Below is my response to the film, Do You Speak American.
1) The movie mentioned many different language varieties. The movie starts with discussing the Maine dialect, then moves to discuss the New England dialect in general. Later, it discusses the New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh dialects. It also talks about the southern and midland dialects. But the movie talks about other varieties of English that aren’t necessarily related to geographic location. It also discusses dialects like “gangsta rap,” instant messaging language and newspaper language.
2) The video discusses many different views on language. Some of the people interviewed said that language should not be changing as much as it is. They think the language is changing for the worst, and all of the slang and different dialects are “unhealthy” and it’s “hopeless” to try to get back to the roots of the language. These people are described as prescriptivists, or people who think language needs to have strict rules. Others think the opposite. Some of the people in the movie think slang is “poetic” and should change with time and culture. They said that language can help people identify with a specific place or culture. These people are described as descriptivists, or people who think language is what it is as it changes and the way people are talking defines the laws of the language.
3) Home language practices are variations of the language that are spoken in the home, with family members and friends. School language is more formal, traditional English. In the movie, they say that these “home languages” especially for minorities, do not fare well in academic settings or affluent communities.
4) To me, American English is any type of English that is spoken by people in America. It’s a mixture of the different dialects and accents. Anyone who lives in America and speaks any variety of english, whether it’s a more traditional academic dialect or a “gangsta rap” dialect. With that said, I think I do speak American English. One of the cool things about this country is the mixture of different cultures and with that comes changes in dialects. I think all of the differences make up America, so therefore I believe all of the different language varieties make up American English
1) The movie mentioned many different language varieties. The movie starts with discussing the Maine dialect, then moves to discuss the New England dialect in general. Later, it discusses the New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh dialects. It also talks about the southern and midland dialects. But the movie talks about other varieties of English that aren’t necessarily related to geographic location. It also discusses dialects like “gangsta rap,” instant messaging language and newspaper language.
2) The video discusses many different views on language. Some of the people interviewed said that language should not be changing as much as it is. They think the language is changing for the worst, and all of the slang and different dialects are “unhealthy” and it’s “hopeless” to try to get back to the roots of the language. These people are described as prescriptivists, or people who think language needs to have strict rules. Others think the opposite. Some of the people in the movie think slang is “poetic” and should change with time and culture. They said that language can help people identify with a specific place or culture. These people are described as descriptivists, or people who think language is what it is as it changes and the way people are talking defines the laws of the language.
3) Home language practices are variations of the language that are spoken in the home, with family members and friends. School language is more formal, traditional English. In the movie, they say that these “home languages” especially for minorities, do not fare well in academic settings or affluent communities.
4) To me, American English is any type of English that is spoken by people in America. It’s a mixture of the different dialects and accents. Anyone who lives in America and speaks any variety of english, whether it’s a more traditional academic dialect or a “gangsta rap” dialect. With that said, I think I do speak American English. One of the cool things about this country is the mixture of different cultures and with that comes changes in dialects. I think all of the differences make up America, so therefore I believe all of the different language varieties make up American English