quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects

[Beverly Flanigan]

I am aware of the American pronunciation of Versailles; there's also one in
Indiana and one in Ohio.  But--since these cities aren't in France, why
should they be pronounced in French?  The English have anglicized French
words since the Norman Conquest; why shouldn't we?  Nor do we have to
follow the BritEng way of pronouncing, or spelling, names: Thus, Greenwich,
England, is [grinwICH] Connecticut, but [grEnICH] Village, New York; and we
have respelled Glouster, Ohio < Gloucester, England, but both are
pronounced the same (as are Wooster, Ohio and Worcester, England)!  In
fact, newcomers to my area who say [laenkaest at r] for Lancaster are NOT
following the mother-land model.  And so on and on.  I've just been giving
the TAs I supervise for our introductory linguistics course a lecture on
respecting local communities' right to pronounce their towns any damn way
they want--and still one TA said (about Versailles, in fact), "Oh, that
sounds so awful--I just can't stand it."  Needless to say, I roundly
chastised her.  So--I don't see any joke here at all, nor would I want to
send speech therapists down to Versailles to "correct" the locals.


At 06:41 PM 10/2/99 -0500, you wrote:
>In Kentucky the correct pronunciation is verr-sales--no one would recognize
>the French unless you found someone who had studied French.  I met a
>disgusted tourist in England who had gone looking for "sire-wren-chester"
>(the home of his ancestors).  When I asked a Englishman next to us where
>"sister" was, he quickly gave directions.  The American's comment was "These
>damned English can't even speak their own language."
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Saturday, October 02, 1999 12:37 PM
>Subject: Re: quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects
>
>
>> Sorry--I don't get the joke.  Why Versailles as opposed to somewhere else?
>>
>> At 09:39 AM 10/2/99 -0500, you wrote:
>> >Send them on an errand to Versailles, KY--they'll never be heard from
>again.
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
>> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 2:45 PM
>> >Subject: Re: quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects
>> >
>> >
>> >> You're right; it's the same here at Ohio University, as far as I know.
>> >But
>> >> the students take our Ling. courses as undergrads and then take no more
>> >> linguistics at the grad level.  The most unnerving part of having them
>in
>> >> classes is that they "just want the facts" and seem to resent being
>asked
>> >> to THINK about language, language issues, "what if" kinds of questions,
>> >> etc.  Phonology esp. bugs them; they only want basic phonetics, where
>> >messy
>> >> phenomena like elision, assimilation, and the like don't disrupt their
>> >> neat, clean paradigms.  Thus they sneer at locals who pronounce the
>next
>> >> town [lENGk at st@r] instead of [laenkaest at r].  Now you've got me on a
>roll,
>> >> and a bit off topic.  But this rigid prescriptivist mind-set is hard to
>> >> change!
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> At 10:45 AM 10/1/99 -0500, you wrote:
>> >> >I do not know where you are from but the University of Florida
>Department
>> >of
>> >> >Speech Pathology and Audiology had a flat policy of not recommending
>BA's
>> >> >for positions in speech pathology or audiology.  The Master's was
>> >considered
>> >> >the entry-level degree in those fields and a CCC was required for any
>but
>> >> >temporary or probationary positions.   I reckon the BA's and Post
>Bac's
>> >> >could get a job in another field that did not require a recommendation
>> >from
>> >> >the University.
>> >> >----- Original Message -----
>> >> >From: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
>> >> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >> >Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 10:07 AM
>> >> >Subject: Re: quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >> 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
>> >> >> >
>> >> >
>> >
>