Nicholas Cristi Linguistics 09/04/2013 American Tongues Reflective Essay I found the video American Tongues, even for

an older video, to be entertaining and enlightening. In introduces a variety of English dialects that are spoken throughout America in a humorous and enjoyable way. Being in California all my life I was only vaguely familiar with many of the dialects presented such as the New York or Southern dialects. So it was interesting for me to hear the way people talked in the documentary as well as see their perspectives on dialects and how it compares with my own. One way the video introduces a few dialects was by was by having different people iterate the popular nursery rhyme Mary Had A Little Lamb. I thought it was amusing and funny hearing the different ways it was said; it was a clever way to show the various ways people speak. Some speak slowly, some enunciate every word, some have a thick accent when speaking, and others speak with a drawl. The video mentions that people first develop their primary dialect from what they learn at home as a child but that, as time goes on, their dialect becomes influenced by other factors as well, such as from peers, friends, or location. I would agree with this as I see an example of this in my Uncle. My Uncle, who is in the Air Force, was stationed at for some years at Texas. When he came back he had a slight Southern accent and would use words such as yall or aint, which werent part of his normal vocabulary before. My family definitely had a laugh because of the way he spoke; however, as time passed the influence he acquired from Texas dropped and he spoke like how he did before he left. This shows how strong the influence from what is learned as a child at home is compared to other influences on dialect. One aspect of the video I like is that is showed peoples true perspectives on dialect, both good and bad alike. People are discriminated against based on personal religion, ethnicity, or education, and sadly, the way a person speaks is no exception either. Having many dialects can be an obstacle to effective communication. And since communication is vital in a society, speaking differently can affect things like getting a job or fitting in. In the video a few people were asked their thoughts on their own dialects as well as others. While some people understood that people dont always speak the same way, others were pretty blunt about their view of different dialects. Some couldnt stand the nasality of New Yorkers; others the distinct drawl of Southerners. What some people dont realize, or choose to ignore, is that everyone speaks with an accent. Its just that most people dont notice their own. This video helps me to see languages from different perspectives and to not be quick to judge someone by the way he speaks.

American Tongues touches on Standard English. It introduced us to the lady who was the voice for the telephone directory assistance. Considering the many dialects we have in America having a standard dialect may improve communication. However I believe that ones dialect is part of what defines him as a person. For this reason and others, again such as the strength of home influence versus other influences on dialect, I doubt that regional dialects are going to disappear. I believe that this is one of the messages that American Tongues is trying to send out as well. Since dialects are always changing, what was once standard now might not be the standard in the future, and so we should embrace the various dialects we have and not show prejudice to those who speak differently. America truly is a country of tongues and the movie does a great job introducing this. Its made me realize that there isnt a genuine proper was of speaking English and reinforces the concept that people who speak differently shouldnt be judged on how they speak. Rather, we should accept the different ways people speak as normal as our own. Hilarious and easily relatable to, American Tongues warrants a second watch.