Monday, February 06, 2006

ESL/IEI/Tutoring: Pronunciation: PBS: Do You Speak American English?

http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/southern/sounds/

PBS Do You Speak American English?

"The good news: It’s widely known. The bad news: Known for what? Guy Bailey and Jan Tillery report on the pluses and minuses of Southern American English in the popular imagination. (The research cited in this essay was first published in 2000.)" The site also includes discussions on the following dialects:

African American English
Smoky Mountains
¡Spanglish!
Texan
Californian
Cajun
Chicano English
Lumbee
Midwest
New York City
Pacific Northwest
Pittsburghese
There is also a dialect quiz (great for group work), take a regional dare and Radio America, all of which give audio examples of the various dialects. A fun site, and useful for Pronunciation classes.