Hey guys. It's been quite a while since I've been on here, but I just can't find much time to devote to internet forums these days.
Anyway, if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it or suggest it be moved.
Most of you are probably aware of the Tumblr/YouTube Regional Dialect Challenge meme thing that became viral a few years ago. The point was to create an online archive of the phonological differences between varieties of the English language – in other words, to collect and show off the different accents of the vast swath of dialects spoken in the English speaking world.
I would like to do something similar here.
On Being Ashamed!
Keep in mind that no dialect or accent is uneducated, lazy, improper, or wrong in anyway whatsoever. Linguistically, all languages and their varieties are equal in merit. Language is an ever evolving organism and dialectical variation (and as a result, accent variation) is normal and pervasive. Most languages are spoken in a context where the passage of time and geographic distribution results in vastly different phonologies and grammars. There is no objective linguistic criteria that says that one language or one dialect or one accent is superior or inferior to another in any way. The attitude that some dialects are superior to others is called sociolinguistic prestige, and those who hold onto such views show only their ignorance about linguistics. All dialects are extremely complex, have a consistent internal grammatical logic, and their phonological constraints and phonetic variations are equal to all others and develop and evolve in predictable ways. Both educated and uneducated people speak a perfectly correct language for their regions or peer groups; linguistic drift has nothing to do with education or intelligence level. Education just attempts to ratify a standard language, describing and codifying one particular dialect or amalgam of dialects, especially those spoken by a ruling social class or what have you. So don’t be shy to share your accent!
You do have an accent!
We all have an accent since there is no objective linguistic standard to judge phonetic units as "normal". Anyone who believes he/she doesn't have an accent thinks that way because he/she grew up around people and media that spoke like they did, so of course it's going to sound "normal" and unaccentuated to them. A standard, pure, proper, and educated language is nothing more than a random regional dialect with a random grammar arrangement, a random spelling convention, and a random phonology that just so happens to have an army and a navy behind it. :woo:
Anyway, I’m interested in hearing how you sound and comparing that to where you come from. English has hundreds of dialects and I’m curious what MAP's population has to offer.
For this project, we can use the Vocaroo free voice recording site. When you are done with the directions below, please link us to your recording. Click “click here to save” to have your personal url appear when done recording.
So, for this project I’m basically going to combine and edit three things: the Tumblr Regional Dialect Meme, the Worldwide Accent Project, and the Cambridge Dialect Survey.
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Write this information in your comment.
1.) Are you male or female? What is your age? Is English your native language or a second language?
2.) Where were you raised as a child? List the city/town, state/province/etc, and finally the country.
3.) Where do you live now? Is where you live now a place that exhibits a different accent or dialect from the place you grew up? Or is it about the same? Which region do you think you most sound like? If you are bidialectal, feel free to do two recordings with the dialect you spoke when you were younger as well as the one you speak currently.
While recording your voice, speak just like you would with your family or close friends.
What to put on the recording:
Please say the following words. Feel free to comment on anything during the process:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Cot, Mary, Marry, Merry, Cart, Car, Robert, Sorry, About, Out, Saw it, Five, Six, Seven, Talk, Coffee.
Now answer these questions. You can do so via Vocaroo (preferably) or you can simply write it out if you want. If you think you don’t have a word for any concept below, please say so.
1.) What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
2.)What is the small beetle-like bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
3.) What do you call bubbly carbonated drinks like Sprite or Pepsi?
4.) What do you call gym shoes or generally informal shoes worn for athletic activities?
5.) What word do you use in casual speech to address a group of two or more people? For example, "you", "you all", "yall", etc.
6.) What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
7.) What do you call your grandparents?
8.) What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
9.) What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
10.) What is the thing you change the TV channel with?
11.) What do you call the gooey or dry matter that collects in the corners of your eyes, especially while you are sleeping?
12.) What is your preferred general and casual term for a sale of your unwanted items (which may be held on your porch, in your yard, garden, or house, from the back of your car, etc.)?
13.) What’s it called when you have to wait single-file with a group of people?
14.) What do you call an upholstered seat for more than one person?
15.) What do you call a room equipped with toilets and lavatories for public use?
16.) What do you call an artificial nipple, usually made of plastic, which an infant can suck or chew on?
17.) What do you say when you don't quite hear someone and want them to repeat what they just said?
And finally, please read this passage aloud. The passage will demonstrate the majority of your dialect’s phonetic range. Take your time and don’t worry if you stumble over a few words. It happens to everyone:
“See above those clouds, near where the blue sky appears to fold? Some say it is the entrance to the floating isles where pirates still rule the air and dragons choose to live. Only the most skilled pilots can sail their craft close enough to even glimpse the light coming from within. You can't find those who know the way; they find you. Rather, you four lazy tourists must learn from your books and be ready, so that you may not miss an opportunity to travel to that mysterious place. It would be an adventure that you would never forget. Now, I think that's enough with this pleasurable story telling. Go home and join your aunt - she's cooking fine food!”
Anyway, if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it or suggest it be moved.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Noam Chomsky We may as individuals be rather fond of our own dialect. This should not make us think, though, that it is actually any better than any other dialect. Dialects are not good or bad, nice or nasty, right or wrong – they are just different from one another, and it is the mark of a civilized society that it tolerates different dialects just as it tolerates different races, religions and sexes. |
Most of you are probably aware of the Tumblr/YouTube Regional Dialect Challenge meme thing that became viral a few years ago. The point was to create an online archive of the phonological differences between varieties of the English language – in other words, to collect and show off the different accents of the vast swath of dialects spoken in the English speaking world.
I would like to do something similar here.
On Being Ashamed!
Keep in mind that no dialect or accent is uneducated, lazy, improper, or wrong in anyway whatsoever. Linguistically, all languages and their varieties are equal in merit. Language is an ever evolving organism and dialectical variation (and as a result, accent variation) is normal and pervasive. Most languages are spoken in a context where the passage of time and geographic distribution results in vastly different phonologies and grammars. There is no objective linguistic criteria that says that one language or one dialect or one accent is superior or inferior to another in any way. The attitude that some dialects are superior to others is called sociolinguistic prestige, and those who hold onto such views show only their ignorance about linguistics. All dialects are extremely complex, have a consistent internal grammatical logic, and their phonological constraints and phonetic variations are equal to all others and develop and evolve in predictable ways. Both educated and uneducated people speak a perfectly correct language for their regions or peer groups; linguistic drift has nothing to do with education or intelligence level. Education just attempts to ratify a standard language, describing and codifying one particular dialect or amalgam of dialects, especially those spoken by a ruling social class or what have you. So don’t be shy to share your accent!
You do have an accent!
We all have an accent since there is no objective linguistic standard to judge phonetic units as "normal". Anyone who believes he/she doesn't have an accent thinks that way because he/she grew up around people and media that spoke like they did, so of course it's going to sound "normal" and unaccentuated to them. A standard, pure, proper, and educated language is nothing more than a random regional dialect with a random grammar arrangement, a random spelling convention, and a random phonology that just so happens to have an army and a navy behind it. :woo:
Anyway, I’m interested in hearing how you sound and comparing that to where you come from. English has hundreds of dialects and I’m curious what MAP's population has to offer.
For this project, we can use the Vocaroo free voice recording site. When you are done with the directions below, please link us to your recording. Click “click here to save” to have your personal url appear when done recording.
So, for this project I’m basically going to combine and edit three things: the Tumblr Regional Dialect Meme, the Worldwide Accent Project, and the Cambridge Dialect Survey.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Write this information in your comment.
1.) Are you male or female? What is your age? Is English your native language or a second language?
2.) Where were you raised as a child? List the city/town, state/province/etc, and finally the country.
3.) Where do you live now? Is where you live now a place that exhibits a different accent or dialect from the place you grew up? Or is it about the same? Which region do you think you most sound like? If you are bidialectal, feel free to do two recordings with the dialect you spoke when you were younger as well as the one you speak currently.
While recording your voice, speak just like you would with your family or close friends.
What to put on the recording:
Please say the following words. Feel free to comment on anything during the process:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Cot, Mary, Marry, Merry, Cart, Car, Robert, Sorry, About, Out, Saw it, Five, Six, Seven, Talk, Coffee.
Now answer these questions. You can do so via Vocaroo (preferably) or you can simply write it out if you want. If you think you don’t have a word for any concept below, please say so.
1.) What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
2.)What is the small beetle-like bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
3.) What do you call bubbly carbonated drinks like Sprite or Pepsi?
4.) What do you call gym shoes or generally informal shoes worn for athletic activities?
5.) What word do you use in casual speech to address a group of two or more people? For example, "you", "you all", "yall", etc.
6.) What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
7.) What do you call your grandparents?
8.) What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
9.) What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
10.) What is the thing you change the TV channel with?
11.) What do you call the gooey or dry matter that collects in the corners of your eyes, especially while you are sleeping?
12.) What is your preferred general and casual term for a sale of your unwanted items (which may be held on your porch, in your yard, garden, or house, from the back of your car, etc.)?
13.) What’s it called when you have to wait single-file with a group of people?
14.) What do you call an upholstered seat for more than one person?
15.) What do you call a room equipped with toilets and lavatories for public use?
16.) What do you call an artificial nipple, usually made of plastic, which an infant can suck or chew on?
17.) What do you say when you don't quite hear someone and want them to repeat what they just said?
And finally, please read this passage aloud. The passage will demonstrate the majority of your dialect’s phonetic range. Take your time and don’t worry if you stumble over a few words. It happens to everyone:
“See above those clouds, near where the blue sky appears to fold? Some say it is the entrance to the floating isles where pirates still rule the air and dragons choose to live. Only the most skilled pilots can sail their craft close enough to even glimpse the light coming from within. You can't find those who know the way; they find you. Rather, you four lazy tourists must learn from your books and be ready, so that you may not miss an opportunity to travel to that mysterious place. It would be an adventure that you would never forget. Now, I think that's enough with this pleasurable story telling. Go home and join your aunt - she's cooking fine food!”
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