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Tag Archives: dialects and comprehension
Foreign Accents
As much as I hate to admit it, ‘foreign’ accents don’t pique my interest the way ‘native’ accents do. That’s not to say I don’t love foreign languages. I’m fascinated by the grammatic intricacy of Navajo and the differences between … Continue reading
Why Americans Don’t Get ‘Dialect’
I first heard the word ‘dialect’ within a bizarre context. It was the 1980s, and some adult (whose identity I forget) used it as a euphemism for African American English*. It was something along the lines of, “He speaks dialect, … Continue reading
Will English Dialects Become Languages?
It’s a fair question to ask if English dialects may eventually split off into separate languages. This has happened before, of course, Latin being perhaps the most notable example. And while I find it a compelling question, I think we’re … Continue reading
A Rant: Accents and Bad Journalism
I realize that accents and dialects constitute a fairly obscure topic. But I’m finding myself increasingly dismayed by how terribly journalism bungles this area of study. Look, I understand how easy it is to mess up facts when it comes … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged celebrity accents, dialects and comprehension, dialects in TV 7 Comments
Stage Accents vs. Real Accents
As per recent discussions of American actors doing British accents, I’d like to make an important distinction: Authentic accents vs. stage dialects*. For about 90% of situations in which an American actor needs a British accent, that accent is probably … Continue reading
Cheryl Cole’s Accent: You Decide
I don’t want this to turn into a pop culture site, but it is hard to ignore the recent hubbub surrounding Cheryl Cole. As I mentioned a few days back, Ms. Cole is a pretty pop singer from the UK … Continue reading
Speech Impediment vs. Dialect
In yesterday’s post, I talked a bit about Jonathan Ross’s famous pronunciation of “r,” and how I believe this is actually a dialect feature rather than a speech disorder or impediment. It’s worth taking a look at the overlap between … Continue reading
“Incomprehensible” Accents
On occasion, I may refer to a certain accent as “incomprehensible” or “inscrutable” or some other questionable attribute. I would like to take a moment to clear up what I mean. I love the dialects of English. I think they … Continue reading
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Posted in Miscellaneous Accents and Dialects Tagged class and accent, dialects and comprehension Comments Off on “Incomprehensible” Accents