quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects

[Dennis R. Preston]

The Dallas Morning News interviewed me pretty extensively recently on this,
and I understand the story got picked up widely.

Natually, I represented the linguist-dialectologist-sociolinguist position
by deploring the prejudice against dialects that causes people to seek such
modification but understanding the force of linguistic insecurity which has
been created in them by the ill-disposed which drove them to such ends.

Unfortunately, the position was not "perfectly" represented, but, for a
journalistic account of what us-all do, It weren't all that bad.

dInIs

PS: Maragalit Fox's column on prejudice against nonstandards more recently
as she stood-in for Safire in the NY Times Magazine On Language column was,
as might be expected from her background (linguistics), much better done.
She talked with me, Donna Christian, Walt Wolfram, and Rosina Lippi-Green
as I recall (and no speech pathologists).



>I have read several articles about executives going to professionals for
>dialect
>reduction to improve their image to others, whether it be the higher level
>execs
>in their own companies or their customers from other regions.  I do not know
>anything about the folks who are offering this service, what their
>qualifications are, how they got their start, etc.
>
>Andrea
>(who never really picked up a Texas accent, but puts one on occasionally)
>
>Beverly Flanigan wrote:
>>
>> I hope it still disapproves of such participation, but I fear many speech
>> path people get jobs in the public schools and clinics and work, overtly or
>> covertly, to "reduce" dialects.  The Hearing and Speech undergrads in our
>> school all want such jobs because they pay well; and when they take the one
>> or two Linguistics courses required of them they exhibit serious biases
>> against "local" or "ethnic" dialects and declare it their mission to
>> eradicate them (always for the good of the speakers, of course)!  Beware,
>> Beth!
>>
>> At 09:31 AM 10/1/99 -0500, you wrote:
>> >A few decades ago when I was workingb on my master's in Speech/Language
>> >Pathology and Audiology, the ASLHA was quite disapproving of Speech/Language
>> >Pathologist participation in any "dialect-reduction" programs.  This
>> >position may have been a PC stand that went by the wayside because it was
>> >profitable (remember when the AMA considered "specialists" in bariatrics--
>> >sp?-- [weight reduction] to be quacks).
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: Bradley, Beth M <Beth.M.Bradley at UWSP.EDU>
>> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 8:34 AM
>> >Subject: quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects
>> >
>> >
>> >> I am an Undergrad in Communication Disorders, with plans to get my masters
>> >> in Speech Language Pathology.  I have always been very interested in
>> >> dialects, and I'm curious if there is a career path(?) that leans towards
>> >> that area.
>> >> I'd appreciate any information anyone has, either e-mailed to me directly
>> >at
>> >> bbrad075 at uwsp.edu, or posted on the listserve.
>> >> Thanks.
>> >> -Beth Bradley
>> >

Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
preston at pilot.msu.edu
Office: (517)353-0740
Fax: (517)432-2736