The Issue of Dialect

What is the difference between a dialect and a language? Dialects are variations of the same spoken language. Dialects are found in all languages and are a natural outcome of people grouping together.

Speakers of two dialects can understand one another. Of course, when the differences are extreme, communication may suffer.

Three Features of Dialect 1. Pronunciation Same written word pronounced differently Biblical example: shibboleth (Judges 12:5-6) 2. Syntax Rules of grammar may differ slightly 3. Vocabulary Same concept represented by different words Syntax is usually the least important these three factors. It includes issues like verb conjugation and word order.

Two Types of Dialects Regional Dialects Social Dialects Associated with a geographic area Slowly fading due to media and mobility Social Dialects Associated with a social/ethnic group Not spoken by all members of the group Many speakers can shift styles Some linguists argue that regional dialects are somewhat resistant to change because they are acquired so early in life.

Three Major U.S. Regional Dialects Northern Midland Southern When we reach the Mississippi, regional dialects begin to disappear. This is because the West was so sparsely populated for so long a time.

North vs. South Examples of Vocabulary Northern Dialect Southern Dialect pail bucket press (the button) mash (the button) spatula egg turner teeter-totter seesaw might be able might could pop soda There are countless examples, of course. Can you think of others?

North vs. South Examples of Pronunciation Northern Dialect Southern Dialect pecan (pē kän´) pecan (pē´ kan) pen pin cement (sə mĕnt´) cement (sē´ mĕnt) on (n) on (ōn) business (bĭz´ nəs) business (bĭd´ nəs) There are also pronunciation differences among various Northern and Southern dialects.

Test Yourself! Which of the regional dialects, by an executive agreement reached in New York City, became the gold standard of broadcast journalism during the advent of television in the late 1940s?  Northern  Midland  Southern Believe it or not, this meeting really took place!

Test Yourself! Which of the regional dialects, by an executive agreement reached in New York City, became the gold standard of broadcast journalism during the advent of television in the late 1940s?  Northern  Midland  Southern Does this ring true when you think about news anchors today? Keith Jackson, a national sportscaster, often tells about his efforts to “lose” his Southern accent in order to succeed.

Regional Dialects Regional dialects encompass the entire English-speaking world. Dialects spoken in the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, for example, are in the same category as U.S. regional dialects. The U.S. isn’t alone.

Winston Churchill, 1874-1965 Britain and America are two nations separated by a common language. Churchill was really referring to dialects.

Social Dialects The most important social dialect in America is called African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). AAVE is also called “Black English” and “Ebonics.” Syntax is an important feature as it relates to the verb to be. In AAVE, the verb to be is not always conjugated (e.g., “He be sick.”) AAVE differs from Midland English mostly in matters of pronunciation.

Social Dialects Examples of AAVE Pronunciation Feature Example Dropped l help = hĕp Dropped r your = yō th = ch with = wĭch th = d the = də sk = ks ask = aks st = sk street = skreet Can you think of additional examples?

Does AAVE stand in the way of learning to read?

Does AAVE stand in the way of learning to read? There is no SBRR on this point, but dialecticians argue that AAVE is not a problem. The same argument is made about regional dialects. They don’t seem to present an important barrier to learning to read.

But don’t kids need to know Standard English?

But don’t kids need to know Standard English? Dialecticians point out that no one actually speaks Standard English. As hard as it is to accept, everyone speaks a dialect of English. It is actually incorrect to say that a person speaks without an accent. If you think that, it’s only because the person shares the same dialect with you!

In fact, they dislike the term Standard English In fact, they dislike the term Standard English. What we all must learn to read is called “Edited American English.”

Which no one speaks – except Professor McKenna.

But what if reading materials were available in AAVE? This is a natural thought. Thankfully, it’s already been tried, and the results are swell known.

Experiments with “Black Readers” Attempts to use AAVE readers in the 1960s failed for three reasons: Not all African-American children spoke AAVE. Effectiveness studies proved that the readers did not work. African-American parents objected to their use. Taken together, these three factors were so powerful that they quickly put an end to these well-intended but very misguided materials.

Lisa Delpit has called the prestige Midland dialect the “Power Code,” arguing that its use is a prerequisite to economic success in America. Do you agree with Delpit’s conclusion? It’s more a political statement than a linguistic one. But it gets at human nature. The way one speaks causes others to form quick judgments, fairly or unfairly.

But shouldn’t we insist on correct pronunciations when children read? Many teachers believe in making such corrections. Do you?

But shouldn’t we insist on correct pronunciations when children read? As a rule, no. There are at least four good reasons for not always correcting them.

1 Reason 1 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations There is no linguistic standard for “correctness.” Some pronunciations are simply more prevalent than others. Test yourself: How do you pronounce these words? Missouri Arkansas Some of the people who live in Missouri end the name of their state with a long e, others with a schwa sound. Which way do you pronounce it? Which is correct? The word is actually the name of an Indian tribe. If there is any claim to correctness, it would be to pronounce it as the Indians did. But no one knows how they spoke. A linguist has argued that French trappers were the first Europeans who actually wrote the word down (phonetically, of course). Had the Indians ended their pronunciation with a schwa sound, the French would not have spelled Missouri with an i. Case closed? Hardly! The case of Arkansas is a strange one. A century and a half ago, many people favored pronouncing the word to rhyme with Kansas. In fact, the name of the Arkansas River is pronounced in this way today, but only as it flows through the state of Kansas! The issue grew so heated in Arkansas that the state Legislature became involved. An ad hoc committee was formed to consider the matter. Desperate to resolve the question, they wrote an official letter to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, asking him which pronunciation he felt was more poetic. He responded that the pronunciation AR-kan-saw seemed “slightly more musical.” Elated, the committee reported back to the Legislature, which quickly passed a resolution establishing the legal pronunciation!

1 Reason 1 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations There is no linguistic standard for “correctness.” Some pronunciations are simply more prevalent than others. Test yourself: How do you pronounce these words? Missouri Arkansas Some of the people who live in Missouri end the name of their state with a long e, others with a schwa sound. Which way do you pronounce it? Which is correct? The word is actually the name of an Indian tribe. If there is any claim to correctness, it would be to pronounce it as the Indians did. But no one knows how they spoke. A linguist has argued that French trappers were the first Europeans who actually wrote the word down (phonetically, of course). Had the Indians ended their pronunciation with a schwa sound, the French would not have spelled Missouri with an i. Case closed? Hardly! The case of Arkansas is a strange one. A century and a half ago, many people favored pronouncing the word to rhyme with Kansas. In fact, the name of the Arkansas River is pronounced in this way today, but only as it flows through the state of Kansas! The issue grew so heated in Arkansas that the state Legislature became involved. An ad hoc committee was formed to consider the matter. Desperate to resolve the question, they wrote an official letter to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, asking him which pronunciation he felt was more poetic. He responded that the pronunciation AR-kan-saw seemed “slightly more musical.” Elated, the committee reported back to the Legislature, which quickly passed a resolution establishing the legal pronunciation!

1 Reason 1 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations There is no linguistic standard for “correctness.” Some pronunciations are simply more prevalent than others. Test yourself: How do you pronounce these words? Missouri Arkansas Some of the people who live in Missouri end the name of their state with a long e, others with a schwa sound. Which way do you pronounce it? Which is correct? The word is actually the name of an Indian tribe. If there is any claim to correctness, it would be to pronounce it as the Indians did. But no one knows how they spoke. A linguist has argued that French trappers were the first Europeans who actually wrote the word down (phonetically, of course). Had the Indians ended their pronunciation with a schwa sound, the French would not have spelled Missouri with an i. Case closed? Hardly! The case of Arkansas is a strange one. A century and a half ago, many people favored pronouncing the word to rhyme with Kansas. In fact, the name of the Arkansas River is pronounced in this way today, but only as it flows through the state of Kansas! The issue grew so heated in Arkansas that the state Legislature became involved. An ad hoc committee was formed to consider the matter. Desperate to resolve the question, they wrote an official letter to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, asking him which pronunciation he felt was more poetic. He responded that the pronunciation AR-kan-saw seemed “slightly more musical.” Elated, the committee reported back to the Legislature, which quickly passed a resolution establishing the legal pronunciation!

1 Reason 1 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations There is no linguistic standard for “correctness.” Some pronunciations are simply more prevalent than others. Try this one: greasy Some of the people who live in Missouri end the name of their state with a long e, others with a schwa sound. Which way do you pronounce it? Which is correct? The word is actually the name of an Indian tribe. If there is any claim to correctness, it would be to pronounce it as the Indians did. But no one knows how they spoke. A linguist has argued that French trappers were the first Europeans who actually wrote the word down (phonetically, of course). Had the Indians ended their pronunciation with a schwa sound, the French would not have spelled Missouri with an i. Case closed? Hardly! The case of Arkansas is a strange one. A century and a half ago, many people favored pronouncing the word to rhyme with Kansas. In fact, the name of the Arkansas River is pronounced in this way today, but only as it flows through the state of Kansas! The issue grew so heated in Arkansas that the state Legislature became involved. An ad hoc committee was formed to consider the matter. Desperate to resolve the question, they wrote an official letter to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, asking him which pronunciation he felt was more poetic. He responded that the pronunciation AR-kan-saw seemed “slightly more musical.” Elated, the committee reported back to the Legislature, which quickly passed a resolution establishing the legal pronunciation!

2 Reason 2 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations The child’s pronunciation may not affect comprehension. This is the acid test! Pronouncing help without sounding the l is just not on a par with pronouncing red with a long e.

3 Reason 3 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations Calling attention to every dialect pronunciation may distract young children from comprehending and/or from learning the alphabetic principle. It is a bad idea to split their focus between acquiring decoding skills and questioning their mastery of spoken English.

3 Reason 3 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations Imagine trying to “correct” all of the dialect pronunciations in this sentence: Text: I can’t write with your pen. Child: Ah cain’t rot witch yo pin. It is a bad idea to split their focus between acquiring decoding skills and questioning their mastery of spoken English.

4 Reason 4 for not automatically correcting dialect pronunciations During the middle school years children become aware of the social significance of their dialect. Without being instructed in how to do so, most learn to shift styles easily, to match the context. In other words, dialect development is largely as developmental issue. – William Labov, 1962

To sum up, remember that dialects are variations of the same spoken language.

To sum up, remember that dialects are variations of the same spoken language. Languages English Spanish

To sum up, remember that dialects are variations of the same spoken language. Languages English Spanish Southern Midland Northern

{ There are two distinct levels. Languages English Spanish Southern Midland Northern Language Level Dialect

{ This is true whether we are describing regional or social dialects. Languages English Spanish “Power Code” AAVE Language Level Dialect

Speakers of all dialects must learn to read the same written language. { Languages English Spanish “Power Code” AAVE Language Level Dialect

The Issue of Ebonics Ebonics = Ebony + Phonics The rationale is political: If AAVE could be classified not as a dialect but as a language other than English, ESL funding would become available for schools with high percentages of African-American students. This argument does not appear to have gained much momentum.

Teachers in the primary grades should be aware of dialect differences, both social and regional; avoid trying to change children’s dialects by “correcting” their pronunciation; and model the “Power Code” in their own spoken English. It’s especially important that teachers be aware of the arbitrariness of dialect. They also need to avoid being distracted by it. The goal is reading, not diction.