Responses are due on Friday, March 20th during class time.
Author Erica J. Benson focuses on where differences in dialect and/or language draw boundary lines. A strategy commonly and traditionally used to determine differences in dialect have been based on production data. Within this technique, other significant notions such as attitudes and perceptions towards language variety have been ignored. These significant factors, according to the text, are known as Perceptual dialectology. Perceptual dialectology, also known as folk dialectology, refers to the beliefs that nonlinguists or "the folk" have towards language variation. These factors play a vital role in how or when language barriers change. A comparison between traditional dialectological and sociolinguistic findings concludes that "folk" utilize factors outside linguistic differences when constructing their opinions of dialect and their mental maps. Initially, on the surface, researchers focusing on perceptual studies found that “folk” boundaries of linguistic are sectioned off based on locations within different regions. On the other hand, there are other aspects such as political and civil influences that provoke these boundaries.
This article justifies the differentiation of dialect boundaries and folk perception when referring to Ohio's traditional study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the folk perceptions of boundaries and their relationship to production boundaries. According to the article, researchers found that not only were Ohio a highly diverse area, but it is also a linguistically complex region, where dialect diversity defines characteristics of individuals. In order to confirm Ohio's dialect boundaries, sociolinguists employed methods such as the Linguistic Atlas of the North Central States (LANCS) or the Linguistic Atlas Project (LAP). After applying these materials and conducting a pilot study or survey based on the knowledge of 12 respondents residing on Ohio of four cities, sociolinguistics reviewed the results given by the respondents. Respondents, within the southern region of Ohio, didn't find much differentiation of language throughout the Ohio region. Respondents from the south-east region unified the languages within the area and others outlined areas of certain language diversity. The overall findings of this study showed a mild difference in perception of languages within Ohio. There were people that believed in a strong language variation and others who found no differences at all. In reference to these findings, the article takes note that these results could be driven by personal beliefs of languages and different exposure of different languages to each respondent. The differences among respondents from different areas also derive from their linguistic security and/or insecurity.
The article concludes that traditional dialectology studies have focuses on mapping dialect forms and have been less concerned with the attitudes of speakers. Production studies allow us to see how narrow the geographical distribution of dialect forms is at a single point in time. Perceptual studies can provide a better comprehension of language community’s ad their relationship amongst one another.
Give your thoughts. Do you, as a citizen, find that there is a significant language variation? How would you determine whether or not there was a difference? If you were a respondent of a study similar to Ohio, would you too feel insecure of your language? Do you appreciate language diversity? If so, why?
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11 comments:
I believe dialect boundaries are important to recognize. The different dialects seen across the country are specific and unique to each demographic area. However, I tend to not notice them as much as others do, but I can clearly understand someone regardless if they are speaking in a dialect or not. I appreciate dialects because they allow a demographic area to be represented and recognized.
I find dialect boundaries to be very significant and precise. I think that there are many dialect boundaries in Illinois as well as other states. I do not feel insecure about my dialect because of dialect boundaries. In other articles that I have read on Dialect Boundaries the boundaries are caused by the people who immigrated to those areas. These boundaries also signify culture, heritage, and sometimes social status among the areas people. I enjoy reading about dialect boundaries and find them to be very interesting. Dialects are important to the people who speak them and no person should feel insecure about their dialect. I enjoy my dialect and the specific boundary I am in
There are dialect boundaries no matter what state or city one resides in. I am from Texas and say "ya'll" all of the time. I work at a Starbucks and two men from New York came in and ordered coffee. It was difficult to understand the two men's order, but only because of the dialect boundaried present. Living in Illinois, one can tell a difference in dialect boundaries in the same state. In northern Illinois residence sometimes call a beverage pop and in southern Illinois that same beverage may be called soda. In reality the person may be asking for a Dr. Pepper, but it is still refered to as soda or pop. I am not shy about my dialect nor embarrassed by it.
Dialect boundaries are an interesting thing to recognize when you are talking to someone. Just a few weeks ago my friends and I were at a restaurant in Florida and the waiter couldn't understand our order very well and said we were "funny." After he left we all felt a bit insecure about that. None of us ever realized that we talked so different when in the company of others. I think it's very important to recognize these different dialect boundaries, but not to let them become an issue that would take away from our unique dialects.
I find dialect boundaries to be important and widely heard. Over spring break I traveled to San Diego California. While I was there almost everyone I met asked me if I was from Chicago because of my dialect, and often found it to be funny. I did not feel insecure because I was just as amused by the “California dialect” as they were of mine. I was not as aware of the dialect differences within the state of Illinois until I came down to Carbondale. I am from the Chicagoland area, where it’s the norm to say “pop,” coming down here if I order a “pop”, people look at me like I’m crazy. However, if they were to come to Chicago and say “ya’ll”, people would think that they were crazy.
Dialect boundaries are specifically important to recognize. Each area of the world communicate in different ways, according to culture and other things. Often times, you notice where someone is from based on how they talk. For example, people from the South talk with a different accent than those from the North. I also appreciate dialects because they represent different demographic areas. I do not feel insecure about my dialect, and others should not either. Each person is unique, and being unique means being different. Everyone does not look the same, therefore they will not sound the same either.
I grew up in a very rural part of Southern Illinois and my dialect is different from people who grew up in one of the towns here. It is also different from those who are from a large city or a different region. I have felt insecure about my dialect at times because I know that it doesn’t make me sound like an extremely intelligent person. I know that sometimes my dialect gives others the impression that I’m a hick. Dialect can cause confusion sometimes. For example, I use the word dinner instead of lunch, and the word supper instead of dinner. Not everyone understands that when I invite him or her to dinner, I am referring to the meal that takes place at noon. I appreciate language diversity because I know that it is an important part of culture. It feels good to have a conversation with someone who speaks the same way that you do. I feel comfortable when I can sit and talk with my family without having to think about my words. I know that they understand me and I understand them.
I found this article's assertion of the importance of perceptual dialectology interesting, but I have questions. The concept of "linguistic security" intrigues me, but I wonder what Benson bases her claims upon. She uses a study with two activities to form conclusions that certain subjects are most or less "linguistically secure"; I don't see how this researcher can make that claim. The conclusions she drew based upon the assumption, and her support for it in general, seems neat, but I feel like the concept of linguistic security could stem from ethnocentrism or, "dialecto-centrism" I suppose, on the part of the author herself. Regardless, I find this subject interesting and useful (though I don't know what one might use it for). I do think that perceptions are very important in assessing these sorts of issues, because when it comes to language, people's ideas about normalcy and deviance are really the only "rules" that exist.
I do believe that dialect boundaries exist. There are so many various people in the world and many variations of speech. However, I do not feel insecure about my dialect. I have encountered times where I would make a statement and have people look at me as if I were crazy. It has been stated that people from Chicago takes the R out of their words, such as car. But I am not embarrassed because I am who I am.
Dialect boundaries can be heard everywhere one goes. It is important to understand these boundaries because people from one area to another speak in different ways that only that boundary may understand.
I have never been nervous about my own dialect boundary, rather proud, and I think it is fun to meet people who come from different dialect boundaries and listen to the way their dialect differs from my own. I think noticing and understanding these dialect boundaries are a great way to improve communication skills because it seems many people become arrogant with their speech and feel that if someone does not speak the the way they do, then that person's speech is wrong.
I think that dialect boudaries are something many of us recognize without realizing it. I'm from Southern Illinois and know that we often make jokes about people from Chicago saying "pop" instead of soda. While it may be only one example, it's important to recognize because it helps make a person a part of their specific culture.
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