Reddit Reddit reviews Language Myths

We found 8 Reddit comments about Language Myths. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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8 Reddit comments about Language Myths:

u/SewHappyGeek · 7 pointsr/AskHistory

I'll begin by stating that I studied sociolinguistics in grad school, though it was a while ago so I'm not up on the latest research.

However, that said, there is NO SUCH THING as 'accentless'. Everyone has an accent. There's an interesting book called Language Myths that I think you'll really enjoy. It's written by linguists (which, I'm sorry to say, Bill Bryson is not) but doesn't indulge too much in jargon. It will help dispel many of the myths non-linguists have about language (English is harder to learn than other languages, it has crazy ass spelling, German is crazy, etc.). Also this Intro to Sociolinguistics book available on Amazon is pretty easy to understand without any training. And although to an untrained ear everyone who lives in the same city and even attends the same high school will sound the same, linguists such as Penelope Eckert have shown significant differences in speech traced back to social group. Here's a chapter of the book if you just want a taster. So there's probably a lot more diversity in your city than you think!

I can also speak about the second part of your question, as I'm an American living in the UK. Been here over a decade. There IS more dialect diversity in a smaller area than, say, Canada or the US. However, there is no finding native speakers of the next town over incomprehensible. There are accents which can be quite thick and difficult for outsiders (say, South of England) to 100% comprehend (Aberdeen, I'm looking at you!). However, it is NOT the case that a Glaswegian would struggle to understand someone from Aberdeen. Someone from York will not struggle to understand someone from Southampton, and even I struggle to see much difference between native Yorkers are native Scarborough residents.

How long does a dialect take to arise? That depends on a ton of other stuff so there's no easy answer to that. The Northern Cities Vowel Shift happened relatively quickly. And you've probably heard it on telly and didn't even realise it. In Spongebob, Plankton's computer wife Karen has a very strong NCVS accent. She doesn't say 'that', she says 'thee-at'.

I have really shitty hearing these days so I don't do any linguistics stuff. However, the amazing folks over at /r/linguistics would be happy to help explain dialect development further, and frankly they're more up to date than I am.

Edited for clarity and to add more links and whatnot.

u/Kativla · 4 pointsr/fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu

Oh God! Don't give them Language Files. Start them with Language Myths.

u/Seabasser · 3 pointsr/badlinguistics

Honestly, Language Myths covers most of this, and a decent amount of the book is available through the Amazon Preview here. At the very least, the myth names in the table of contents- "Myth 1: Languages should not be allowed to vary or change" are visible- and fairly straight forward.

u/Tantric_Infix · 3 pointsr/linguistics

http://www.amazon.com/Language-Myths-Laurie-Bauer/dp/0140260234

This uses little linguistic terminology, so I think it works as "entry level" material.

u/craneomotor · 3 pointsr/DepthHub

I also had the same question, I just couldn't resist the temptation to catch you on your example. I want to take this chance to recommend Language Myths. It's accessible, easy to read, introduces the reader to a lot of basic sociolinguistic concepts, and also explains why you shouldn't be a prescriptivist asshole who thinks AAVE speakers are inherently less educated. I'm pretty sure the 'Southerners speak slow because it's hot' example is specifically addressed there.

Regarding the genesis of the gay accent, I also would like to know but I don't personally know of any such studies. Fortunately, questions of linguistics and sexuality have been recognized as important ones, and we'll probably start seeing a lot more material regarding this theme in the coming decades. Unfortunately, as an oppressed population, we may be hard-pressed to discover definite roots, since the older the speaker is, the more homophobic and repressive of a culture they lived in.

u/Kinbensha · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

No problem. I suggest you continue your reading if you're interested in linguistics and want to learn some of the most common misconceptions about language(s). Unfortunately, a lot of the myths are reinforced by grammarians... but yeah. This book has been recommended to me numerous times. I've yet to read it, but you might enjoy it. Let me know if you'd like something a bit more academic.

u/drew_carnegie · 3 pointsr/linguistics

You should read this book, specifically chapter 20, entitled "Everyone Has An Accent Except Me".

u/tkmlac · 0 pointsr/funny

You're also completely misrepresenting grammar and language. Try looking into the field of linguistics. Here's a couple book suggestions for you. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0140260234 And http://www.amazon.com/The-Unfolding-Language-Evolutionary-Invention/dp/0805080120/ref=la_B001JOASIU_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1342795681&sr=1-2