Chapter 5

Please note that the labels on each recording (for example, "Chicago English" or "Black English") were provided by the person who made the recording available for you to listen to. Other linguists or individuals may not agree on the description as it stands. The best example of this: you'll note that some recordings are marked "general" American, which is problematic for the same reasons the term "standard" English is problematic.

Audio Examples

Audio

Accent	Chapter	Page #	Online Example Title	URL
SAE	5	110	International Dialects of English Archive: General American	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/general-american
Chilean	5	111	International Dialects of English Archive: Dialects and Accents of Chile	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/chile
Muslim	5	111	The Speech Accent Archive: Farsi 1-13 The Speech Accent Archive: Arabic 1-42 The Speech Accent Archive: Pashto 1-7 The Speech Accent Archive: Turkish 1-24	http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=farsi http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=arabic http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=pashto http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=turkish
Mississippi	5	111	International Dialects of English Archive: Dialects of Mississippi	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/mississippi
South Carolina	5	111	International Dialects of English Archive: Dialects of South Carolina	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/south-carolina
Hawai'ian creole	5	111	Language Varieties: Kent Sakoda speaks Hawai'i Creole English	http://www.hawaii.edu/satocenter/langnet/sounds/hcesound.html
AAVE	5	111	International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Four (African-American female, born 1928, Chambers County, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Nine (African-American female, born 1942, Tuskeehee, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Thirteen (African-American male, age 20, Montgomery, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Illinois Four (African-American female, age 23, theater student) International Dialects of English Archive: Kentucky Four (African-American female age 19, Paducah, KY) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana One A (African-American male, born 1972, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana Two (African-American female, born 1985, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana Three (African-American female, born 1985, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Michigan Nine (African-American male, born 1984, Detroit, MI, student) International Dialects of English Archive: Mississippi Three (African-American male, sixties, Grenada, MS) International Dialects of English Archive: North Carolina Five (African-American male, 30s, Winston-Salem, NC) International Dialects of English Archive: South Carolina Four (African-American female, born 1986, Florence, SC) International Dialects of English Archive: Texas Seventeen (African-American male, raised in Texas)	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-9 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-13 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/illinois-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/kentucky-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/Louisiana-1a http://www.dialectsarchive.com/louisiana-2 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/louisiana-3 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/michigan-9 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/mississippi-3 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/north-carolina-5 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/south-carolina-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/texas-17
Cambodian American	5	111	The Speech Accent Archive: Khmer Four (male age 31, born Phnom Penh, Cambodia, lived in the US for 16 yrs) The Speech Accent Archive: Khmer 1-4	http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=detail&speakerid=1087 http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=khmer
Black southern accent	5	114	International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Four (African-American female, born 1928, Chambers County, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Nine (African-American female, born 1942, Tuskeehee, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Thirteen (African-American male, age 20, Montgomery, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Kentucky Four (African-American female age 19, Paducah, KY) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana One A (African-American male, born 1972, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana Two (African-American female, born 1985, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Mississippi Three (African-American male, sixties, Grenada, MS) International Dialects of English Archive: South Carolina Four (African-American female, born 1986, Florence, SC) International Dialects of English Archive: Texas Seventeen (African-American male, raised in Texas)	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-9 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-13 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/kentucky-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/Louisiana-1a http://www.dialectsarchive.com/louisiana-2 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/mississippi-3 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/south-carolina-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/texas-17
French accent	5	117	International Dialects of English Archive: Dialects and Accents of France	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/france
Asian accent	5	117	International Dialects of English Archive: Dialects and Accents of Asia	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/asia
African American Vernacular English	5	117	International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Four (African-American female, born 1928, Chambers County, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Nine (African-American female, born 1942, Tuskeehee, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Alabama Thirteen (African-American male, age 20, Montgomery, AL) International Dialects of English Archive: Illinois Four (African-American female, age 23, theater student) International Dialects of English Archive: Kentucky Four (African-American female age 19, Paducah, KY) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana One A (African-American male, born 1972, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana Two (African-American female, born 1985, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Louisiana Three (African-American female, born 1985, New Orleans, LA) International Dialects of English Archive: Michigan Nine (African-American male, born 1984, Detroit, MI, student) International Dialects of English Archive: Mississippi Three (African-American male, sixties, Grenada, MS) International Dialects of English Archive: North Carolina Five (African-American male, 30s, Winston-Salem, NC) International Dialects of English Archive: South Carolina Four (African-American female, born 1986, Florence, SC) International Dialects of English Archive: Texas Seventeen (African-American male, raised in Texas)	http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-9 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/alabama-13 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/illinois-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/kentucky-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/Louisiana-1a http://www.dialectsarchive.com/louisiana-2 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/louisiana-3 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/michigan-9 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/mississippi-3 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/north-carolina-5 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/south-carolina-4 http://www.dialectsarchive.com/texas-17

Discussion questions

1. In Chapter 5, the author describes how speakers of devalued varieties of English sometimes buy in to the standard language ideology. The author mentions speakers who sound like they are Chilean*, Muslim*, or Mississippian* as examples of people with accents that may start to denigrate their own language varieties. Listen to the samples of these accents found in the International Dialects of English Archive and the Speech Accent Archive and discuss why these speakers might become complicit in their own language subordination.

2. In Chapter 5, the author describes instances of resistance to the dominant language ideology and gives examples related to South Carolinian English*, Hawai’ian Creole*, AAVE*, and Cambodian-American English*. Listen to the samples of these language varieties found in the International Dialects of English Archive and the Speech Accent Archive. What strategies can speakers like these use to resist language subordination?

3. Listen to the samples of AAVE*, French-accented English*, and Asian-accented English* from the International Dialects of English Archive. What shapes a person’s reaction to certain accents? Why do you think some people have a positive reaction to French accents but a negative reaction to Asian accents or AAVE?

Videos

“English Lesson”
From G’s to Gents, Season 2, Episode 3, Sneak Peek
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/342620/english-lesson.jhtml#id=1605219

This video clip provides material for discussion of language subordination.

Discussion question

1. How does the content of this video illustrate the language subordination process?

Further Resources

Crowley, T. (2003) Standard American English and the Politics of Language. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Milroy, J. (2001) Language Ideologies and the Consequences of Standardization. Journal of Sociolinguistics 5(4): 530–555.

Milroy, J. and Milroy, L. (2002). Authority in Language: Investigating Standard English. London: Routledge.

Images

A sticky note with a sentence of Singaporean English crossed out and replaced with a Standard American sentence. These sticky notes are a part of the Speak Good English Movement in Singapore.
http://www.thewesternstar.com/media/photos/unis/photo_1159209_resize.jpg

Links

Speak Singlish can? Cannot. Singapore fears local patois will crowd out proper English.
The Western Star
http://www.thewesternstar.com/Canada---World/Society/2010-09-07/article-1730644/Speak-Singlish-can%3F-
Cannot.-Singapore-fears-local-patois-will-crowd-out-proper-English/1

RSS & Blogs

The Language Maven’s Nest: http://mavensays.blogspot.com/
Language Log: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/