Journal Entries!

All the Varieties of English You may not have time to cover all topics; do your best! If you’re American, what part of the country are you from? Does your area have an accent that is distinctive? Are there any stereotypes associated with your dialect? If you’re a second-language speaker of English, how did you learn English? When did you begin to study English? Do you think your country has a good method of teaching English? If you speak more than one language, do you feel that you have a different personality in each language that you speak? Describe what you mean to your mono-lingual group mates, if there are any. If you’re American, do you use a lot of slang? What are some of your favorite slang expressions? Why do you think so many Americans use slang? If you’re from another country, does your native language have a lot of slang? Do you want to learn American slang while you’re here? If you’re from another country, is learning vernacular (common, conversational) English and learning about our culture important to you, or are you more focused on learning the subjects in your major? Do you think it’s bad to invent new words? Do you remember the section about Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the PBS website you were asked to read? Try to discuss this in your small group. This would also make a fun reflective journal response. Why do you think white (or some Black!) Americans both deride (speak badly about) Black English and others love/imitate it? Do you think different groups or kinds of people have different opinions about it? If you are a Black student, you might wish to enlighten your group mates about the different ways Black people speak. If you’re American, are you from an area where a lot of Spanish is spoken? Do you think that Spanish will someday be the U.S.’s unofficial second language? If you’re American Indian, are there distinctive ways that you speak? Can you explain to your group mates about the different slangs or accents among Native tribes?