Teaching With a Kentucky Accent

[Margaret Blankenship]

Stephani,
I have to also say that your professor was wrong to expect people to cahnge
what is a part of who they are. Where has he/she come from that he thinks
his accent is far superior to anyone else's. That is what is wrong with our
society today, people are always so quick to judge others by an accent, sex,
religion or culture. It is ridiculous to say the least. Stephanie you stick
to your guns and tell your professor maybe they should not be teaching
because of prejidices.
Margaret Blankenship






>From: Stephani Hardin <sbmorr01 at MOREHEAD-ST.EDU>
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: Teaching With a Kentucky Accent
>Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2002 18:25:38 -0500
>
>In one of the Education classes I took last Fall A Professor made a remark
>in
>class that has bothered me to this day.  He said, "Some of you in here
>speak
>with a heavy Eastern Kentucky accent, and you need to think seriously about
>working on changing it if you want to teach English."  I find this to be
>both
>offensive and judgmental.  An accent has no bearing on accepted forms of
>speech.  (I use the word 'accepted' rather than 'correct', because on whose
>standards do we even judge forms of speech)  To ask someone to change an
>accent
>is ridiculous when you consider the fact that we all, regardless of where
>we
>are from, have one.  This Professor displays a preference for one accent
>over
>another, and he suggests I change something that is a part of who I am.
>Why
>should I compromise my heritage to suit the standards of someone with
>linguistic prejudices?
>
>Stephani Hardin


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