Date: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 19:34:29 EST

From: Larry Horn LHORN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU

Subject: Re: TV and dialect



In fact, Labov's thoughts on the alive-and-wellness of American dialects in

this day of mass media are cited in a piece in today's (actually tomorrow's)

New York Times Magazine. The only other sociolinguist cited is our own Dennis

Preston. It's actually a nice piece, in that the writer, John Tierney, goes

so far as to recreate Labov's famous "Fourth floor" study (from his

disseration), but with Bradlees replacing the defunct S. Klein on the Square

(alongside the still going mid-scale Macy's and upscale Saks). He finds a bit

less r-lessness, but with the same proportions as Labov found in '62 (15% at

Bradlees,40% at Macy's, 50% at Saks), and with the same tendency to "correct"

in careful (self-conscious repair) utterances.

--Larry