The reading summary is done by: Christopher Houston (ENGL300-1) and Rashonda Boone (ENGL300-2)
Due by class time on: Mon., Feb. 28th, 2011
The responses by the whole class are due by class time on: Wed., March 2nd, 2011
The text you need to read is here.
BY Rashonda Boone
First, I would like to start off saying that this was a very interesting article. Author Erica J. Benson covers a lot of about various dialect and how it affects the world today. She talks about about the traditional dialect and how it fails to cover all types of new dialect that is starting to develop withing different parts of the world today. She pushes the fact of evolution within dialects and within the way it is used in society. She also discusses perceptual dialectology and how it influences perceptions of a certain dialect which therefore encourages production boundaries that will allow language to expand.
I like this article because Benson really breaks down the process with language development and the growth of a new dialect. She stresses the point quite frequently in this article that, by attempting to build a better dialect it arouses the interest of more people and more people more diversity. Benson also says the article, "studies in perceptual dialectologycan inform our understanding of the criteria that are important to the folk in defining dialect regions and should be considered in the constructionof dialect maps." Benson talks about Linguistics and defining and developing characteristics that makes this a certain dialect its own.
Finally, the author also deals with dialect and its connect wit regions. Benson ties to get readers to understand that this dialect boundaries are not just to get a better view of peoples attitudes and way of lifes but it is to also witness the variation in the speech community as a whole. In the article Benson gives a lot of examples in maps of how dialect is being used in different areas of the world. for example, in the article there a map of Urban dialect being used. It also gives perfect examples of how people are responding to these dialects. I think it is important for the author to include this so that readers could relate because sometimes as readers if we cant connect to what is being said then the information because irrelevant to us.
In the article Folk Linguistic Perceptions and the Mapping of Dialect Boundaries by Erica J. Benson he opens up by giving a brief insight in to perceptual dialectology. this dialectology is concerned with the beliefs that nonlinguists "the folk" have about language variation, factors that can play a critical role in language maintenance and change. Benson also begins to compare folk perceptions of dialects to traditional dialectological and sociolinguistic findings. The results demonstrated that folk employ factors other than linguistic differences in constructing their mental maps. The study began to look at the state of Ohio, and is stated as a linguistically complex region which makes it an ideal area in which to investigate the folk perception of boundaries and their relationship to production boundaries.
ReplyDeleteThis study also began to show that southern Ohio seem to recognize two dialect areas. The two areas consisted of Southeast central Ohio, and Northeast. Southeast Central Ohio showed as one unified dialect area, whereas Northeast part of the state was labeled as "Amish/ Mennonite. The southeren part of the state along the Ohio river border was directed togheter with West Virgina and Eastern Kentucky. These states were given the label of "hillbilly". The remainder of the states were outlined together with Indiana and lower Michigan and didn't recieve a label.
In conclusion Benson concludes this article by explaining how traditional dialectology studies usually focus on mapping dialect forms and production studies allows them to see only narrowly the geographical distribution of dialect forms at a single point in time. The perceptual studies provide them with the best overview of speech communities. The data provided within the article gives evidence of the desire for speakers of central and northwestern Ohio to maintain a distinct identity from southern Ohio. Overall perceptual dialetology is necessary component of traditional dialectology and sociolinguistic studies that map dialectology boundaries. Benson believes it allows us to uncover respondents attitudes, beliefs, and identities.
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, it was very similar to the previous articles we recently read. The main idea of the article was about how dialect changes throughout the years. The article was very interesting to read because the author made a good point that if people speak different dialects, it interests other to do the same which brings more diversity. Benson also mentions that not only does dialect bring diversity but also the understanding of other cultures and their ways of life as well as notice the variation in speech within the community. The part that was interesting to learn about was when she pointed out on the map how different dialects are being used around the world and how people connect with other communities. Overall, this was a good article and it is important for us as students to have an understanding of how dialect can be used and an understanding of others around us.
ReplyDeleteIn the article “Folk Linguistic Perceptions and the Mapping of Dialect Boundaries” by Erica J. Benson she is talking about the dialectology boundaries and its influences through her research. She makes me remember a linguistics term which is “isogloss”. It is a dialectical boundary to divide areas which is used the same dialect. On the other hand, Christopher Houston and Rashonda Boone have written good summaries as well. This article is really useful to see and learn dialectology from it.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very similar to other articles we have read lately. I think as Americans and inspiring professionals we must look at the big picture. It is important to use and understand proper English. However, understanding dialect is just as important. I think dialects could be compared to text talk; a group of people using slang to communicate. Whether it is location, age, or culture, all of these things are playing a role in our language. As for the article, every state in the union has different dialects. Benson is correct it does provide diversity. However, now that I am learning grammar and English all over again in this class, I have a different opinion. I think dialects can be the culprit in linguistics. Without a doubt, some dialects can make Americans seem uneducated and lazy. The study of dialectology helps one understand dialects and cultures. However, I think Standard English should have a heavier presence in cultures all over the United States.
ReplyDeleteMany of the articles we have been reading lately have to do with dialect, and how it has evolved throughout time. Both of the student's summaries were accurate, and the second summary went into a lot more specifics. I think that the author is saying about different regions having different dialects is logical. I think that the findings in this article could be found by using pure logic, because of course dialects are going to change over time and places.
ReplyDeleteThis article was full references to data acquisition and map references which made it very difficult to understand what point the author was trying to make. It was interesting that the data revealed the people in the northern parts of Ohio distinguished more differences in the dialect regions of OH than the southern portions of the state. The southern regions were typically described as having a “hillbilly draw”, where the northern regions were mostly classified as different. The southern regions also distinguished themselves apart from their southern border states.
ReplyDeleteThis article was perhaps a bit more analytical and "academic" than some of the others we've read and therefore a bit harder to understand. Nevertheless, it is an interesting subject. The most interesting part of the article was the discussion of how various people perceive various dialects. After all, if dialects are simply different ways of speaking, then the best way to identify one would be to see how speakers from different areas hear each other. However, people tend to generalize, and they may form deep impressions based on little actual empirical evidence. It could still be interesting and worthwhile to investigate how people perceive each other's speech patterns.
ReplyDeleteThis article contains information regarding dialectology and how dialect changes in various regions of the United States. I thought the information on the dialects of different parts of Ohio was interesting because they chose Ohio due to the fact that it is a linguistically complex region. This was interesting to me because I just learned about Ohio in one of my Education classes, specifically about how Ohio had several different well-funded schools and poorly-funded schools. This made me think that maybe the reason Ohio is linguistically complex is because of the vast difference in their school funding in various cities.
ReplyDeleteEven though this article was not as interesting to me compared to others, I still agreed with the points made. Various dialects across states, cities, areas, and boundaries help to define people. Our differences make us complex. I could connect with this paper from my own experiences. I know for example, Chicagoans will speak differently from those who live in Southern Illinois. In the article he spoke on diversity between cultures and I like the fact that you can be catergorized by your dialect. It makes you unique when your in a mixed atmosphere such as a University.
ReplyDeleteI have always been interested in dialect differences, and it is very interesting to see the differences of opinion that various people have in their "folk" perceptions of dialectical boundaries. Whenever I talk with people about the dialect differences around this area of the country, there are always different opinions as well. The main dialect difference that I have noticed in recent years is the difference between people from Michigan and people from north-western Illinois, which is where I'm from. Sometimes it is hard to explain, so I just say that "we have a different way of saying things." But someone else may disagree with me entirely, because various perceptions can be so different, as evidenced by Benson in her article.
ReplyDeleteThis article was very similar to the past few that we have been discussing. There is definetly a dialect theme that has been continuing on. By pure observation though one knows that there are dialect difference in relation to the area of a country a person is located. From my own personal experience, I learned this at a young age. Until the age of five I grew up close to Chicago, surrounded by people who speak very direct and fast pase. Whemn my family moved three hours south of there, the dialect difference seemed more like six or seven. Three hours made the difference between " Bye" to " y'all come back now, ya here"... everyone talked slower and seemed to draw out every word. According to them I " talked to fast" which as a six year old I had enough to worry about with learning addition or subtraction, let alone my dialect differences. My point though is that was only three hours,I was still in the same state not across the country. Like I said before it is apart of a person's identiy, it shows where you are from.
ReplyDeleteIn Erica J. Benson's article, “Folk Linguistic Perceptions and the Mapping of Dialect Boundaries," she shares that dialects exist everywhere and it is almost impossible to get an accurate read on where "groups" of dialects exist. But a lot of the respondents did come up with similar results which were caused by situations like "urban/rural distinction" and “strong Dutch accent". This article really made me think about how all dialects are connected in ways of: where the person is from, what is influencing the way the person speaks, and how the dialect came to be.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very similar to many of the other article on dialect we have recently read. The article focuses on the differences in dialects. Dialects define people from across the country. It is the cultural differences that make individuals have different dialects. All Standard English speaker and writers need to be capable of understand various dialects. Dialectic studies help individuals understand different attitudes, beliefs, and identities of people from across the nation.
ReplyDeleteThis article was about the differences in dialects. The author focused specifically on Ohio, since it was a very diverse dialect region. The author found that there was several different dialects in the state, depending on the part of the state that one was in. However, this is not only partial to Ohio, the author states that dialects exist everywhere. This article was useful to read because it related to our lives since we all speak a certain dialect.
ReplyDeleteI'm going have to agree with everyone else about how this article is very similar to the other articles that we have read. Dialects are a key factor in making different groups unique. Dialects act as a melting-pot for different cultures to bring them together as one. I believe that there is no such thing as Ebonics, rather there are particular dialects for groups of people in races. Dialect and language, all together is very broad, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteErica J. Benson's article, “Folk Linguistic Perceptions and the Mapping of Dialect Boundaries," was much like the previous articles we have been reading. Benson discusses the difference in dialects due to the culture of different individuals. This article made me recognize the idea that dialects are more than just a way people speak, but dialects are also something people identify with for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be fairly interesting, and I think the two students did a nice job of summarizing. The part that I found interesting was when the author talked about the two dialects in Ohio, and it got me to think. Sometimes I notice a difference in dialect among people from Illinois, too.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be boring. For me it was much to analytical. Although it did not hold much interest to me, I agree with many of the points being made. A few summers ago I went to visit family in Maryland. There was a big difference between the way I spoke vs. the way people from Maryland spoke. I was told I had a strong "southern accent." I had never noticed it before since I talked how most people from Southern Illinois talk, but because I was in a new area there was a significant change in the way I spoke because of dialect.
ReplyDeleteI believe that different dialects are factors in why English has so many problems. How can I begin to understand a west Texas dialect when I come from eastern Pennsylvania? Dialects are language gaps in English. The problem is only getting worst with technology. This is a problem that will never be fixed unless the government finally steps all the way in and found the public schools. Then the schools would be able to keep and higher the best teachers.
ReplyDeleteTHe dialect differences are very amusing at times, yet fascinating. It can make it hard to communicate with others if they use a dialect to the point you can't understand them, or they use slang from that particular area. As more people move into the country the dialects that may come are limitless. It could open the window to have even more dialects, or even a combination of two already existing dialects.
ReplyDeleteI thought Benson did a great job at showing the evolution of dialect. I do feel that dialect changes all the time and when people find a new form of dialect that they enjoy they latch on to it and start to use it. Since this is a constant cycle it is assumed that this form of language will be around until the end of time. Different forms of dialect will continue to appear.
ReplyDeleteThis article was okay. There was nothing very special about it. I believe the topic of dialect is pretty much over. However, in this article, Benson discusses how dialectology function throughout the United States. It was interesting to see that people from different parts of one state want to sound different from one another. I can understand because people from Northern Illinois don't like the way people from Southern Illinois speak.
ReplyDeleteReading this article, was similar to the previous articles we read in the past. The biggest idea of the article was about how dialect changes throughout the years. The article was great to read because the author made a great point that if people speak with different dialects, it will interest others to do the same therefore brings more diversity with a wide range of different cultures with different ehtnic backgrounds. Benson, also discusses that different dialect could also bring more of various cultures together and understand one another with language.Another example the author uses which catches my attention is when Benson points out on a map the different dialect that is being used. Lastly, I could honestly say that this was a great article to read and a great source to use for a great research project. As students I truly believe that it is important to explore different dialect and understand other ethnic backgrounds as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this article related to the other articles we have been reading in that it is talking about how language is changing. I agree with this notion that language is indeed changing and that we should change the way that we do things to make way for this change.
ReplyDeleteGreat article and summary. Basically, this is similiar to the previous articles about dialect and the effect it has on society. As time go on, dialect and slang is becoming more diverse and difficult. A lot of dialect comes off as funny then again sometimes you just may not understand a person. Dialect and slang depends on a background, culture and area. This is another article that has my mind wondering which is a good thing because I usually don't think about these things. Good job.
ReplyDeleteAs noted by the other comments, dialect is a popular reading topic for the class. I think it is interesting to think how dialect doesn't only change between regions of states but can also change in a neighborhood, or even a household. At the dorms of SIU, different dialects of English are spoken by foreign students. A lot of these are based on British English. There are many different words and phrases that are not common in the English I am used to.
ReplyDeleteAs many of the other students have already stated this article does have some similarities from the other articles we have already read. This article talks about dialect and the way it changes throughout the states. I believe that dialect will continue to change depending on where you are in the world and more dialect will occur throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article for me because, as a writer, it is very important for me to understand regional dialects. What might seem like a New Orleans drawl might really come across as Alabaman if you don't understand the differences. While the average reader might not notice these differences, people from those regions would be able to tell it was wrong.
ReplyDeleteErica J. Benson’s article is about dialect and the importance of “the folk.” The folk have important insight into what constitutes language and Benson believes that this is missed. Benson wants to take into account sociological linguistics findings when considering tradition of grammar. Dialect historians do not consider the folk aspect enough and ignore it when defining our country’s characteristics. Benson believes that the folk perspective is very important and shouldn’t be missed when considering where and how our country’s dialect became to be.
ReplyDeleteThis article was definitely a reference to other articles we have been reading. It talked about dialect and the effect it has on society. A main point of the article was how dialect changes throughout the years. I do not think it will ever stop changing either. Dialect could also bring different cultures together and help them learn things about other cultures we wouldn't normally observe. All together the article was written well and so was the summaries.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this article, it touched on some topics that I agree with. For one, the idea that culture effects dialect, is something that I find to be very true. There can be direct correlations between the place and culture a person grew up in, and the way in which the person speaks or writes. Another point that I found interesting was that understanding a culture makes for better understanding of the dialect that is being spoken. This is something that makes a lot of sense and the author does a good job at tying it into the argument.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "Folk Linguistic Perceptions and the Mapping of Dialect Boundaries" by Erica J. Benson has followed the pattern of recent reading we've been assigned regarding dialect and proper grammar. I liked the main point of this article better than the others because Benson discussed the idea that others are attracted to a language because of the dialect it contains. Benson discusses how different dialects within a close region can influence and interest on another. I liked this article a lot because people from the northern part of Illinois say I have a southern draw which just goes to show that they are interested in the way I talk.
ReplyDeleteAuthor Erica J. Benson talks about the traditional dialect and how it fails to cover all types of new dialect that is starting to develop within different parts of the world today. . Benson also says the article, "studies in perceptual dialectology can inform our understanding of the criteria that are important to the folk in defining dialect regions and should be considered in the construction of dialect maps." After reading this article, it was very similar to the previous articles we recently read. The main idea of the article was about how dialect changes throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics in the article prove my slang theory of how people speak in certain environments. The North and South not only have accents to each other but also have different words that represent similar meaning
ReplyDeleteDifferent dialects have different sounds and if you are not familiar with one you will recognize that the person with that dialect does not sound like you. My mother is from Kentucky and whenever she speaks, she sounds different from myself, because I am from Chicago. I really liked this article because it explained further the differences between dialects in comparison to which region someone is from. The summaries done for this article were very good and helped better understand the article as a whole.
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