I thought this activity was going to be fun when I saw the map of America, but I found out soon that it was kind of stressful to me. I did so bad with the first one; guessing which part the speaker is from in the States. I could hardly distinguish the dialects. I didn’t know any traits depending on the area, so I tried very hard. All I know about English language in the US is the different ways of saying drinks like soft drink, coke, pop and so on. Japanese language also has dialect depending on the area, north to south, so I thought this could apply to the languages in the US as well.
In Japan, people from north tend not to open their mouths widely and pronounce words very differently from the people in middle or southern area because it’s freezing in the north in winter. It’s really hard to understand what they are saying. Therefore, I guessed people from north in the US also spoke in the same way. However, it didn’t work. I think I choose the one that I couldn’t catch well because of my incomplete English proficiency but not due to the traits of north dialects. Both of the answers that I chose for north were wrong.
In the central area in Japan, like Tokyo, people speak the standard language, and people usually speak this on TV and radio show. They are supposed not to have any accent. People can understand this language no matter where they are from. Therefore, I guessed that people in the middle in the US also speak the standard language. However, I did the opposite thing from the first one. I chose the answers that I could understand what they were saying. Again this was not due to their dialects, but because of my English proficiency.
For the second one; guessing which word the speaker is saying, I did better than the first one. I guessed like the following; Block: black, socks: sacks, desk: desk, buses: buses, and for the word grade, I had no idea. The last one even sounded like croix, and the phrase sounded like St. Croix to me. The vowels were very hard to listen and distinguish. I think I could do better if I listen to the context besides just these words. It was a little hard to distinguish because I could only listen to what they say. We couldn’t see the faces and follow the move of mouths. I always try to read mouths while having eye contact when I communicate in English.
I was studying English in Minnesota last summer, and I’m learning English in Wisconsin since I go to school there. However, I’ve never heard of people saying that there are difference between the ways people talk in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Since English is my second language, and I have hardly heard of other dialects in the United States, the English in Wisconsin is the standard language to me. I can’t understand the differences depending on the area people are from, since I think that they are speaking the words that I don’t know if I don’t follow or understand their conversation.
This activity was struggling to me but I did find that it was interesting to know the different ways people talk and pronounce words.
Questions: Do you usually find differences when you talk to or listen to people from south or west in the US?
Do you have any words that people use in Wisconsin but not in another area?
It really depends. I have friends from all over the country. Sometimes that don't sound that different. Other times, they have very strong accents. I'm not sure how it happens that way.
返信削除I don't think that we have any words specific to Wisconsin. My students use the word "beast" a lot. I don't know what it means, but I think it's a good thing. It seems to be used as a verb and a noun. The boy students use to compliment how tough a guy is in athletics or in general.
Sometimes, sometimes not. It depends on the pronouncement of the accent and the individuals voice. Many have no perceptible accent and many do.
返信削除I don't know of any word specific to Wisconsin, but I know one specific to the Milwaukee area: bubbler. In the rest of Wisconsin it is called a water fountain. That is one bit of regional dialect I can't seem to shake; to me a water fountain is ornate and you would not drink from it. However, everywhere else that I have ever been the word bubbler is met with disbelief and amusement.
I can tell when people are from the South by the way they talk. I am not sure why but I can tell that one easily. I do travel down there alot and have friends down there so that may be why I can pick that one out the easiest.
返信削除Mindy, if you used the word in a sentance such as "I'm a beast" it refers to a big type of animal. What do you think of when you hear the word Beast? I think of Beayty and the Beast. He was big and that may be what your students are refering to, being big and fierce.
That's quite interesting that most the people on television and radio in Japan are from the center of the country. Not exclusively, but most the people on television here are from California or New York (west and east coasts). Yes I can usually hear a difference in the way people speak from different areas of the country. And your blog made me laugh when you mentioned that we all order our beverages a little different. When I've traveled I've been looked at strangely when ordering a "pop". My canadian friends say that it sounds like we say, "pap" because of that funny thing we apparently do with our o's here in the midwest.
返信削除To me, also the beauty and the beast crosses my mind when I hear beast.
返信削除Actually, people on the TV and radio show come from all over Japan, but they are trined to speak in the standard language so that people everywhere can understand it.
I find differences from people when they are from the South or the West. I love their accent and I find it very interesting. They also have certain words that just come out to them, and to us it would be really weird. Some of their words are completely different then some of our words.
返信削除I dont really notice any words Wisconsin people say or since Im from Minnesota, Minnesota people say. I feel like we dont really have any words that stick out. But I do wish we did. Beast to me I can see as being a tough guy or a beefy man.