would not have been clear, plus how dreamy is a guy playing Romeo if he just speaks normal present day English?
Because of constantly trying out new types of language for each show, it now has become a fun little past time of mine to imitate different types of languages or dialects. I love finding the different ways to place your tongue or hold your jaw to make a different sound. I have mastered a few, but will admit to still struggling with Irish. Another interesting fact, or rather sad I may add, is that I cannot roll my “r”s. Spanish was never one of my strong subjects even after taking three years of it in high school.
No one in my family is as fluent in theatre speak as I am but both my parents do speak a little Spanish. My sisters is quite a little language wonder herself, learning both Spanish and German this year in school. Though all three can speak a different language their southern accents are still clearly heard, making listening to them quite entertaining. I love my family’s slight southern accents. It connects us all to our background. Though I love it, being on stage I cannot let a southern accent shine through if it is not called for. This is something I must constantly be aware of when performing.
Theatre speak is definitely my favorite. Being involved in theatre, I have been affected by so many different types of languages and the dialects that come along with each one. I only hope that as I grow as a performer that I will also gain even more languages to add to my theatre collection!

The Imporance of Being a Linguist

Leila Shearon
Engl 1101
Mrs. Hughes
Blog 1


When I ask myself the question, “has language affected my life?” my first response is no. As I think further into the subject I realize that language has affected my life a great deal. Despite the obvious fact of I am able to communicate with others in my life and create relationships of many kinds. A very important relationship at the present time that is effected by language is the relationship that I share with my boyfriend. He is actually from Haiti. He is fluent in Creole, French, English, and is presently learning Spanish. I have learned phrases in French and Creole. I also listen to many conversations between him and his family. Many times him being multilingual makes things interesting and different. Many people in America are limited to few ways of say things. He has many options. (I love you, Te amo, Je t 'aime, Mwen renmen 'w) It also can create problems. The strong accent can create issues throughout conversations. Languages make life interesting and enable people to interact with others at different levels. I have many Hispanic acquaintances. I also met many other people of different linguistic backgrounds, Hungarian, German, Russian, Polish and many others, during a tour of Eastern Europe. During a theater production in high school I also had to mimic a Brooklyn accent. I was surprised how my attitude changed as my voice was altered to fit the role of my character. I also played the role of an older southern rich woman. As I lengthened the vowels throughout the words of the script my attitude changed as well. I became an elderly woman that was kind yet was able to stand on her two feet. As I write this blog the realization of how something so common as language or an accent can affect ones attitude, thoughts, and relationships with others that you encounter in your life.

Interesting Background!

Carmen Solis
Engl 1101
Mrs. Hughes
Week 1

Español

Throughout our lives, we hear different styles of communication. The different dialogues that we hear around us have a huge impact on the way we talk. We all speak differently; we might talk with a dialect, jargon, or have an accent. But no matter how we talk, we are expressing the same purpose in our dialogue, but with different kinds of words.
I come from a Hispanic family and I am really proud to speak Spanish because not so many people have the privilege to learn a second language pretty well. I am bilingual, I speak Spanish and English. Coming from a family that only speaks Spanish, it is pretty hard to become accustomed to another language. Like everyone else who’s English is their second language, it is really hard to get use to another language and to hear it and not understanding what other people are talking about. When I got here to the United State, I was twelve years old; I did not know any words at all. I only knew some words that I heard in the streets. People would talk to me and I would say “soly, no English” and then I would smile. I know that sounds funny but that was the only communication I had with other people. It is hard to learn new rules that you have never heard of in your life.
For a while, I felt disconnected with everyone even the Spanish speakers. I felt this way because I used to talk with a dialect and jargons and no one understood when I spoke to them. School helped me a lot in learning and developing a new vocabulary. It extended my diction knowledge. Now that I know English, it kind of makes me feel connected to this culture. I feel like I can collaborate and start a new life in this country.
My family speaks Spanish but my parents know another language which is called Quechua—this is an Andes’ ancient language. They only speak in Quechua when they do not want us to hear or understand what they are talking about. I do not know how to speak or understand it. Even when they talk, it amazes me how they talk and how they pronounce the words. I realize that no matter in what language we are talking, we are all one and is really wonderful the capability that we have to learn another language. Also, my parents and I speak in jargons. For example, instead of saying child, which in Mexico they say “esquincle,” I say “Chibolito.” Some people had told me that I sound funny and sweet saying those kinds of words.
I am very proud that I am Hispanic or Latina! That makes me different and unique in a way. Even though I learned English, I would never forget who I am and where I come from. I have seen some people denying their Hispanic heritage because they think that non-Hispanic are going to segregate them. But not me, I can scream and say that I am 100% Latina! Knowing another language is something valuable. Not so many people are bilingual and even though it’s hard at first, at the end it has a reward. I like it when people come up to me for help or for curiosity asking me how do I say some words in Spanish. I feel that it I am valuable and it feels nice that people don’t take you for granted. I know I have an accent and people have told me that. I don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed; instead, I feel that I have accomplished something that I would have never thought I would have. I never thought I could learn English, but I did it and I am very proud of it. I know that I am still going to expand my diction and vocabulary knowledge and here at Young Harris it’s going to be a whole new experience with my linguistic language.

Dishon Blog Uno

Jonathan Dishon

English 1101

Dr. Hughes

August 20, 2009

Being raised during my early childhood in Augusta, Georgia and Clemson, South Carolina i was taught what most would call the southern style of speaking English. All of my family is English speaking so i was not exposed to a different language until my family was relocated to Germany. I moved to Germany at the beginning of my 1st grade year, but it was not until I was starting 2nd grade my family decided that it would be good for me to attend German school. I was afraid that I would not understand anyone and they would not understand me so I would not make good grades. But luckily for me they had a teacher who could speak English so I was able to get by. While I was in German school I got to take all kinds of very interesting field trips. I was able to go to Belgium, Holland, and France. So during my stint in Germany I was not only exposed to German but to Dutch and French as well. At the start of the 4th grade my family moved back to Augusta where I did not get any exposure to another foreign language until my 6th grade year. From 6th grade all the way until 10th grade I studied Spanish. Taking Spanish in both middle and high school was very helpful. After finishing Spanish in the 10th grade I tried to keep my skills honed by watching the Spanish television channels, but that did not really work out for me. This summer though I was able to go to Ecuador, and their I was able to use some of my much depleted Spanish skills. It was a very interesting experience for me. Although I would love to say that I am bilingual in English and Spanish I do not think my Spanish is quite good enough. So that is my exposure to the different types of language so far and hopefully I will get to experience many more.

Lowe- Blog 1

Mary Elizabeth Lowe
English 1101
Hughes
Blog 1


Throughout our lives there are a variety of influences which bombard us on a daily basis from many different avenues such as the media and billboards, to friends and family. This is no less true regarding the linguistic influences which mold and shape our minds and voices into the people we are today.
As a young child during my formative years I was closely connected to my parents and their unique speech patterns and lexicons were undoubtedly the number one factor in my own linguistic development. My mother is a native Georgian and my father is Bahamian, which in itself created a unique mix of accents and words; however, they then moved to Ohio and resided there for a number of years prior to their move to Alabama and the dawn of my existence. I believe that these differing accents joining together have served as a direct influence upon me and certainly merit mention in my history of language.
Another aspect which has impacted my language is the fact that I was homeschooled until the tenth grade which made my linguistic experience quite different from the majority of the population. While I was involved in sports, clubs, academic organizations and various other exposures to language, the majority of my time was spent with my family and their language standards.
An additional part of my linguistic history concerns my study of foreign languages. During school I learned a sample of both Latin, which I studied during middle school, and Spanish, which I was taught during high school. Though I cannot speak Spanish fluently the base knowledge of these two languages has broadened the scope of my root word understanding.
One common occurrence in my life which I have found rather odd is the repeated misbelief that I am from somewhere other than Alabama and Georgia. Many times while making small talk with nurses, bankers, or other stranger they ask me where I am from and they act rather shocked to learn I live in the same county in which they reside. They then explain their reaction by stating I have an accent resembling those from "the north". To me this is a peculiar thing to say because to me I sound just like everyone else around me here in the south, so it will be interesting to see how my accent adapts following my time here at Young Harris as I continue building my linguistic history one day at a time.

ENG 1101: “Language Controversies”
Week 1, Day 3
Blog Prompt 1

Your first blog assignment is a personal essay. It should be between 300-600 words, but feel free to write more if you get inspired! You may write using the first person (I) and describe one or several aspects of your linguistic history. Some topics you might wish to cover include:

• The languages you have been exposed to over the course of your life, and how important they are to who you are. Is English your native language? Are you bilingual or multilingual? Did you learn other languages as a child and then forget them? Have you taken courses in other languages?
• The relationship between family and language. Do any members of your family speak other languages and dialects than you do? Does that make you feel connected to another culture, or make you feel estranged?
• How has school has affected your language? Have teachers made you try to speak differently (or write differently) than you would otherwise? Do you admire academic standards of language, resent them, or do you care?
• Any stories about yourself and your language that you think are funny, interesting, or say a lot about who you are. Have you ever gone abroad and come back speaking with a different accent just for fun? Have people from other regions or countries commented a lot upon your accent?
  

Welcome!

Dear All,

Welcome to the blogging site for ENG 1101: Language Controversies, section 9. This is where you'll be posting your Friday responses each week before class. It's a "greener" and tech-savvy way for you to practice your writing.

Best,

Dr. Jennifer A. Hughes