Dialect continuum

Most English speaking individuals learn quickly that the language is one that allows for different interpretations of words, different applications of words, and different definitions for the same word. If English isn’t one’s native language, some words can be quite confusing unless you’ve been immersed in the language for a while. In the novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, author Mary Pearson uses definitions of a few specific words to show the struggle the main character, Jenna Fox, has…

In the WW1/WW2 era(1900-1940’s not that long ago) the way people would talk was different. Their pronunciation was different than today’s, but back then that was the right way to pronounce words, if you go back in time, you’ll notice that even their accents might be a little different. Language changes when time changes, so many new words are created over the years. New things are invented, like for example during WW2 the first computer was invented, before that nobody knew what the word…

I, Christina Belizaire, is a 14-year-old Haitian-American who is currently a freshman in High School. I have four older siblings (one brother and three sisters) and an aunt to 3 girls. The language other than English that I know and speak is Haitian-Creole. I guess I am an egalitarian because I believe everyone is equal and deserves the same opportunities as others no matter what race you are, what religion you practice, gender, your sexual orientation, and etc. The word “standard” have…

Amy Tan, an author of ¨Mother Tongue¨ elaborates about how there's different types of Englishes a person can have or speak. “Lately, I've been going more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as ¨broken¨ or ¨fractured¨ English¨. Her mom who immigrated to America from China speaks English that is considered to be not advanced in Western society. In other words, her mother can’t speak English well as others. From the article, Tan’s position on…

You find yourself struggling to understand the English being used by your new classmate. Have you ever wondered why people speak English differently, and who has established what is correct or incorrect? In David F. Wallace’s “Authority and American Usage (2001)” published in Harper’s Magazine, he is able to explore the answers behind these issues and uncover the “Usage Wars”. Author David F. Wallace loosely reviews Bryan A. Garner’s A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, while addressing…

Moses Maximov Jorge Villalobos English 100 October 10, 2014 Various English Amy Tan is the author of “Mother Tongue” essay. Her essay provides real life stories about her mother and herself struggling in America. Her story is an amazing eye opener because it makes people realize that someone who cannot speak standard English is less intelligent, but after reading “Mother Tongue” this person will change his/her opinion about people who cannot speak English. In her essay, Tan explain about her…

Dialects, the words we use and how we pronounce them, are a huge part of our daily lives. As we communicate and interact daily with others, dialects are imbedded in our everyday surroundings. Given that there is a large diversity of academic language, non-standard dialects, and Standard English that exists inside of schools, all languages should be accepted into the classroom by educators. One way to accept all languages is through the method of codeswitching: “the switching from the linguistic…

America has been considered a melting pot for multiple diverse people and cultures. In the past, settlers who traveled to and across the United States left their mark on various regions as they brought their accents, such as African languages molding dialects of the South and how French and English is intermingled by Cajuns in Louisiana. However, the documentary demonstrates and highlights how people tend to create stereotypes for people who do not speak the same way they do and how people may…

These will all be in Standard Australian English dialect and will use a formal register as they are using the language of instruction to convey information to students they need to learn (Emmitt et. al., 2010). By using the Australian Curriculum for English teachers can create and use different lesson…

situation is called a dialect. A “Dialect” is any form of a language that is odd to a specific group or region. According to James M. Rubenstein, there are a total of three dialect regions, and they are New England, Southeastern, and Midlands. There are also major dialects in the United States by itself. These dialects are called the North, Southern, Midlands, and the west. Dialects are based on spelling, vocabulary, and the way individuals pronounce the words. An example of a dialect would be…