Friday, February 4, 2011

Dialects, Accents, and Slang! Oh My!



This week we focused on the differences between dialects, accents, and slang. This is a topic that I had never given much thought to before, and I probably would have grouped them all together, but, in fact, there are many differences between the three. A dialect is a variety of a language that differs from other varieties on three different levels. First of all the pronunciation is different. Secondly, they use different grammatical rules. Lastly, they have their own vocabulary that differs from other varieties. There are two t and social dialect. Regional dialects are different areas that share the same dialect. An example of this is the Southern United States. Social dialect pertains to particular social groups. An example of this is Ebonics. Ebonics is a shared dialect in a social group.

An accent is the pronunciation of certain words within a language. There is no difference in syntax. Both the accent and dialect and our "social address" that identify ourselves regionally and socially.

Slang is a different vocabulary, usually short-lived, and informal.

Understanding the differences between dialect, accent, and slang give a deeper understanding into language and culture.

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