1. Language and Community
language: a means of describing or capturing what we know.
community: something we create to produce knowledge, authority, and language.
Relationship between—
Language creates community
community of English speakers
Community influences language
musicians

2. Language and Community: Region and Dialect
dialect: a neutral label used to refer to any variety of a language shared by a group of speakers.
Often based on geographical region and community
To speak a language is to speak a dialect.
No particular “evaluations” –not good or bad.
Not deviant or corrupt—different language systems
Socially privileged or “standard” varieties are just as much dialect as socially marginalized groups.

3. Language and Community: Dialect Examples
Non-regional:
Standard English
Informal Standard English
African American Vernacular English
Regional:
Chicago Urban
Upper Midwestern
Southern Appalacian
Ozark

5. Language and Identity Our individual use of language is unique:
accent—affected by area we live and travel
diction (word choice)—affected by family and education
patterns/quirks—affected by friends, movies, books, exposure, etc.
dialect/vernacular—affected by region/community

6. Language and Identity Communication Accommodation Theory
People bend/shape their language toward or away from their communication partner’s.
i.e. We adjust our communication to differ from or connect with others.
Dictated by circumstances, objectives, how we wish to be perceived, judgments of society, etc.

7. Language and Identity
code-switching: the practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation.
FIVE REASONS WE CODE SWITCH (from NPR):
Our lizard brains take over.
We want to fit in.
We want to get something.
We want to say something secret.
We want to convey a thought.

8. In the WRITING section of your binder:
Respond to the following in a reflective paragraph, please 
Do you code-switch? In what situations and/or with whom do you do so? Why do you code switch in these situations? What do you get out of doing so? What is the danger in code- switching?