I have always been fascinated with language. I'm a pretty verbal person...my elementary and secondary teachers could attest to that (I got a C- in conduct in 3rd grade--ouch). My dad's parents emigrated from Germany in 1924 and never stopped using their mother tongue, although they became very proficient in English. I was especially close to my "Oma," who inspired me to learn German and love my German heritage. I spent a year living and working in Germany and miss having the opportunity to speak and listen in that second language.
The video held my interest throughout. Of course, as a Wisconsinite I took offense at the woman's comment about our "o" pronunciation. (Just kidding.) I feel, as most, that my form of English is standard English. (I have learned to laugh at our Midwestern accent.) Although I had thought or experienced many of the ideas in the video, it was a good reminder of how language is personal, political and a matter of pride for individuals and groups. As a teacher, I have mostly dealt with students of a similar demographic to my own. I'm looking forward to exploring and discussing the issues brought forth in the video.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Great to hear that you are into your heritage. Alot of Americans don't know who they are or where they came from. Ich moechte auch sagen, ob sie Deutsch reden moechten, dann koennten wir auf Deutsch reden.
ReplyDeleteI think midwest accent is one of the best accent and I like your "O" pronunciation. (Minnesooota:))that is why I am here. On the other hand it is really interesting to see that there are lots of different accent even within the US. I was thinking there are two main accents of English (i.e. American and British)before that video.
ReplyDelete