Community | July 20, 2008 | 4 comments

Appalachian English: Speaking the Kentucky stereotype

source: http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/466236.html

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TravG73
Appalachian English flows through Kentucky's veins, and it is one of the most mocked American speech patterns. It is also one that many consider part of their rich cultural heritage.

But is mountain speech an aural indication of lesser worth?

That's what Jodelle Deem, a speech professor at the University of Kentucky, wants to know. How do Appalachian speech patterns affect employability in Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati?

Deem and graduate student Lisa Hill will use tapes of Appalachian and non-regional speech patterns to find out what health care managers think of the candidates.

Their hypothesis: Managers will perceive those who speak the standard English dialect as the most employable, and those who speak with an Appalachian accent and grammar as the least.
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4 comments // Appalachian English: Speaking the Kentucky stereotype

  • jennlee
    • 0
      jennlee  

    • I am from Southeastern Kentucky, and I am very proud of my accent. It is who I am. I am a very intelligent young lady and the way I speak has nothing to do with my ability to learn. No one is alike, no matter where you go people act differently, they speak differently. My opinion, people have to have someone to discriminate against, and it's a shame. Stop judging poeple. Stop assuming when you don't know. Just accept people for who they are, how they look, where they are from, and how they talk.

    • 3 years ago
  • feels
    • 0
      feels  
    • jennlee:

      i'm sorry, but what part of my post were you replying to?

      forgive me, but i can't determine what you're responding to.

      are you saying that i, personally, need to stop judging? in that case, i have to ask-- what part of my post was "judging" anyone?

      if you mean the accent thing, then i have to say that accents in my area don't seem to be as pronounced as they might be elsewhere. i may be used to it, but i can still tell a deep from a slight accent regardless.

    • 3 years ago
  • jennlee
    • 0
      jennlee  
    • jennlee:

      No, I wasnt speaking directly to you. I was replying to the article. I was talking to poeple who assume that people from Kentucky are ignorant, or have learning disabilities.

    • 3 years ago
  • feels
    • 0
      feels  

    • being from kentucky myself, i found this whole article to be really interesting.

      i personally don't believe my accent to be as strong as my southern/eastern peers, but i can't deny that i don't say "git" or "ohl" (in place of "get" and "oil") from time to time!

    • 3 years ago
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