Standard English
Advantages and Disadvantages of Speaking Different Dialects
posted over 10 years ago
A group project on Language Prestige in LLC750 led some of us to create a brief list of advantages and disadvantages regarding monodialectal and bidialectal speakers of the "Standard English." This project was inspired by a list entitled "Seven Privileges of Standard English" that can be found in the book We Do Language by Dr. Anne Hudley and Dr. Christine Mallinson.
Two points from each category are included below.
Any feedback (suggestions, comments, questions, etc...) would be appreciated!
DISADVANTAGES TO MONODIALECTAL SPEAKERS OF STANDARD ENGLISH
1. Standardized English speakers may never truly achieve membership into discourse communities in which Standardized English is not the norm. This linguistic deficit will reinforce social hierarchy, inhibit social change and prevent effective communication amongst people who are stratified according to the audible indicators of race, class and socioeconomics.
2. Standardized English-speaking students will generally only be fully accepted into discourse communities that are made up of other standardized English-speakers.
ADVANTAGES TO BIDIALECTAL SPEAKERS OF STANDARD ENGLISH
1. Non-standardized English speaking students who can code switch have the potential to affect change for underrepresented populations due to their ability to establish similarities with people who belong to different, and often polar speech communities through language.
2. Non-standardized English-speaking students can usually be assured that teachers will esteem their academic successes very highly and will become personally invested in their education as a result.
(edited over 10 years ago)
