Has your first impression of someone ever been influenced by how they speak? The dialects and languages that people speak often elicit attitudinal judgements from those listening to their speech. Some language varieties may be thought of more prestigious (e.g., a posh British accent) while others may result in negative stereotyping (e.g., Southern American English). In this talk, we’ll explore the ways in which people’s attitudes regarding language use may influence the dialectal features that are featured in performance and everyday life. We will first look the featuring of Québec French dialectal features in popular Québécois music by examining how the presence of dialectal traits is dependent on singers’ genre. Lastly, we will examine how attitudes help characterize a reversal of a dialectal vowel shift in Michigan English.
Public Talk: Alum Kai Owens
Has your first impression of someone ever been influenced by how they speak? The dialects and languages that people speak often elicit attitudinal judgements from those listening to their speech. Some language varieties may be thought of more prestigious (e.g., a posh British accent) while others may result in negative stereotyping (e.g., Southern American English). In this talk, we’ll explore the ways in which people’s attitudes regarding language use may influence the dialectal features that are featured in performance and everyday life. We will first look the featuring of Québec French dialectal features in popular Québécois music by examining how the presence of dialectal traits is dependent on singers’ genre. Lastly, we will examine how attitudes help characterize a reversal of a dialectal vowel shift in Michigan English.