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| My Fair Lady is a film that showcases the concept of diglossia. |
While I was in graduate school there was a situation
involving a young man who became the center of attention among several young
women I knew. The man was an immigrant
from Australia who was unemployed, marginally good looking, and incredibly
crude, but these factors did not deter the women from competing for his
attention. Why exactly was this man
considered a desirable candidate for sexual relations? Because of his accent that these women labeled
as “sexy”. Today’s blog post is
dedicated to language and the importance societies and cultures put on specific
dialects of languages. This concept is
known as diglossia.
Diglossia refers to the presence of a formal (and therefore
considered favorable) and informal (and therefore considered less favorable)
dialect of a single language. There can various
other dialects within a language that do not have any specific importance
factor attached to it, but typically there is one high and preferred dialect
and one that is identified as low and least desirable dialect. For example, in Thailand there is a formal
Thai dialect that is considered elegant and polite and an informal, street version
of Thai.
To identify what is considered the high/formal dialect
versus the low/informal dialect one need only look at the main media
options. Typically, news casters and
newspapers utilize the high/formal dialect.
This dialect is used to promote a level of trust in the viewer since
this dialectical form is considered worthier than others. Users are seen as intelligent, friendly, and,
in some cases, sexier, causing people to want to interact with the user. The low/informal dialect is typically
associated with the less desirable people in a society who are seen as poor,
deviant, and/or dirty. This form is often
times not heard as often, and if it is it solicits noticeable disdain by
others.
An example of the differences between high vs low dialects
in British English can be found in the following clip from My Fair Lady. In this clip Eliza Dolittle is being tutored
by Professor Henry Higgins in speaking with the higher British dialect. Higgins’ mission stems from a bet he has with
a colleague about transforming Dolittle from a Cockney speaker, a dialect which
is associated with deviance and poverty, into a “gentile” British woman who speaks
“properly”. As noted in the clip Higgins
describes Dolittle’s cockney accent as offensive to God’s ears. Taken together this scene properly
demonstrates the difference between the high and low dialects of British
English.
So next time you hear someone speak think about how what
they say affects you. Are you more
forgiving of what they say because of how they say it or are you more critical
because of it? Do you find people react
differently with you based on how you speak?
Learning about and recognizing your own language abilities can assist
you in various ways, from winning friends or getting you a job. These are topics that will be explore more in
the future, so be sure to stay tuned to learn more.
References
Welsch, R.L. & L.A.
Vivanco. (2015). Cultural Anthropology: Asking Questions About
Humanity. Oxford University Press.
23 comments:
I remember another example from Kingsman, (which I saw four separate times) in which he actually refers to My Fair Lady when Eggsy asks Lancelot if he's going to show him how to speak properly. On an unrelated note, I think the Australian accent is extremely sexy, and I guess I kind of know why now. Pretty interesting stuff, professor
Akwila Cooks
I don't think anyone should be judged on the way they talk. I see pros and cons at the same time. At the beginning of the article it could be a pro to the guy that he was getting girls. Sometimes it can be cons because not everyone understands why people talk the way they do. But I also believe that everyone can always be educated on the way they speak and grow as a speaker.
I agree that it is unfair that people make judgements on language, but it is an unfortunate reality that exists in our society. I posted this post to educate readers of this unfortunate reality, and one of two reactions can be take (or both): people realize and recognize their own biases and change them, or be aware of this reality and change one's own way of speaking. Regarding this last option, this can be beneficial in some ways. For example, if one uses a lot of profanity in one's language knowing when and where that is appropriate would be beneficial. The unpleasant side of that is having to change part of one's identity to meet the expectations of others, though. It's an unfortunate trade off, but a choice individuals have to make for themselves.
If you believe if you judge someone by the way you talk then your basically judging a book by its cover. If you have a accent i think its unique because it makes you different from everyone else. You can not force someone to talk a certain way, everyone doesn't speak the same.
Kenneth Granger
I have a coworker with a Turkish accent that is very understandable, but there are still customers that are rude to her or act like they don't understand her accent. Diglossia does seem to be an unfortunate symptom of racism, especially since the 'favorable' accents are typically from countries like Britain, Ireland and Australia where the majority of the population is white.
When I went to Missouri State, I was in a theater class that required us to go see plays. One of them was My Fair Lady and it was a good example of showing the differences people talk. I also have a friend from New Zealand and he definitely shows that his accent brings attention.
Growing up my family always said i sounded way proper than the children i was around. its crazy becausemy brothers and sister would try to get me to speak in broken english as well as try slang words with less pronunciation but it just didnt work.
When I visit my nana down in West Miami I get treated completely different than my uncles and cousins within the community. Even though I am proud to have Hispanic blood in me they treat me wrongly because I do not speak with the same accent or even look the same. I understand fully how it feels to be treated on the wrong side of this.
I agree. Sadly, people are cruel. People will always judge based on differences. I don't agree with it, but thats just how people are.
I hate judging a book by its cover. With that being said, when you hear an accent that you aren't used to, it is natural to have a reaction to it. I personally love hearing accents. They bring a smile to my face and remind us that all people are unique.
A persons accent should not determine how they get treated by others, wrong is wrong and right is right. An accent shouldn't have any impact on how someone makes you feel and that goes for saying a person is proper as well some may take that in an offensive way.
I honestly don’t think people should be judged by the way they talk simply because it happens to me. Even though I was around the same people all my life, I’ve always been told asked “why do you talk like that?” and I hated it. Also as a child (6th grade maybe) I had a friend from New Orleans and people used to talk about his accent cause they couldn’t really understand what he was saying. Being mature I thought it was childish and rude. Working at worlds of fun, I had an African coworker and the kids would laugh at her. As adults no one told there child to be nice/kind. The fact that no one ever apologized used to irritate the hell out of me. Now that I’m older, they don’t really speak on how I talk anymore.
Amber Barnes
I know this fact to be extremely true in my case. I tend to give a more southern accent thanks to way I was raised around my father and his family. A good example is how a say wash and some other words. It was not until recently that I began to notice how I picked up the speech pattern. When I am around people who do not speak the same that I begin to stop. Do you think that hearing the way others talk can help make my speech more intellectual?
As I'm not completely sure by your question I am going to try to answer it the best I can. We do often take on the accent of those around us. For example, when I first moved to Canada everyone could tell I was American due to my thick St. Louis accent. By the time I left because I had finished my schooling everyone was surprised to learn I was American because I sounded so Canadian. I did not notice a difference myself, though. It was just something that happened. Because people have preferences toward certain accents you can take voice lessons to learn different accents. Actors do this so they can take on multiple different roles. Voice lessons can be done formally, through a teacher, or informally, through listening to other speakers. One can also sound more intellectual by expanding his/her vocabulary and using that vocabulary properly.
Lindsey Wilkerson
I remember us discussing this particular topic in class. It is unfortunate but very true that people respond very differently or make good and bad judgments depending on how you talk. It is very unfair in most cases but in this world you people have to understand that just because you have to speak more "proper" depending on the situation to get a better out come. Now there is a difference between speaking proper and changing your self which some may get mixed up. Sometimes you have to approach and communicate with people differently to get your point across and for them to get a better understanding that does not mean you are not being true to yourself.
I know what it's like being judged by the way they talk because I was born in Trindad and when I came to the U.S I was made funny of by classmate because I sound different from them and over the years I adapted and my accents went away but because i was made funny of now I do speak as much and I hate speaking in class. At Lincoln I have seen it when the international students are talking other students would make a comment like speak English and to me I think that's disrespectful.
I have never been the type to judge others based off looks or the way they talk i believe in giving a fair chance and actually get to know someone .I feel it is okay to have a certain reaction when you hear an accent you have not heard before but you should also still be respectful and not make fun of the way they talk be accepting of it . - Mykia Chaney
When I got here to Lincoln University everyone thought i had an accent and made jokes about it. Everyone thought all i wanted to do was beat people up because “thats what chicago girls do” Wrong! Im the total opposite and that goes to show you that judging is not the best option.
When I went to Mississippi, My family there had strong accents. I didn't chose to judge them because I knew where from two different states. Instead, I observed everything I was able to be taught by them. You cant judge people by the way they speak. You don't know how this person is on the inside.
I remember discussing this in class. Having a strong accent is not something that a person a control. Every time I go to Ohio to visit someone automatically knows I am not from Ohio, but I don't think I have an accent. Its not acceptable to judge them by how they talk.
-Tae'lor Pearson
When i moved to Arkansas my 8th grade year, evrybody instantly knew i wasn't from there because of how i talked. Everyone kept telling me i had an accent or sounded weird. Even coming here to Lincoln meeting people from different places they would tell me i have an accent and im guilty too, because i would tell people from Chicago and other places that they have an accent.But now i know that judging how someone talks is not acceptable
-Kyla Thomas
I had never realized how much we judge people as to their formal or informal dialect. This post greatly opened my eyes to notice further how I hear and interpret how people speak to me. The example you used of the man with his Australian accent made me realize I have seen people in a more pleasant or unpleasant light based off of the spund of their voice. Definitely made me second guess how I judge peiple. Thank you!
The post did well in telling the story of the young Australian man with the thick accent demonstrating how different language usage may affect how people perceive and interact with one another in social situations. It draws attention to the social significance that accents and dialects have, illuminating larger trends of bias and discrimination based on language. The idea of diglossia—the coexistence of formal and informal dialects within a single language—is introduced in the post effectively. Examples from both Thailand and Australia are given to show how diglossia affects social hierarchies and appears in various cultural situations.
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