5. The phoneme /p/ has two allophones of [pʰ] (paper) and [p] (keep). If English language learners have a phoneme or this particular phoneme of /p/ in their own language, they do not always produce the same allophones. According to a research article by Franz Mueller, Ph.D, in 1997, he states for example, the Korean words [pul] `fire’ and [phul] `grass’ are a minimal pair. They differ only in the initial contrast of [p] versus [ph], so that contrast makes the difference between these two words. This means that [p] and [ph] are distinctive sounds in Korean, i.e., they are two different phonemes in that language (unlike in English where [p] and [ph] are two allophones of one phoneme /p/.) This connects to Freeman and Freeman’s statement that sounds that are phonemes in one language may be allophones of a phoneme in another language (Freeman & Freeman, 92). These language differences are a potential source of difficulty in classes in which instruction focuses on aspects of language itself (Freeman & Freeman, 92).
6. I have a friend that grew up in Pennsylvania until after college and moved to the south. She has been down there 11 years and her dialect has definitely changed over the years.
Pronunciation differences
Northern Southern
Terry sounds like Turry
Don sounds like Down (ow is like low)
-doesn’t say r at the end of a word
sucker (sucka)
dad/mom -daddy/momma
don’t you -dontcha
over there -over yonder
What have you been doing today? -What ya’ll been doing today?
Vocabulary
Place yonder
Green beans snap beans
Mosquito dragon fly
Cookout pig piggin
Meaning
Soda pop
Verb of going to fixin
My friend also switches the words in what I would say is out of order, but it is part of the southern accent she has. I also feel as though she doesn’t open up her mouth as far as she did before and speaks extremely fast.
Dialects can be associated with greater intelligence. Apparently the northern accent people stereotype the southerners for the way they speak and state that they’re not as intelligent. I was not aware of this until now. I don’t think people need or should take dialect reduction classes. We speak the way we speak because of where we come from. I don’t think anyone has the right to criticize anyone for the way they speak or the dialect they use. I don’t think we need a standard dialect because our dialect makes us who we are and we are all individuals. If we spoke the same, we would not have a variance in the dialects we speak.
