Talk the Talk (Chapter 10)

Dialects is probably one of the most interesting subjects we have covered so far in this class. I enjoyed the video we watched on different dialects in the US. It’s crazy how English can sometimes sound like a foreign language depending on what region you’re in.

I never hear my own accent when I am speaking to people. The only time I really notice it is when I travel to other states or listen to myself on a recording. Even though I was born and raised in Arkansas, I do not think I sound “country.” I think this is due to my mom being from Wisconsin. And even though my dad is from Arkansas, he does not sound Southern to me either. I remember a friend from New York told me, “You don’t speak as slow as I thought you would, but you hold out your vowels forever.” I guess that’s a pretty good description of how I sound.

Growing up, my mom always encouraged my brother and I to speak “proper” English. She is not a fan of slang or bad grammar and even hates when I text her the word “yeah.” She is biracial, but did not want us to use “Ebonics” or talk “ghetto.” Because of this, a lot of my Black peers always said that I talked “White,” and because of this, I had a hard time fitting in with them. I know that my mom meant well and wanted my brother and I to break down negative stereotypes, but a part of me wishes I was more in touch with that part of my culture (Black Vernacular English).

It wasn’t until about a year or two ago (when I joined a Black sorority) that I was really able to connect with this dialect. With my sorority sisters, I do not have to worry about using correct grammar or anything like that. In fact, we mostly speak using slang. I have been able to get more in touch with this aspect of Black culture.

When I explained to my mom that Black Vernacular English is a real dialect of English and that a person who speaks it is not any less educated, she couldn’t believe it. However, I don’t think she’ll be comfortable with me speaking it anytime soon. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether I talk “White” or “Black” as long as my point is getting across clearly. And not all black people speak Black Vernacular English, but it doesn’t make them any less black. And speaking “proper” English, doesn’t make them White.