Back in my glory days of playing competitive hockey, I traveled around the United States and abroad. Every time I came home I would speak slightly different. I could remember coming home from a weekend in Canada and speaking with a Canadian accent. Similarly, after a weekend in Boston, I remember that god awful Bostonian accent. For a short time, I would pronounce words like “car” as “cah”, or “dark” as “dahk.” The more time I spent home, however, the accents would wear off. Perhaps you have had similar occurrences. How in the world does this happen?
If you have ever been to different parts of the country, you have probably noticed that people speak with different accents. Perhaps the most famous one is the southern drawl, where adding a twang in an otherwise easily pronounced word might project images of the American flag, Budweiser, NASCAR, or your favorite country music star. Everyone knows of the ghetto accent as well, or Ebonics for all you politically correct folks. With the ghetto accent in mind, it is all too easy to judge someone using words such as “Homie”, “Dog”, or “Brother” to refer to a friend, even though “Homie” is a made up word, “Dog” is an animal, and “Brother” is a sibling. So, how is it that the English language has become this way? Why do people think they have to speak a certain way because of their surroundings?
Obviously, this guy loves America, so he HAS to speak with a southern drawl, right? Perhaps you think his speech, love of beer, American flag button-down, jean shorts, belt buckle, and work boots all make for the perfect package. Would you find this guy equally entertaining if he spoke with a mid-western accent?
These different types of dialect can be traced back to cities or people of the same socioeconomic class. These changes in speech occur over the beginning of people’s lives or a long time exposed to them so it can be seen as suspicious when an accent immediately appears.
This video demonstrates how someone might cover up their original dialect to possibly advance a career, to fit in, or maybe told to do so. It’s also interesting that someone’s mind will switch back to what it originally learned. It’s known that actors sometimes have to lose their thick accents to be in feature films because for some weird reason nobody wants to hear a Jersey accent for 2 hours. Is it right to make someone lose a piece of their culture to fit in? Dialects give someone a sense of individuality and background.
With all the different ways we speak the English language, some might think that the concept of “Standard English” is harmful. How is there a certain way we should speak English when there are so many different types of dialects and sociolects? There are several things that factor into someone’s dialect, so is this “Standard” wrong for wanting to make everyone sound alike?
I know what it's like to pick up accents from people who speak them. I remember the first time I watched a Harry Potter film, and walked away talking like the actors had the entire film. At that time I didn't realize where the actors were from, so I thought they were faking the accents, and I thought it was really cool. Then I realized that they were authentic. Of course, those were British actors playing British characters, so they didn't have to change to fit in. Could an American have played a part in the movie? If so, they would have needed to drop their own way of speaking to assume the 'Brit' way of talking. It seems like they're sacrificing themselves, but really that's what happens every time an actor steps onto the stage. Also, I understand how people feel when they fear losing their culture. My opinion is that we need some form of standardized English though, otherwise the language will continue to evolve and we will end up with multiple, incompatible languages. Then it wouldn't be English anymore, would it? So I think we should at least make some attempt at lingual integrity.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was little after watching Notting Hill I tried to talk in a British accent like Hugh Grant. Even now after watching the reality series Jersey Shore I think it is hilarious to try and talk with the Jersey accent. I always thought accents were so neat and I still do. After coming to college down here in Athens I was told that I had an accent and I only live in Northeast Ohio. I can’t tell that I talk different, but some people notice. I sometimes notice myself changing the way I talk, not even to fit in, but sometimes people’s language is so easy to pick up especially if you are around one particular group of people a lot. For example, I tend to cut off the end of words. I am not even sure why I do it. I think I just thought it sounded cool and my friends do it, so I just picked it up? Like instead of saying obvious I say obvi. I do not think it is wrong for wanting to make everyone sound alike, but I do not think it will ever happen. This is what makes the English language and American culture so unique.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to picking up an accent. Most of my family is from the south and have pretty thick accents. Every time I talk to them or visit them it brings out my southern accent. It also sometimes comes out in my everyday speech with words like "thang"(thing) and ya'll. I am also able to do a British accent. I picked it up on a trip to England and it is funny to just start using it and see the reactions that people have. Like Kelly said, I don't know that it is "wrong" to want a "Standard English" but I don't think that it will ever happen. There are so many different ways that people talk, pronounce words, accents and slang terms that they will never be able to all come together perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI pick up accents like it's my job. I had a really good friend in high school that pronounced all of her A's really weird, she used to get made fun of so much, until all of her friends started talking like that. It was weird how everyone that spent so much time with her started to speak exactly how she did. It almost became a popular thing to speak with that sort of accent. I used to play volleyball and we would travel all around the US for tournaments, and my team would sit and imitate all of the different ways people would talk, it was so easy to imitate them that some of us couldn't help but continue speaking like that specific person for the whole day. I feel like if you hear something enough you will automatically copy the sounds and pronunciations. That is definitely why a younger child from Tennessee speaks in a different way than a child in California, they imitate the way their parents talk and automatically sound different. I talk the way I do because of my mom and dad, while I might chance up accents because of friends, I will always go back to speaking in the way that I was taught as a young kid. I feel that it's easy to pick up accents, but it is extremely temporary and you will always go back to speaking the way you were originally taught.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to pick up on accents and different dialects. I have a little sister that loves to act like she is British. She thinks it's absolutely hilarious for some reason. It can be either fascinating or amusing to do something different from what a community is familiar with. I also do believe that people often choose to pick up on these for sake of an "image" they are trying to create for themselves. My brother often drives me crazy speaking with a southern twang that the rest of my family doesn't have. We did grow out in the country on a farm and he takes pride in that. There really isn't an explanation other than him wanting to portray that. I think it's the same when it comes to jobs and speaking more proper than what you normally would. It’s a matter of wanting to be professional. Speaking in a certain way may be as appropriate as the jobs attire. It makes me think of the way adults always make of point of saying kids shouldn’t speak to them as they would their friends. This is something I don't see disappearing anytime soon. People are judgmental by nature and just about everything carries some sort of stereotype with it. I think this discussion is pretty similar to the one we had in class when analyzing the letter from Daniels hometown.
ReplyDeleteI find it really easy to pick up accents and be able to change the way I talk just from being in a different region. My mom travels to the south a lot for her job, and I can always notice a southern accent when she comes back. She will talk to her clients in the south with this accent as well. When I was little, I would always try to talk like my Grandma who was from New York. I do not think there is anything wrong with having a certain dialect or trying to pick up on others accents, and I agree with Kelly in saying that this is what makes the English language and American culture so unique. I find it fascinating when hearing different dialects and accents, and I think that people should embrace them and not hide them.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I want to say that I about cried after the Pabst video because it was so funny. But besides that, dialect has always been a phenomenon that I find extremely interesting. My parents were born and raised in New Jersey, while I was born in Denver, Colorado, and then raised here in Athens (what a combination, right?). For this reason the differences in way people speak has always been present in my life. I have literally watched my parents accents fade and start to become more like the accents of this area, and they have watched my accent grow from neutral to more distinctly Midwestern. I still laugh at my cousins accents when I go home. In my opinion, that is one of the best things about getting to know someone from somewhere else. I love going to the beach and trying to pick out where someone is from by their dialect. However, I also understand the concept of “standard English”. While I do not believe someone should completely change how they speak or that there is necessarily a specific accepted way to talk, I believe more common words should be used in professional conversation. For example, I would never use the word rutter (a term that derives from southeast Ohio) in a business meeting. Also, if I had a strong southern draw and I was in a meeting with people from New England, I would probably try to lessen the intensity of my accent to make it easier for others to understand what I was saying. Beyond that, I think dialect is another thing that makes our world interesting. And by the way, a girl with a southern accent…you got to love it.
ReplyDeleteYou always hear of the “southern twang,” the British accent and the accents associated with the larger regions of the world, but living in just another area of Ohio for an extended period of time, it’s interesting to hear all the other Ohio accents. Here in Athens was the first time I had heard of the Cincinnati accent. Being from Cincinnati I don’t notice it, but even while traveling I have not been told I have much of an accent. However, my friends make fun of me all the time for having the Cleveland “a,” as I’ve heard it been called. I’m not sure where I picked it up from, considering I have never been to Cleveland, but it comes out in my speech every once in a while. Like Kelly, I too shorten a lot of my words. I started doing it because my older cousin did and I wanted to be just like her. Now I do it just out of habit. I’m so used to it I don’t even think about it. I think that accents and twists people put on the way they speak makes them unique. I think that making a “Standard English “language would lessen the diversity of our culture.
ReplyDeleteI can certainly relate to these accents and dialects that change from region to region. Being from Pittsburgh it is easy to see the difference in accents that exists in the city and the type of talk that is used in the suburbs. When you take the 15-minute ride into the city you no longer are in downtown Pittsburgh, but instead in “dahntahn Pikksburgh” and the football team changes from the Steelers to the “Stillers”.
ReplyDeleteThis Pittsburgh accent is entertaining to me and I thoroughly enjoy picking up on any other accents that I can. For me, different accents are intriguing and I feel that they help give groups of people their own identities. For this reason I feel that forcing all citizens to adopt a Standard English dialect would be harmful. First of all I’m not even sure that doing such a thing is even possible since there are so many different accents in the US and spread out over such a large area. I feel that these accents for the most part are harmless to the English language and there is not a strong enough reason to force people to lose some of their individuality just to for the sake of being standardized. After all, we are the melting pot aren’t we?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE ACCENTS! I think they are so much fun to listen to and admit it, I bet almost everyone has tried to talk in a British Accent, I'll own up to it! I totally agree with the blog when saying that accents tell so much about a person, like where they are from. The blog mentions the Boston accent, my favorite. After spending last summer in Boston, I have grown to love their accent. You can tell where from within Boston they are from by the slang terms that they use. It's SO interesting to hear. Also, speaking of slang, I think that slang has got a little out of hand. There are now abbreviations for every word and every single person talks a different way. I'm not by any means saying that this is a bad thing, I just think that it can get vary confusing. For example, I would personally use the term "my friend" but someone else could use "dawg". How am i supposed to know that they are referring to a person and not an animal. In conclusion, I feel that accents and dialects are both very fun and important, but when slang comes into the picture, I think that it where it gets a tad out of hand.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to this post (which i already submitted and am now getting back on to add to), I just logged into facebook to find that someone "became a fan" of the Idiots Guide to Slang. This reinforces my claim that slang is getting out of hand. If we have to use guides to teach us how other people have twisted words, I think that is a little ridiculous!
I love accents, too! They can define who a person is or where they are from. It has been a fun experience in college to hear the different accents around campus. For instance, I am a friend to a guy who grew up in Africa who has a strong accent and instantly, I knew he wasn’t from around here.
ReplyDeleteI am from Michigan and I have a very northern accent. For going to a school in the state of Ohio, it is very common for people to ask where I am from. Many consider me having a Cleveland accent because I pronounce my “A’s” very long and some people may say, nasally. The few times I have even gone home, my family and friends have noticed a change in my accent to be more southern. It is fun being an out of state student to see how “Ohio” language differs from my own.
Even around Michigan, I can tell differences in language from where people are from. For instance, I live in a suburb outside Detroit called Grosse Pointe. When I travel 30 minutes to Detroit, the language and twang instantly changes. The language is very ghetto and shows they are uneducated. People have heard of Detroit as being very run down and trashy, and by all means, the language shows it!
Before coming to Ohio University I had never really been exposed to so many different accents. I hadn't really realized that even in different parts of Ohio there are many different accents. I have made a few friends from Cincinnati who also seem to have a different accent. They also accuse me of having a nasal sound to my a's. I always thought that my accent was that of everybody from Ohio. I knew that there were certain parts of Ohio would be pretty different such as people from the more rural Ohio and the downtown Cleveland. I just didn't think that there would be at all a noticeable difference from people in suburban Cleveland and suburban Cincinnati. I still think that almost any accent is better than a heavy Jersey Shore accent.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I too take on the accent of wherever I am. I went to a leadership seminar in Washington DC and hung around with a lot of kids from Minnesota. They elongate certain sounds and sure enough, when I got home, I was saying I met people from MineeSODA. I really thought the video of the news reporter was hilarious though. It’s obvious he tried to change the way his culture formed he to speak into a way that was more appropriate for the job he wanted. Reporters aren’t really supposed to drop f-bombs in their news segments, anyway. It’s also funny to see people talking about the Ohio accent and how we never notice it until someone points it out, I know I’m the same way. Even when we say things like “pop” instead of “soda” or “please?” instead of “what?” people ask me where I’m from and who taught me to say things like that. But all in all, I find language to be extremely interesting because everyone is so different and it’s really fun to learn about someone’s culture by learning his or her language.
ReplyDeleteLike Kelsey, I love learning about the differences in languages. It's so crazy how Columbus has a pretty midwestern dialogue, but drive two hours north and the inhabitants of Cleveland can't say the word AAAApple. I loved coming to college and getting the joy of someone who had no idea they even said a word differently, but it's so obvious to somebody else. My favorite language story is when I go on my mission trips and we get placed in a six-person group with people from all over the country. One year we had someone from South Dakota (yeah, i guess some people actually live there) Louisiana, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida, and me from Ohio. Talk about a week learning about the ways that people speak. Or my best friend from Canada who has my favorite accent in north america. I love how you can guess where a person is from simply by having a short conversation with them.
ReplyDeleteThe different dialects of the US is caused by small towns and areas not being in contact with others. I wonder if someday these accents will die out because of our interconnectedness. I sure hope not :)
I agree with all yinz and the fact that its easy to pick up on accents. One of my best friends here is from Cleveland and when we met one another, the first thing we noticed was our speech. Me being from Pittsburgh and she being from Cleveland I was very surprised to see how differently we say things. I think accents are a good thing, they distinguish people from one another and where they come from. I think accents are very interesting and are something everyone likes to talk about. I have many relatives from Kentucky and there are so many things that we say differently, and it always ends up being a great conversation. When it comes to whether its right or wrong to have people change their accents to fit in I think it all depends on the situation. I think if it is an actor/ actress and they are playing the part of someone living in the south I think it is very important for them to have the change in accents.
ReplyDelete