How much does a person’s accent mean to you?
I am playing a bit of the devil’s advocate here, but I am curious first of all if anyone will speak up on this matter and secondly, how many people are willing to be really honest about it. And, of course, as usual, I have an ulterior motive.
I am speaking this weekend at Word Camp Birmingham and hopefully at another conference next month which is just a one day event as well. Either way, the second I learned that I had been accepted as a speaker, I started getting nauseated.
And, not for the reason that most of you think either. I’m certain that my content is good. I am positive and confident that what I have to say is going to be good for the people in attendance. I am a bit self-conscious about my looks but not near as much as many other people I know my size.
So what then? It’s my accent, my slang, my dialect….if you wanna call it that.
I am an educated woman. I’m not boasting here, just giving you facts. But, generally speaking, when people have read my work online, they know I have a touch of “southern slang” to me. But apparently it is much worse than most people imagine because within the first few minutes of me opening my mouth, people start to look at me funny. And, many people often leave projects that they have started with me and I feel really sure that it is because my slang is thick, my southern accent is really really thick.
No one has ever admitted to cutting ties with me on projects for that reason and obviously by speaking in Birmingham, most of the people won’t notice my accent because they will all talk just like me (or most of them anyway). But, the further away from the south I get, the more people I meet (for instance in Chicago in July, I had cabbies in stitches because they didn’t understand me and the feeling was mutual), the bigger an issue it becomes.
So, I ask you, if you have never met me in person, you’ve read my work, you know I make typo’s regularly, you know I am not grammatically correct most of the time and you know I like to use really deep redneck type phrases but you also know that I have a degree in this or that, will your opinion of me change when we meet and the first thing you hear me say is…
“oh my gosh, I dinnt know you wuz gunna be hare (here)” or
“holy cooooooooow, I’ve been dyin’ to meet you, you ain’t ne’er (never) gettin’ rid of me now, I’m gunna be all over you like flies on…ne’er mind”
Or, if it’s on a more formal basis and the first sentences you hear sound more like this….
“Hey, my name is Jerri Ann and I want to tell you how ridiculously crazy I am and how I got this way. No, I watton (wasn’t) born this way, all these mad skillz come from some back alley learnin’. So, let’s get busy and you tell me what you wunna know more ‘bout”
Be honest, remember that first paragraph up there. If you meet me and my accent, my slang, my dialect is completely different than what you would expect from someone who has an extended education, will you be turned off? Or, will you just think a few snide thoughts to yourself and brush it off? Or will you cower in the corner and hope that I don’t remember who you are?
Honestly now, honesty!
This post has 4 comments
September 23rd, 2009
Jerri Ann, honey, I think your accent and dialect are quite charming! You put people right at ease with your warmth, and there was no problem at all understanding you when we spoke (other than the interference on the phone!)
I’m a bit of a language snob, if I can admit that here. It bothers me when people misuses words in speaking (“infer” for “imply”) or in writing (“there” or “they’re” for “their”) and yes, at one time I would have cringed to hear someone say a word like “ain’t.”
The thing is, I’ve found over the years that dialect makes language more colourful, gives it an extra dimension. When a person speaks in dialect it’s fun! Just like folks lapsing into bilingual or multilingual sentences. I quite like it. And I find too, that a person’s education comes through despite any communication issues – even when talking to someone whose first language isn’t English.
Don’t censor yourself. you have a wonderful, giving personality & it won’t come through if you’re trying to talk like someone else. I think the place to take care that you’re using a more “standard” English is in any handouts or other written materials you use during your presentation. Spellcheck & get someone who doesn’t speak your dialect to proofread.
You’re going to be great!
Ruby
September 23rd, 2009
aww thanks. That helps my feelings because telephone communication is the most difficult outside of the written word. I do try hard to “check” myself in my written word. My dad’s best friend was an English teacher and she didn’t mind correcting my grammar anywhere and everywhere. She was my 10th grade English teacher too..I think fo a while I used words like “ain’t” and “gunna” or “gonna” and “Idunno” just as rebellion tactic. Now, when I say “aint’, I usually throw in a bunch of other terribly inappropriate words just so folks know that I am aware that “I ain’t gunna never make it o’er yunder befer sundown” is really not a good phrase. But, sometimes it’s necessary just simply the nature of my how my life unfolds.
That said, I appreciate your confidence in me. And, naturally, I have a favor. I am awaiting the info as to whether I should do a short handout with bullet points or plan to use the over head projector and my power point stuff. If I can get my behind in gear and get over being sick, will you proof read it for me? I promise I won’t wait til midnight Friday night or worse yet, noon on Saturday (my session is at 3 on Saturday).
I am doing a Twitter Focus group tomorrow night, did the #gno tonight and I have 2 medical tests scheduled tomorrow but I am canceling one of them. I am going to let them continue the scavenger hunt for my liver but hopefully I’ll have slide or handout ready before bed tomorrow night…do you mind looking it over when it is finished?
Thanks for the vote of confidence, wait, I’ve already said that but I mean it, I really really mean it!
BTW I did not proof this, leaning on you to read between the lines (but, my personal pet peeves are their, they’re, there and brung, why our teachers let our kids get away with saying, “I brung my lunch today”… it’s like finger nails on a chalkboard and finally another one that makes me cringe but for some reason it seems to sneak through the newpaper media as well as the local news media is the word “snuck”. Every time I hear it or read it, I yell “snuck? SNUCK? Snuck is not a word people you did not snuck in anywhere you sneak and you sneaked but you did not snuck”
Ok stepping off my soapbox- remember no proofing though, sorry
September 23rd, 2009
Would be pleased to help, if you can get it to me early. We’ve got flu at our place this week, so best to get things done early in case I end up either half-comatose or wiping too many drippy bottoms & noses to get anything done
I hate “snuck” too! It’s actually sneaked into the dictionary now & everything!
I’ll be looking for a message from you, and good luck with everything! It’s another big week for you.
October 30th, 2009
We should always behave properly with one and every one whether he/she is five year or eighty year old.Age won’t be a matter.