The Eternal Question

This question was posed to me in a comment on my last post and is still puzzling me now (and very well may continue to do so for awhile).  How do we tell students that SAE is the accepted dialect in the academic and professional world without making it sound superior to other dialects.  Does this reason even exist or is it just one of those social rules created without rhyme or reason to the frustration of many?

The Great Divide

The great clash between linguistic reality and social acceptance  for dialects is a tough one to tackle in the classroom.  Students pick up on the social attitudes towards various dialects.  As a result, we as teachers must be careful about what bias we may pass on to our students.  I believe it is our responsibility to teach the variations in dialects while also teaching standard English to prepare them to function in higher institutions.  I think it is quite possible to teach various dialects without raising one above the other as "right" or wrong".  Social Studies do a similar thing with religions all the time--they teach the basic concepts without promoting one religion over the other.  We can do the same with dialects.  Teach the basic grammar, syntax, word structure etc of a specific dialect.  This will teach students the difference between standard English and said dialect and help them realize one style is not necessarily "correct."  However, we must also explain that standard English is the most accepted among higher institutions, businesses, etc.  These lessons will help prepare students to function in multiple aspects of society using various dialects and will help wipe out ignorance concerning "uneducated" ways of speaking.

An Introduction to Cassidy

I hail from Missoula, Montana.  Just to get things straight-yes I was born and raised a Grizzly but I love my Bobcats.  I'd say I've lived a pretty standard life so far.  I've always loved school.  However, I also enjoy many alternative activities.  I've been involved with music for years now.  I started playing piano when I was five and took lessons for 11 years.  I picked up the flute in fourth grade and still play in the MSU wind ensemble today.  Music has taken me on several journeys--the biggest of which was a 1 month-6 country tour of Europe with a national honor band.  The experience was amazing and will hopefully aid me in contributing to discussions about language in this class.  I also enjoy sports-I've played soccer, basketball, and ran cross-country in high school.  I'm also a major fan of ultimate frisbee, hiking, rafting, camping, and all the wonderful activities Montana has to offer.

My love for the Montana is one reason I'm attending MSU-I simply couldn't bear to leave this beautiful state.  My father taught high-school English for 20 years (he now works in the library) and has been my biggest influence in becoming a teacher.  I have a great love for reading and the English language and will consider myself a successful teacher if I can pass on that passion to a handful of my future students.  I am halfway through my education and becoming both excited and nervous to get into my own classroom.  I'm looking forward to this class and our discussions of this crazy language we all love!

A True Story in a different dialect

In reading "A True Story" by Mark Twain, it's impossible not to notice the heavy Southern, African-American dialect.  I have categorized some of the differences with examples below.

Spelling: bawn (born), jist (just), dem (them), turrible, git, dat, tetches (touches), sk'yar (scar), pooty (pretty) In many cases, "I"was substituted for "e" to emphasize the short vowel sound. Same with "d" for "t" as in the word there (or dere, dem, etc.)  Several words were shortened or used contractions rather than the full word we commonly hear today.  This made the narrator sound less educated but perfectly captured the dialect.

Sentence Structure/Grammar:  Some sentences had alternative word placement to what we would use in modern English today.  For example: "has I had any trouble", "i knows", "she up and she says"

Use of "sah" (sir) as a placement of class/ term of respect

Colloquialism: "Blue Hen Chickens"--I have no clue what this means. "Niggers"-an offensive word today, niggers was a common term of the time period and used in the South.  Therefore, including this word was essential to capturing the dialect. Other words we no longer use much include "mosey", "swelled around."

Twain is known for his excellent ability to capture various dialects and this short story was no exception.

Teaching the English Language

Oh, the challenges that face us as future English educators.  My father was a high school English teacher and I have consequently grown up with a love for the language and extreme passion for reading.  As a teacher, I would love to focus mainly on literature and reading.  Literature is an essential part of our culture and learning.  Analyzing literature helps us to create our own thoughts and opinions towards written material as well as society and life in general.  Alas, I know I will have to incorporate other aspects of English as well.  Many students in the high school setting take English only because they have to as a required course, and therefore invest little interest in reading the literature.  I will do my best to instill a love for reading in their hearts but I owe those students other important lessons as well.  These include grammar, writing, and public speaking.  In today's world, English has become an international language essential to every major and position my future students will choose to pursue.  As a result, my job is to prepare them to use the English language to the best of their ability.  They must have a grasp of grammar and syntax so they can put together logical, concise sentences in both their writing and speaking.  Writing is essential for college acceptance and various forms of communication be it academic essays or emails. I think public speaking is also an essential part of the English language.  Students must be able to communicate clearly and effectively to successfully navigate our society.  Future teachers have a responsibility to prepare their students to be successful in life and teaching literature, writing and speaking will be important as a future English educator.