segunda-feira, 6 de agosto de 2007

Language Prejudice

This is a webography project researched by Clarice Naomi and Denise Landim and oriented by Professor Deusa Passos (Universidade de São Paulo – FFLCH – DLM)

Here one can find useful links to texts on Language Prejudice among English-speaking communities.


* Everyone Has an Accent (A North Carolina professor advocates teaching respect for dialects )
By Walt Wolfram

This text presents and explains in detail how language prejudice works in the U.S., its societal implications, origins, and possible solutions. It provides the reader with clear explanations and suggestions for further reading.
http://www.tolerance.org/teach/printar.jsp?p=0&ar=186&pi=ttm


* ‘Y’all come back now, y’hear!?’(Language attitudes in the United States towards Southern American English – Abstract to the MA thesis published at the Universoty of Vienna, May 2000)
This study reports an investigation conducted with undergraduate students, who contributed as informants, from universtities and colleges in the states of Vermont and Tennessee. The investigation approached the students’ language attitude and prejudice towards Southern American speakers contrasting with ‘neutral’accent speakers. There is also a bibliography which may be useful for reseachers and a link to the Phonological Atlas of American Regional dialects.
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/bibliogs/soukup.html



* Do you speak American?

This website provides a collection of essays which clarify common language myths, such as the generalized idea that New Yorkers and Southeners speak “bad English”, while Michinganders are supposedly the ones who speak “the standard English in the U.S.”. It also deals with the variety of dialects in the U.S.


Language as prestige: http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/prestige/articles/
Language prejudice: http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/prejudice/attitudes/
Correct American: http://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/reveal/

* A new record for within-u.s. linguistic prejudice?
An article discussing cultural prejudices against the speech of southeners as shown in a series of journalistic columns by Christie Vilsack, then wife of the governor of Iowa.
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001271.html


* By Whose Standards Do We Speak? (by Silja Kallenbach)
The article contains important definitions of language identity, language variations and dialects, language prejudice and the so-called standard language, whose superiority is questioned and explained.

http://www.nelrc.org/changeagent/selectedArticles/article2.htm



* Language attitude towards accent

A power point presentation which summarizes some sociolinguistics concepts concerning language prejudice, based on a research made with speakers’ attitudes towards different accents in England.

http://www.kwary.net/linguistics/Language%20Attitude.ppt#256,1,LANGUAGE ATTITUDE “Research on Attitude towards Accent”



* A time and a place

The article points out to a fundamental language prejudicist environment: classroom. It brings a discussion on teaching and respecting the different levels of formality in different contexts, as well as dealing with aspects such as “correctness”, standards and varieties.
http://www2.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=920&p=1#0


* Verbal Hygiene, Attitudes toward Spoken Language, and the Written Language Bias: How Do They Affect Language Teaching?

The article challenges the reader to think about his or her attitudes toward language in use by breaking down the "correct" language/"incorrect" language dichotomy. http://langlab.uta.edu/german/personal/rings/methods/2language/langprejudice.htm


* Experiences of Ethnic Acceptance and Prejudice in English Language Learning

This article discusses the language and other kinds of prejudice against immigrant nonnative English speakers who live in the USA in an era of xenophobia, terrorism, and English-only politics
http://209.85.165.104/search%20?q=cache:5o6EdFFMzjUJ:www.loyola.edu/Justice/documents/commitment2005/panel15_labelle.doc+english+language+prejudice&hl=pt-BR&ct=clnk&cd=14&gl=br