Activity Topic 1Activity 1: Language Variation in the USWhen listening to some of the accents from the first website, I was surprised that some were not as strong as one typically thinks (for example, I could barely tell the difference between the Minnesota accent and the Oregon accent, when I typically think I hear major differences in those actual areas visiting). The International Dialects of English Archive provided a much stronger accent in such places as Kentucky and Massachusetts- more like what one would typically imagine hearing. Many of these accents are influenced by their original settlers. Each area was originally settled by a group of individuals who carried their own way of speaking and own dialects from the mother country. When settling in the US, some changes were made, but each area was more secluded and eventually developed its own sound. The IPA would help capture accents by using the actual sounds produced, especially in the case of vowel sounds and when consonant clusters or consonant endings are dropped.
Activity Topic 2
Activity 1: What would you do?As shocked and disturbed as I was while watching the video clip, I took some time to reflect and realized that this unfortunately does happen to some extent pretty regularly in the community where I work. Students judge each other and their teachers, teachers judge each other and their students. In my classroom, we attempt to discuss all backgrounds and diversity amongst ourselves. But it is odd how sometimes they are so fascinated (like about the girl whose family came from Haiti), and other times they act so intolerant (like the boy whose family came from Mexico). During these activities of diversity, we really try to encourage an open mind and discuss acceptance and valuing of everyone. It would be beneficial to include acceptance and diversity trainings to offer to both teachers and parents- trainings could even be family-oriented to promote an open mind as a family and to set a good example. While watching the other videos as well, it was disheartening to see the injustices, but somewhat uplifting to see how many people actually stand up to those injustices. It was inspiring to listen to the people confront the discrimination, and each for different reasons. One man summed it up nicely, though, “They’re all human beings.”
Activity 1: What would you do?As shocked and disturbed as I was while watching the video clip, I took some time to reflect and realized that this unfortunately does happen to some extent pretty regularly in the community where I work. Students judge each other and their teachers, teachers judge each other and their students. In my classroom, we attempt to discuss all backgrounds and diversity amongst ourselves. But it is odd how sometimes they are so fascinated (like about the girl whose family came from Haiti), and other times they act so intolerant (like the boy whose family came from Mexico). During these activities of diversity, we really try to encourage an open mind and discuss acceptance and valuing of everyone. It would be beneficial to include acceptance and diversity trainings to offer to both teachers and parents- trainings could even be family-oriented to promote an open mind as a family and to set a good example. While watching the other videos as well, it was disheartening to see the injustices, but somewhat uplifting to see how many people actually stand up to those injustices. It was inspiring to listen to the people confront the discrimination, and each for different reasons. One man summed it up nicely, though, “They’re all human beings.”
Activity 2: Do you speak American?The section that helps me most, right now, as an educator was about “Ebonics”, African American English, and the article explained that it has its own grammatical system, and it is not the “lazy or ignorant” form of English. I found this interesting, because working in an inner city school, I do see many non-African American students using the language as well, as they are immersed in the same community. I like the way the article presented AAE not as an incorrect English, but as a separate language with its connection to African roots. It would be nice to share this information with a few other teachers, who constantly lecture the children about Standard English grammar, when the students are simply staying true to what they know. This might create a better understanding and less cultural discrimination amongst teachers and students in the city district.
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