Nonstandardized Englishes in Mainstream Literacy Practice

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patriann Smith
Keyword(s):  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Standard American English ◽  
Mainstream Classrooms ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Many

The term Englishes refers to the many different varieties of the English, and represents both standardized and nonstandardized forms. Nonstandardized Englishes is used to refer to Englishes that do not adhere to what has been determined to be Standard English within a given context, such that they are referred to as dialects, Creoles, or New Englishes (e.g., African American English). Standardized Englishes is used to refer to the counterparts of the nonstandardized Englishes that have been typically adopted for use in literacy classrooms (e.g., Standard American English). The field of literacy has addressed nonstandardized Englishes by either focusing on the nonstandardized varieties in isolation from standardized Englishes or by advancing literacy instruction in mainstream classrooms that emphasizes dialect-English speakers’ mastery of standardized Englishes. This approach reflects standard monolingual English ideology and traditional notions of the English language. Operating based on standard monolingual English perspectives implicitly reinforces the view that standardized Englishes and their users are privileged and that speakers of nonstandardized Englishes and their users are inferior. In addition, adhering to traditional notions of English based on their geographical and nation-based use, as opposed to their function based on school, offline, or online contexts regardless of geography, reinforces the concept of the English language as a system and fails to emphasize its communicative and contextual purposes as demanded by our postmodern era of globalization, transnationalism, and internationalization. A translingual approach to Englishes can serve as an alternative to current ways of thinking about literacy instruction because it addresses the needs of both standardized and nonstandardized English-speaking populations. Literacy instruction reframed based on this approach is critical for students’ successful interaction across linguistic and cultural boundaries in the context of the 21st century.

scholarly journals THE FUNCTIONING OF YIDDISH BORROWINGS IN AMERICAN ENGLISH

2021 ◽  
pp. 50-56
Author(s):  
Ульяна Александровна Ульянова
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Gradual Change ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
The Common ◽  
Game Performance

Введение. Рассматриваются заимствования из языка идиш в американском варианте английского языка. Данный пласт заимствований представляет особый интерес, так как вопрос о систематизации заимствованных идишизмов и их комплексном описании является до сих пор нерешенным. Цель – описать структурные и функциональные особенности заимствований из языка идиш в американском варианте английского языка. Материал и методы. Материалом исследования послужили заимствованные глаголы kibitz и schmooze из языка идиш, которые относятся к разговорной лексике. Основные методы исследования – метод лексикографического и контекстуального анализа, а также описательный и сопоставительный метод. Результаты и обсуждение. Заимствованные лексемы schmooze и kibitz, являющиеся элементами лексико-семантического поля «Вербальная коммуникация», в современном английском языке обладают отрицательной коннотацией. Анализ словарных дефиниций и этимологии показал, что значение заимствованного глагола в английском языке не совпадает со значением глагола в идише, так как в процессе заимствования произошло постепенное изменение в семантике заимствованных слов. Исследуемые глаголы исторически связаны с семантикой информирования (передачи информации). Значения заимствованных глаголов объединены общей видовой семой «вербальное воздействие» (скрытое или явное). У глагола to schmooze было выделено несколько вариантов значений: беседовать, манипулировать, воздействовать, устанавливать полезные связи. Значения глагола to kibitz также были разделены на предметные области: делать иронические замечания, комментировать, следить за игрой, поучая играющих. Сдвиг в значении глагола schmooze основан на фоносемантическом эффекте, который производит звукосочетание schm-. Изменение значения глагола kibitz связано с высокой частотой его употребления в момент его появления в американском английском языке. На основе данных толковых словарей и словарей сленга было установлено точное время появления лексемы schmooze (1897 г.) и приблизительное время для лексемы kibitz (1910–1927 гг.) Несоблюдение норм литературного языка идиш, особенно если идишизмы используются не евреями, является причиной существования разных вариантов написания заимствованных лексем в английском языке. Заключение. Выделены особенности лексикографирования заимствований в академических толковых словарях и словарях сленга, проанализированы варианты значений заимствованных слов. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о необходимости разработки комплексного подхода к описанию заимствований из языка идиш и их регистрации в разнообразных словарях. Introduction. Borrowings from Yiddish language in the American English are considered. This layer of borrowings is of special interest in the English language as the question of systematization of borrowed words from Yiddish and their complex description has not been solved yet. The aim is to describe the structural and functional features of borrowings from the Yiddish language in the American English. Material and methods. The research material is borrowed verbs from the Yiddish language, which belong to the colloquial vocabulary (to kibitz and to schmooze). The research methods are lexicographical and contextual analysis, as well as descriptive and comparative methods. Results and discussion. The borrowed lexemes schmooze and kibitz which are elements of the lexico-semantic field «Verbal communication» have negative connotation in modern English. The analysis of vocabulary definitions and etymology has shown that the meaning of borrowed verbs in English does not coincide with the meaning of the verbs in Yiddish, as in the process of borrowing there was a gradual change in the semantics of borrowed words. The initial meaning of the verbs in Yiddish is connected with information (communication of information). The meanings of the borrowed verbs are based on the common seme «verbal influence» (hidden or obvious). The verb to schmooze has several different meanings: to talk, to manipulate, to influence, to network. The meaning of the verb to kibitz has been divided into several categories: to make ironic comments, to comment, to give intrusive and unrequested advice while watching a game, performance. The shift in the meaning of the verb to schmooze is based on the phonosemantic effect, which is produced by the sound combination schm-. The change in the meaning of the verb to kibitz can be explained by high frequency of use when it appeared in American English. Taking into account the information from academic and slang dictionaries, the exact time of appearance of the lexeme schmooze (1897) and the approximate time for the lexeme kibitz (1910-1927) has been established. Non-conformity with norms of the Yiddish language when the Yiddish borrowings are used by non-Jewish English speakers is the reason of multiple variants of spelling of borrowed words in the English language. Conclusion. The research has focused on the peculiarities of lexicography of borrowed words in academic and slang dictionaries. The results prove that it is necessary to develop an integrated approach to the description of borrowings from the Yiddish language and their description in various dictionaries.

Strategies for building social connection through English

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Taylor-Leech ◽  
Lynda Yates
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Social Strategies ◽  
Language Programs ◽  
Communication Challenges ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Ethnographic Data ◽  
English Program

This article draws on ethnographic data from a longitudinal study of newly-arrived immigrants of non English-speaking background in the Australian Adult Migrant English Program to investigate their opportunities for using English and the language learning strategies (LLS) they used to make the most of these opportunities. Analysis of their reports of spoken interactions in and beyond the classroom suggests that many participants had little awareness of the strategies they could use to increase their opportunities to interact with other English speakers. Most participants did not use any LLS and those they did use were largely social in nature and motivation. With a particular focus on social strategies, we consider participants’ use of LLS to improve their English. We identify some constraints on their use of social strategies and some ways in which contextual and individual factors interacted for learners at different levels of proficiency. We conclude with some practical implications for LLS instruction in English language programs for new arrivals. The findings suggest that explicit instruction particularly in social talk and interaction could help learners increase their contact with Englishspeakers. Families and communities could also benefit from information to promote understanding of the communication challenges facing newly arrived immigrants of non English-speaking background.

Prosodic differences between declaratives and interrogatives in infant-directed speech

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 968-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN GEFFEN ◽  
TOBEN H. MINTZ
Keyword(s):  
Word Order ◽  
American English ◽  
Standard American English ◽  
Prosodic Cues ◽  
Syntax Acquisition ◽  
Syntactic Information ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Maternal Speech

AbstractIn many languages, declaratives and interrogatives differ in word order properties, and in syntactic organization more broadly. Thus, in order to learn the distinct syntactic properties of the two sentence types, learners must first be able to distinguish them using non-syntactic information. Prosodic information is often assumed to be a useful basis for this type of discrimination, although no systematic studies of the prosodic cues available to infants have been reported. Analysis of maternal speech in three Standard American English-speaking mother–infant dyads found that polar interrogatives differed from declaratives on the patterning of pitch and duration on the final two syllables, butwh-questions did not. Thus, while prosody is unlikely to aid discrimination of declaratives fromwh-questions, infant-directed speech provides prosodic information that infants could use to distinguish declaratives and polar interrogatives. We discuss how learners could leverage this information to identify all question forms, in the context of syntax acquisition.

BE, DO, and Modal Auxiliaries of 3-Year-Old African American English Speakers

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 1383-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandi L. Newkirk-Turner ◽  
Janna B. Oetting ◽  
Ida J. Stockman
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
American English ◽  
African American English ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Surface Form ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Modal Auxiliaries ◽  
Different Types ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
American English Speakers

PurposeThis study examined African American English–speaking children's use of BE, DO, and modal auxiliaries.MethodThe data were based on language samples obtained from 48 three-year-olds. Analyses examined rates of marking by auxiliary type, auxiliary surface form, succeeding element, and syntactic construction and by a number of child variables.ResultsThe children produced 3 different types of marking (mainstream overt, nonmainstream overt, zero) for auxiliaries, and the distribution of these markings varied by auxiliary type. The children's nonmainstream dialect densities were related to their marking of BE and DO but not modals. Marking of BE was influenced by its surface form and the succeeding verbal element, and marking of BE and DO was influenced by syntactic construction.ConclusionsResults extend previous studies by showing dialect-specific effects for children's use of auxiliaries and by showing these effects to vary by auxiliary type and children's nonmainstream dialect densities. Some aspects of the children's auxiliary systems (i.e., pattern of marking across auxiliaries and effects of syntactic construction) were also consistent with what has been documented for children who speak other dialects of English. These findings show dialect-specific and dialect-universal aspects of African American English to be present early in children's acquisition of auxiliaries.

Translation, Cultural Adaptation, and Content Validation of the Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Alcoholic Attitudes Scale–American English Version

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-216
Author(s):  
Divane Vargas ◽  
Madeline A. Naegle
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
American English ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
English Version ◽  
Conceptual Semantic ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Empirical Tests ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Translation And Cultural Adaptation

Background:Publications on translation are almost all about the translation and cultural adaptation of tools developed by English speakers for use in non-English speaking cultures and languages. The reverse process, where translation goes from a native language to English, is rare.Purpose:Translate to English, culturally adapt, and content validate the Attitudes Scale on Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Alcoholic Persons (EAFAA).Methods:A methodological study with analysis including the conceptual, semantic, and item equivalencies. Results: Satisfactory content validity coefficients (FVI = 0.97; CVI = 0.93) were obtained.Conclusions:The EAFAA was adequately translated into American English, and the content validity was confirmed by empirical tests yielding satisfactory validity coefficients. These results provide direction for further studies to examine the factor structure and the psychometric qualities of the EAFAA-English Version.

scholarly journals Non-native English-speaking English language teachers: History and research

2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Moussu ◽  
Enric Llurda
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
English Speaking

Although the majority of English language teachers worldwide are non-native English speakers, no research was conducted on these teachers until recently. After the pioneering work of Robert Phillipson in 1992 and Peter Medgyes in 1994, nearly a decade had to elapse for more research to emerge on the issues relating to non-native English teachers. The publication in 1999 of George Braine's bookNonnative educators in English language teachingappears to have encouraged a number of graduate students and scholars to research this issue, with topics ranging from teachers' perceptions of their own identity to students' views and aspects of teacher education. This article compiles, classifies, and examines research conducted in the last two decades on this topic, placing a special emphasis on World Englishes concerns, methods of investigation, and areas in need of further attention.

scholarly journals Social acquisition context matters: Increased neural responses for native but not nonnative taboo words

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Sendek ◽  
Grit Herzmann ◽  
Valeria Pfeifer ◽  
Vicky Tzuyin Lai
Keyword(s):  
Visual Recognition ◽  
American English ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
British English ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Late Positive Complex ◽  
Taboo Words ◽  
Native Dialect

AbstractThis study examined whether the context of acquisition of a word influences its visual recognition and subsequent processing. We utilized taboo words, whose meanings are typically acquired socially, to ensure that differences in processing were based on learned social taboo, rather than proficiency. American English-speaking participants made word/non-word decisions on American taboo (native dialect), British taboo (non-native dialect), positive, neutral, and pseudo- words while EEG was recorded. Taboo words were verified as taboo by both American and British English speakers in an independent norming survey. American taboo words showed a more positive amplitude of the Late Positive Complex (LPC), a neural correlate of emotionality and social processing, compared with British taboo words and all other word categories. Moreover, in an item-wise analysis, LPC amplitudes of American taboo words were positively correlated with their taboo ratings. British taboo words did not show this effect. This indicates that American participants, who had very limited social contact with British English, did not have the same perception of social threat from British taboo words as they had from American taboo words. These results point to the importance of social context of acquisition in establishing social-affective meaning in language.

Black English and Standard American English Constrasts in Consonantal Development of Four and Five-Year Old Children

1981 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry N. Seymour ◽  
Charlena M. Seymour
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Black English ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
White Children ◽  
Standard American English ◽  
Black And White ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Error Types

Four- and five-year old black and white children of black English and standard American English backgrounds, respectively, were administered a standard articulation test. A contrastive analysis revealed phonological differences in consonantal development between the two dialectal groups. However, contrasts were reflected more in number of developmental errors than in form of errors. Thus, the extent of differences noted between adult phonologies of black English and standard American English were less evident in emerging phonologies since unique error types were not exclusively characteristic of either group. These findings have implications for articulation testing of black English speaking children who have not acquired their adult phonology.

scholarly journals The Phonological Variation of Pakistani English in comparison to Standard British English: A case study ofBaloch English speaking students in SBKWU, Quetta

Al-Burz ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-128
Author(s):  
Zainab Akram ◽  
Dr. Alia Ayub ◽  
Hina Arfeen ◽  
Mehwish Malghani
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Change ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
English Department ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Phonological Variation ◽  
British English ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Convenience Sampling

With a small amount of language items i.e. words and one variable i.e. phonology, the present atudy aims to exploring the external and internal influences in language change in terms of phonology. The native Balochi speakers while speaking English as a second language face problems in producing some of English language sounds. The phonological differences were observed amongBalochi English speakers in terms of L1 impact on L2 and the influence of social surroundings have been studied in this paper. Employing qualitative mode of inquiry, the present study was conductedin SardarBahadur Khan Women University (SBKWU), Quetta. The population of this paper consisted of Balochi speaking undergraduate studentsfrom three main regions of Baluchistan, from the English Department. Exploiting convenience sampling, three students from each of the three Baloch regional groups and total of 9 students between ages 19 to 22, were selected as subjects of this study. A list of 20 English words based on problematic utterance of phonemes, was recorded while uttered by the students; transcribed and employing the contrastive analysis the results were displayed in a diagrams. First column displays the region, the second depicts the phonemes uttered by the participants and the third shows the Standard British English pronunciation (SBE). This enabled the researcher to trace the phonological variations, influence of L1 on L2 and the geographical influences on the phonological difference.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document