Teaching With a Kentucky Accent

[Dennis R. Preston]

>Since i am from north central Kentucky, I actually subtract
>23.567832, give or take a little.

dInIs



>Unfortunately for those of us with an Eastern Kentucky accent, while
>many others are thought of as sophisticated, people hear the Eastern
>Kentucky accent and subtract a couple dozen IQ points.
>
>
>
>
>Travis Scott Hall
>
>  >From: Margaret Blankenship
>  >Reply-To: American Dialect Society
>  >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>  >Subject: Re: Teaching With a Kentucky Accent
>  >Date: Thu, 5 Dec 2002 09:23:22 -0500
>  >
>  >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
>  >>Reply-To: American Dialect Society
>  >>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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--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics & Germanic, Slavic,
      Asian & African Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027
e-mail: preston at msu.edu
phone: (517) 353-9290