Class Discourse Analysis

I have noticed a little bit of a difference in the level of engagement of class, now that it is mentioned. My engagement is pretty much the same as when this course started, although, I am more comfortable now than at the beginning, so if I did have a comment, there’s more of a chance that I would speak up now than before.
I like the audio-video examples a lot that we’re doing now. I feel that I would learn more and be more involved if I felt like the material was important and applicable to everyday life. I see how we interact with people of different dialects everyday, but if I felt more of a need for it than I would involve myself more and I would get more from the readings. I think most students are taking this course for the diversity credit, but if there was some way that we could apply it outside of class rather than just coming to class and leaving class.
As for myself, I could look for ways to involve myself more in class discussions and pay more attention to the readings.

Post 6--Class Discourse Analysis

Hi all,

This post assignment is going to be slightly different than the previous ones. I'd like to use it as a type of "mid-term" analysis of how the class is going for you. I've noticed, over the last couple of weeks that the engagement level in discussion has dropped somewhat compared to what it used to be. One feature of a good learning environment, to me, is engaged discourse by all members of the class. Since it has dropped somewhat I'd like to check in with you to see if there are, indeed, some issues we need to be concerned with as we move into the second half of the semester.

So, I'd like you to do a bit of a class discourse analysis and a self-discourse analysis. First, do you notice a difference in the level of engagement in the class? Has your engagement shifted since the beginning of the course?

If yes, what are the issues that might be affecting our classroom discourse? Here are some ideas:

1. Earlier on in the class, we were dealing with challenging concepts; now it's not so tough.
2. Earlier on, we were dealing with theories and had a lot of relevant examples; now we are dealing with different dialects that you might not be familiar with.
3. I'm lecturing more.
4. I'm using audio-video examples more.

That's what I can think of on my end. What about on your end? Do you see that the student discourse has affected engagement levels?

Final questions:
1. What can I do to improve your learning experience for the second half of the semester?
2. What can you do, individually, to improve your learning experience for the second half of the semester?

Thanks,
Tiffany

Cali Talk

I don't know if California is ahead with the slang. I think just because they have the 5th largest economy in the world, and not to mention that it is freaking huge. That they get a ton of different cultures and different people. So they will put together many "slang" words that go just as fast as they come. I think everywhere will have their own slang away from other groups. Even here is Utah we will have our own slang or dialect but I bet if I said some slang to a Californian and they didn't know what it was, that they could figure it out. You might say that I talk like a Californian or "Vally Girl" but I would prefer Californian.

california

You can say that I talk like a "californian". I say all of the typical "dude, tight, sick, dope, etc". I don't know if California is ahead in the new words or slang, I think they just have their words just like we have ours. I have friends that live in Cali and when they come to town they always seem to have some new weird word. Then when I say a word or slang that is widely heard here and they do not understand. I think it goes both ways. that is how language is passed. You pick up something then pass it on and it goes in a cycle.

Take the power back...

Its interesting to be able to relate so unintentionally to a reading thats focused on the developement of a dialect that one might consider their own. I would have to say that more than 75% of the slang words described and defined in the reading relate exactly to how I would use the words themselves in my own discoures throughout the day. Even the other 25% are known to me and somewhat understood in content. I grew up skaing and using words like, sick, tight, sweet, amped, etc. were familiar and natural to me. I now undestand how words and phrases can become naturalized in the context of a particular social setting.

I feel that respectively California is moving ahead of the rest of the nation in many ways and I think this can be attributed to how they say in the chapter that Hollywood was looking to reach a large group of people; they had to have some proper medium or norm in language in order to attract audiences. I think its emerging more quickly for this same reason, Hollywood is everchanging; so to meet the demand of widespread popularity I think that one would have to adopt and manipulate differernt forms of language in order to maintain interest. Also how they said that the younger generation was just looking for their own way of expressing themselves and how that changes from year to year. Its spreading eastward because the western media has only that option in meeting the American public. How at the beginning of the chapter they said that California was all dreamers moving west looking for something new and thats exactly what happened a state full of dreamers taking on the world and changing it with the way they represent themselves through all mediums of expression.

Californian dialect

Out of all the readings we have done so far this one was by far the easiest to read and related to me quite a bit. I have a lot of Californian friends who migrated to Utah. So it was easy for me to see that California could have there own dialect. Through hanging out with my friends I tend to pick up on there slang and start using words like "dawg" and "tight" that have tended to reside in California throughout the hip hop industry.
I believe we tend to speak this way because of Hollywood and the Hip Hop Industry that was either originated in New York or California and there was a distinct line between the two. Also Hollywood is all over the TV and in movies and that is all we here about is what star is doing what or what movies are coming out. So in turn we tend to speak like the stars because we see that they are successful and we want to mimic them so in turn we could live the glamorous lifestyle just like stars.

Californian dialect

Out of all the readings we have done so far this one was by far the easiest to read and related to me quite a bit. I have a lot of Californian friends who migrated to Utah. So it was easy for me to see that California could have there own dialect. Through hanging out with my friends I tend to pick up on there slang and start using words like "dawg" and "tight" that have tended to reside in California throughout the hip hop industry.
I believe we tend to speak this way because of Hollywood and the Hip Hop Industry that was either originated in New York or California and there was a distinct line between the two. Also Hollywood is all over the TV and in movies and that is all we here about is what star is doing what or what movies are coming out. So in turn we tend to speak like the stars because we see that they are successful and we want to mimic them so in turn we could live the glamorous lifestyle just like stars.

californian dialect

Of all the readings we have done, I related the most to this one. The people in it sounded just like me and my friends in the way that they talked. I use the word "like" all the time, more than I would like, and I also use many of the slang terms the teenage girls described in the first part of the reading.

I think that one of the biggest reasons that the californian dialect is prevalent all over the US is because of the media. Most tv and movie writers live in California, and they write what they know and what they hear in their daily lives. In our culture today, emmulating what we see famous people doing has become very popular, and this trend includes adopting new words and ways of speaking that we hear in the media, like the example given of the effects of the movie "Clueless."

Spice Girls and Clueless. Yeah?!....NO

It is absurd that linguist think movies and television don’t affect language. Media is one of the most power tools in transmitting cultural change. Nearly everyone within the United States has a television, and even those who do not are still affected by the influences of popular culture.
These days especially, information can be transmitted instantly. I think that’s why the westward shift of information might be changing. The direction in which information spreads is not as relevant in contemporary age because information goes everywhere! The limitations to communications have become fewer as we find increasing sophisticated ways of living. So whether it is movies, television, music or anything other cultural creation, it cannot be contained- it will inevitably become accessible for anyone who wishes to have it.

I remember when I watched Clueless for the first time. I was twelve when I watched it with my girlfriends. We completely idealized movies like Clueless and many other forms of entertainment directed towards teenage girls. I remember how much we loved groups like the Spice Girls. And although it makes me cringe slightly when I think of myself at this time, (I know there are other of you girls out there...admit it!) it is interesting to think of it as a sort of cultural transmission that I’m sure affected nearly every young girl in America at the time.
So whether it be Spice Girls or some other fad, the mixture of popular culture and limitless/ instant accessibility, ensures that the trends and fads we adopt will never stop changing, it will continue with the same principles it always has; it is the rate in which change occurs that has already, and will continue change.

Ghetto Fabulous

California is the center of pop culture.  If you want to become an actress or an actor you move out to California.  California is where dreams come true.  It is also a very diverse place, where a lot of cultures have come together since the gold rush.  When you place that many people in once place problems tend to pop up.  So I think California leads the nation in dealing with problems that arise from society because they are ground zero.  They are the first to have to address it.  If you look at most teen dramas they all take place in California schools, and teenagers copy what they see on TV because they want to be cool.  You have "Saved by the Bell", "90210", "The O.C.", "Laguna Beach", etc.  As the article stated that the younger generation will mold the language, and create 

I know that reading the article I could pick out some of the words I use in my daily language. I know I'm guilty of using the phrase ghetto and ghetto fab.  I actually have tried to stop using the word "like" as a sentences filler.  Because in one of my college classes my teacher pointed out that another student sounded completely wish-washy about everything they said because they used the word "like" so many times.  He would actually silently count how many times she used the word and write the number on the board after she finished responding.  He would make the point that you should sound proud in your answer and using the word "like" repeatedly made it sound like the individual wasn't very sure of what answer they were giving.  When someone points something out that like you start monitoring yourself and I found myself counting how many times I used the word like.  It just made me change how I spoke.

Like, Whatever!

And I quote “As we know, linguists believe that movies and television do not change people's language.” Pg 157 - Language from a state of Change.

Say what?? You see, I found this statement a little hard to believe. In fact, my best English teacher was Television. From as far back as I can remember, TV taught me how to speak and kept me current on new language uses and trends throughout much of my adolescence.

And how much more true is it today? Young children are practically “plugged in” at birth. Their minds absorbing anything that comes out of the glowing box that is their babysitter. Certainly there is good programing – programs that cater to the learning of social and language skills but others, well... not so much.

A young niece surprised me once with some interesting and obtrusive speech. “Where do you learn to speak like that?” “Bratz! It's my favorite show! It's blah blah blah blah....” As mentioned on page 158, language is born in the youth culture. But where are it's precepts derived?

But it's not just the young. Television norms of speaking effect us all. Take the Simpsons for example. Tell me you have never, not once, used the term “Do'oh” or the Nelsonized “haa-haa.” The other day I happened to be watching Fox with a lineup that included King of the Hill, Family Guy, The Simpsons, and Seinfeld. With each show, I could identify at least one person that identifies with a character enough to, if only on occasional, use similar speech patterns or phrases. And when the phrase or speech pattern doesn't make sense, we've all heard: “Haven't you ever seen _____?”

Whole sub-cultures have been built upon Star Trek. Trekkies even developed the Klingon Language to a functional level (again, thank you TV). The following phrases have been around more than 20 years and still illicit some type of response: “What's you talkin about Willis?” “I pitty da fool” “Say hello to my little friend” “I'm gonna make you an offer you can't refuse.”

We also turn to TV for exemplified use in language. Newsreaders and journalists often provide a great example of clear, globally acceptable English-in-use for communications purposes. Turn to MTV to learn how to speak “Hip-Hop” or watch any sportscast to learn specific lexicon and HOW it's used for that particular sport.

Television has also greatly increased the rate in which language and dialects evolve and saturate cultures. The West coast surfer/skater/snowboarder has only to post a video on Youtube for that methodology and dialect to be seen and absorbed on the East.

Television not affect language... Yeah. Right.

the Californian Dialect

Why would a new dialect emerge more quickly in California? my answer to this is that California is a large state were many different ethnicity mix there for.......it will spreed faster also California is a state were a lot of events take place and were the rest of the country looks upped on, like new york. with the reading we had i can connect with it a lot because i am a bilingual and like in the study they did i also speak Spanglish a lot especially at home and with close friend in my same situation.

Cali. Dialect

you find that the media caries language to everywhere, I have never really lived in California but I do use word similar to "like" "dude" "dawg" ect... in my speech I use these word alot, it's fun to use words that aren't nessarily the proper or exactly what high society would use, it's like letting you hair down and taking off your shoes.
Media had a great influance on how we talk what we buy and how we present our selves, we do things baced on what we see and hear on TV and movies, it effects us in every possible way.
It's funny how things work, where I work my superviser says "dude" in almost every sentence and now I am using "dude" more and more.
Hollywood has a big influance on what we say, because that is where most of the movies are made and where most of the trends are started, either in style or dialect.

The California Dialect

It's amazing to me how influential the media can be! We buy the things we do partly because of the media. We try to dress like the people we see on T.V. We even adapt our language based on what we hear in the media! However, I don't think that this influential power is solely limited to the media. I believe that friends and family have a tremendous effect on how we speak. I have been living with my grandparents for about three years now and I am realizing that I have adopted some of my grandma's old fashioned phrases as my own! You'll often find that friends often speak alike and act alike. I agree with everyone else that the California dialect has had a profound effect on our speech. I am not sure if this dialect would have spread very far if it weren't for the media. There are so many shows out there that glamorize California and everything about it. We want so much to be accepted that we'll do pretty much anything to adapt.

dude... that was knarly

I lived in California for a while and it was hilarious to here some of the words people would use. One of my friends said 'dude' a minimum of 15 times a sentence. It was almost hard to understand what he was saying because all the 'dudage' threw off the meaning. I definitely see the California dialect in my speech. I use the word 'like' in my speech, not a lot, but some. I also use all the others like sick, dude, rad...ect. I haven't noticed it in myself, but my friends are avid supporters of the uptalk. It kind of sounds ridiculous when you take time to notice it. I would agree that trends tend to start in California and move eastward. It makes sense because pop-culture thrives in California. Hollywood is the mecca of trends and if something starts there and ends up on TV or a movie it's going to catch on other places and start spreading. Trends might even start elsewhere but it seems that it's the MTV pop culture that picks up on them and makes them nationally known. The historic movement of dialect has been westward but that's because we started out in the east and slowly moved our way out west. It's only recently that we've had such a huge population on the west coast and even more recent since we've been able to communicate dialects and trends so easily across the country. Television and the internet have a huge part to play in the spreading of dialects from California eastward.

As if!

I thought the part in the reading about the movie "Clueless" was a very good example of language moving eastward from California. When this movie came out, Val Girl speak was already well intergrated throughout America, but the influence this movie had (especially on teenage girls) was still amazing. After the release of this movie, more and more girls throughout the nation were spouting out phrases such as "Whatever" and "As if!" This example illustrates a major reason language trends sprout from California - Hollywood/the media. When Americans see young, wealthy, beautiful characters in a movie speaking a certain way there is a tendency to imitate the language. I believe this is so because the language is shown to be not only an acceptable way of speaking, but also as "cool."

Post 5-The Californian Dialect Response

When it comes to Californian Dialect I notice myself saying 'hella' a lot when it comes to describing things. Like, "that movie was hella tight." or "It's hella hot today." I also say things like 'tight', or 'dude' to my friends a lot.
Well if you think about it, when England was the power of the world, the people who had the say and who were most in power and control were that of nobility. Today, those people are the people involved in the entertainment industry (movie, music, television, ect). Through those forms a media a a super peer is developed. As we grow up we are influenced by our peers (our family, friends, and whomever we might consider our peers). I remember the article talking about how African American talk takes up a lot of the slang or Californian Dialect, and it makes sense since a lot of teenagers and younger people listen to rap and think it is cool. They want to be like the rappers with cars, money, and sexy girls. I am not saying that everyone is like this but enough people are to form sort of a majority group. California is a movie powerhouse, it also has a huge factor in importing and exporting goods. We are in a sense brainwashed to think that California is cool through shows on MTV and different movies setting up and making a picture of what 'cool' is in a sense. Through this and many other developing factors we have come to think of California as 'the place to be.' With it's warm weather in most coastal cities, and its intrigue to the beautiful and rich, no wonder it has a huge influence on language, and the people not just in America but worldwide.

Post=4 Critical Discourse Analysis Response

Discourse is a critical and complicated concept when really breaking into it. It is simple yet irritating, it can be fun, and upsetting at the same time. I remember reading about the concept of mastery in any subject. It state that when you really get into an area, break it down, and begin to understand it, that is when you realize how much you really don't know.
Like the example of the legal document in class, I mean the people writing that probably have a better understand of the language, grammar, and vocabulary they use. They probably understand that by using that discourse they will confused their customers in a sense, but at the same time, be following legal procedures. Yes, it is confusing and some of it is probably done to confuse customers and trick them and get them into binds where the company makes money. But if you look at it from a legal standpoint and a professional standpoint they are just covering their tracks and keeping everything in line. So discourse to me is not only the language in use but it also has a self-perception or idealism to it as well, when it comes to seeing why or how it was done, in my opinion.