Accents and Dialects - notes

Notes: Accents and Dialects

• a school in Essex "discouraging students from using words likes ain't, geezer, whatever, like and literally"
• "native speakers of English are generally at least bidialectal"
• Julia Snell argues that “to learn and develop, children must participate actively in classroom discussion; they must think out loud, answer and ask questions”

Quotes to support:

• the head teacher, David Grant says that students’ dialect “may not favourably reflect on them when they attend college and job interviews”
• David Grant also says we should “ensure the way the pupils talk gives a positive impression”
• James Sledd: “To use slang is to deny allegiance to the existing order … by refusing even the words which represent convention and signal status.”

Quotes against:

• been tried for over 100 years but not worked
• "there’s nowt wrong with regional dialects, nothing broke ass about slang. They’re part of our identities, connecting us to time, place, community, and self-image. They needn’t be displaced by formal English – we can have both"
• "because children are sensitive to how they’re perceived, stigmatising their everyday speech can be harmful"
• "educating them about linguistic diversity instead of proscribing it, we can empower students and deter misguided pedantry"
• "research shows that gradual transition towards standard English works better. But because dialect prejudice is so prevalent, this must be done in such a way that children understand there’s nothing inherently wrong with their natural expression"
• "learning different Englishes gives us command of different domains, a skill we can then put to creative and appropriate use"
• "facility with slang is a real advantage in some jobs"
• "we pick up linguistic norms and learn to code-switch according to context"

Language Change

Language Change -

• Old English - 5th Century

The languages of Britain were Celtic. English developed from Angles, Jutes and Saxons (Anglo-Saxons). Both Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse had a big influence on the English language. Latin was regarded as the language of the upper class and had a big influence from this point onwards.

• Middle English - 11th Century

French was the verbal language while Latin remained in written documents. English came to prominence towards the end of the Middle English period.

• Early Modern English - 15th Century

Caxton introduced the printing press (1476), printing many works in English which helped contribute to the standard form of English. using South East Dialect as the basis for this new standard. Shakespeare produced his work, growing interest and pride in English as a language.

• Modern English - 18th Century

The English language had grown very quickly. Borrowed words from Greek, Latin and around the world. Grammarians studied the grammar of the language which helped them work out correct ways of speaking and writing.

• Present-day English - 20th Century

Influence from the media, technology and travel has helped to develop the English language further and establish it as a global language.

•  English = hybrid language (product of the invasions from German tribes, Vikings and Norman French)
•  Latin has a big influence also

CLA Task

CLA Task:




1. Cooing, babbling, holophrastic, two word, telegraphic, post telegraphic.




2. Nativist - N.Chomsky
    Cognitive - J.Piaget
    Behaviourist - B.F.Skinner
    Interactional - J.Bruner
    Critical period - E.Lenneberg




3. Overextension - she refers to the fruit as the shape she sees.


4. under extension - she cant relate it to other things


5. Overgeneralisation


6. Telegraphic stage


7. She is using it in the right order but is using 'me' instead of 'I'.


8. Substitution - may be harder to say 'oh'.


9. Deletion - may not hear/be able to say it


10. Deletion of unstressed syllables 'ba'.


11. Instrumental - using language to express needs e.g. "want juice"
      Regulatory - using language to influence the behaviour of others e.g. "go away"
      Interactional - using language to develop social relationships e.g. "I love you"
      Personal - using language to express personal preferences e.g. "I am good"
      Representational - using language to exchange information e.g. "I had toast for breakfast"
      Heuristic - using language to learn off and explore the environment e.g. "what is the tractor
      doing"
      Imaginative - using language to tell stories and create an imaginary environment e.g. "there's a
      dinosaur"


12. 'Wugs' - researched by Jean Burko, she made up an animal and children used 's' at the end to
       make
       it plural.


13. Concrete nouns - common items around them.


14. Conversations and games.


15. CDS- tag questions, simplified grammar and vocabulary.


16. Feral girl - only knew about 20 words at 13, critical learning period.


17. Child born to deaf parents, was sat in front of the TV to pick up language but didn't, due to not
      being interacted with.


18. David Crystal and Steven Pinker.


19. Language Acquisition Device


20. Determiners - e.g. the, a
      Auxillary verbs - e.g. is doing, am going


The formation of negatives:
- does not
- do not


e.g. she works (affirmative)
      she does not work (negative)