Date: Fri, 15 Dec 1995 09:38:10 -0600 From: "Timothy C. Frazer" Subject: Re: Unauth Index to "American Tongues" - Improvements Invited The trouble here may be that there are two versions of the movie. Tim Frazer On Thu, 14 Dec 1995, Terry Lynn Irons wrote: > Having used the video tape on many occasions, I can attest that > the following index by Ms. Dumas is not accurate. It is not even > accurate as an outline. An excellent educational supplement to > the video tape was prepared by Walt Wolfram, which suggests that > the video tape falls into three natural parts: the nature of > dialects, the origin of dialects, and the consequences of speaking > a dialect. Ms Dumas index not only does not reflect that structure, > but is seriously incorrect if it intends to reflect the linear > progression of the tape. > > The tape, nonetheless, is worthwhile for all to use. > > > > > Unauthorized Index to Contents of "American Tongues" > > > > Compiled by Bethany Dumas, UTK English Department, 1994 > > > > 1. Southern (Black English?) > > 2. Mary had a little lamb > > Its fleece was white as snow > > And everywhere that Mary went > > The lamb was sure to go > > 6 speakers: white male, white female, (Penn Dutch?), white > > male, black male child, white female, white female > > 3. Ranch talk--Texas > > 4. Northern cities-- > > 5. Black female teenagers > > 6. Speakers about other dialects > > 7. Student actors (Shakespeare, etc.) > > 8. Institutional speech (sales talk, computers, etc.--jargon) > > 9. Church singing > > 10. Tangier Island ("Tangiermen") ("I figure I sound just like > > Walter Cronkite. ") > > 11. Comments on settlement history of USA (fewer regional > > distinctions east of the Mississippi) > > 12. Roger W. Shuy (Georgetown University) > > 13. Style differences > > >Kentucky radio call-in program ("I'm just a plain old > > hillbilly.") (Cratis Williams) (He may could wear it in a 8 > > 1/2.") > > >Ohio ("Midwest--straight American, bland") (We don't talk > > funny, but if you want funny, go about 70 miles south." > > >Texas (Most Westerners in their speaking ... are more > > open, more forthright.") > > 14. Foreign language influence (Louisiana French Creole) > > 15. New York City deli > > 16. Vocabulary differences--cabinet (RI), gumband, pau hana, > > jambalaya, antigogglin, snickelfritz, schlep > > [Today we could add words like dis--what else?] > > 17. Children's games > > 18. Walt Wolfram (now of NC State) on how children acquire > > language patterns, vocabulary > > 19. Southern female black (professional) > > 20. NO STANDARD ENGLISH ACCENT--but there is a > > "NETWORK" STANDARD (voice of Directory Assistance-- > > generic speech, "the voice from nowhere") > > 21. Female "Yalie" on West Virginia speech ("this really kind of > > 'you all' stuff") ("I was not gonna have little Southern > > babies who talked like that.") > > 22. REGIONAL STEREOTYPES > > "Southerners talk like 'niggers'." > > "Rampant brain death west of the Hudson" > > In Manhattan the air is skyscrapers is so thin that people > > have a nasal accent. > > Northerners are not hospitable (grating, nasal, unkind). > > /a:s/ for /ays/ ("See, ice, ass-holes.") > > Texan on Northern stereotypes about Southerners (always > > depicted as dumb hick in movies) (Examples) > > 23. Regional and ethnic humor (Georgians talk in questions--no > > wonder they lost the Civil War) > > 24. Linguistically insecure female speaker > > 25. Consequences of speaking a nonstandard dialect (Brooklyn > > speaker with speech coach) (Wolfram) (not what corporate > > world is looking for) > > 26. Variation in Boston speech > > 27. To tell which dialect is better, look at WHO is better: Urban > > better than rural, mc better than wc, white better than black, > > cultured vs. white trash (uneducated--"I ain't got no") vs. > > black > > 28. If you speak a dialect, you have to be better [sound > > familiar?] > > 29. Female speakers on style-shifting ("Look at them two > > beautiful girls--if they'd keep their mouths shut, they'd be > > perfect.") > > 30. Boston Brahmins > > 31. Other speakers on stereotypes--reasons for exaggeration > > (Boston Italian North End--no r's, etc.)--advantages ("The > > women, they eat it up" and "Guys are intimidated") > > 32. Black English--necessary for relating? ("I don't want my > > boys sounding like white males.") ("She a school girl > > instead of a mama girl.") > > 33. Pride in regional variation > > 34. Fred G. Cassidy--don't spoil communication > > 35. Attitudes > > 36. Credits > > > > > -- > (*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*) > Terry Lynn Irons t.irons[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]morehead-st.edu > Voice Mail: (606) 783-5164 > Snail Mail: UPO 604 Morehead, KY 40351 > (*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*)=(*) >