did somebody kidnap all the english teachers in south carolina?

[marleyisalegend]

i've been living here since november and, for the sake of contrast, i have also lived in north carolina.

but still, it's ONLY here in south carolina where every time i speak to someone i feel like i'm on the set of the color purple. drive an hour up to charlotte and the broken english is at least broken MODERN english. it is a truly surreal experience that sometimes makes me laugh, sometimes makes me cry, but always requires me to listen extra hard to what people are saying becawz it be hahd tuh tayul wha folks be sain win dey tawk lak miss celie. WEIRD!

 

[Rammajamma771]

What many people outside of the South don't seem to understand is that African- Americans make up between 25% to 40% of the population of most of the old Confederate States. 50 years ago A-A were still concentrated in rural areas working as share-croppers. After the Civil Rights Act of 1964, many of the A-A sharecroppers left the sharecropper shacks and moved to the urban areas where better housing and government subsidized housing is available. In many cases, cities (2000 census) like Birmingham (74% Black), Atlanta (65%), Columbia, SC (49%), New Orleans (67%) and Memphis (61%) hire teachers in balance with the city's racial makeup. If you live or visit these areas you will quickly learn that too many minority teachers have not been required to speak English correctly as part of their teaching requirements. Much of this is due to African-Americans who attend historically Black universities such as Moorehouse, Clark, Talledega, Tuskegee, Stillman, Alabama A&M, FAMU, Albany St where the colloquial Black dialect is perpetuated. As teachers, they pass along to children of all races (Black, Caucasian, Latino, etc.) the language spoken in the classroom.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

I recall an afternoon I spent wondering around Charleston while Hick was obliged to be at the office - I got an iced coffee at the Starbucks there by Marion Square and went across to sit on the grass and read my book. I was approached by a chap, George was his name. He had an empty cup with him but declined my offer to share the iced coffee, accepting instead my water bottle. He joined me while he drank it.

Initially he was trying to hit me for a few bucks but we ended up in conversation. He told me a lot about his family, his situation, the neighbourhood he had lived most his life in, his sister (she was a school teacher - a good one by the sound of it) and her kids. He spoke the way you describe, with the added slur of a somewhat sober alcoholic. I understood every word.

Language and accents are in constant shift, pretty much everywhere in the world - in 20 years time there might be no one left who speaks like George, I'm glad I met him and took the time to listen to him.

Here in France, for some bizarre reason, they try to retard change as much as they can. I dislike that aspect of France. I dislike the fact that people are discouraged from understanding their own language in different accents, that pronunciation is more important than communication to a large chunk of the population. It leads to closed thinking and disrespect for others.

George wasn't thick - had I judged him so from his accent and speech mannerisms I would have missed out on an interesting experience. I'm not thick, but am often judged so, in French, for my accent and second language speaker idiosyncrasies.

Sorry to get serious on your ass for what was a light-hearted comment. It's something I feel quite strongly about.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

I'm not thick, but am often judged so, in French, for my accent and second language speaker idiosyncrasies.

You omit to mention the preternatural perceptiveness of the French.

 

[Drifterwood]

What happened to Vive la Defrance?

 

[B_Nick8]

Ooh, Mahley, yah silly goose.

 

[hypoc8]

i've been living here since november and, for the sake of contrast, i have also lived in north carolina.

but still, it's ONLY here in south carolina where every time i speak to someone i feel like i'm on the set of the color purple. drive an hour up to charlotte and the broken english is at least broken MODERN english. it is a truly surreal experience that sometimes makes me laugh, sometimes makes me cry, but always requires me to listen extra hard to what people are saying becawz it be hahd tuh tayul wha folks be sain win dey tawk lak miss celie. WEIRD!

What part of SC are you living in? I have a problem understanding those that were raised in the lower part of the state and I've lived here all my life. My next door neighbor is one of them, I went to introduce myself to him right after we moved into this neighbor hood and as soon as he started speaking I knew he was from around the Charleston area, just the way he pronounced certain words.

 

[Empathizer]

Way-uhll, heah's yoah cunnundrum, chile:

It's a lack of either familiarity with, personal comfort with, or a combination of both with, the existence and idea of the Gullah Language.

It's not an ignorance. It's actually the other way around. People who are intolerant of difference are the ignorant ones.

 

[Rikter8]

All you southern folks have accents. Much different than up ere in the UP Eh!

 

[helgaleena]

Yah, you bet. I vuss born up on da Range and all you folk from da south dere got a funny way to talk, and vots more you don't know what a bubbler is, or that.

 

[HiddenLacey]

I was born and raised in SE NC. I have yet to meet a person from anywhere in America that speaks the English language that I cannot understand. However, I have had people in NY ask me to read to them so they can listen to my accent. I have had Scarlet O'Hara impersonations performed for me by somone from a Northen state. I have also had people tell me to slow my speech down because I am speaking to "Southern." I have relatives in many Southern states and none of us sound the same.

Not only do people pronounce words differently, but their entire speech pattern can be different depending on what part of the country they are from. I enjoy listening to everyone, it's like music to my ears.

 

[CUBE]

LOL. Four mistakes in the thread title. Does that count?

 

[shr1125]

Yah, you bet. I vuss born up on da Range and all you folk from da south dere got a funny way to talk, and vots more you don't know what a bubbler is, or that.

Fantastic!

I moved from Georgia to eastern South Dakota for my first round of grad school and was met with

Soh, vots it like to live in a place where noh one has a funny accent?

 

[Bbucko]

Language and accents are in constant shift, pretty much everywhere in the world - in 20 years time there might be no one left who speaks like George, I'm glad I met him and took the time to listen to him.

Here in France, for some bizarre reason, they try to retard change as much as they can. I dislike that aspect of France. I dislike the fact that people are discouraged from understanding their own language in different accents, that pronunciation is more important than communication to a large chunk of the population. It leads to closed thinking and disrespect for others.

George wasn't thick - had I judged him so from his accent and speech mannerisms I would have missed out on an interesting experience. I'm not thick, but am often judged so, in French, for my accent and second language speaker idiosyncrasies.

Sorry to get serious on your ass for what was a light-hearted comment. It's something I feel quite strongly about.

For whatever reason, the French stubbornly hold on to the myth that they are not a land of immigrants, and see little value in diversity of anything but cheese (and I'm a rabid Francophile). I spent several torturous months having every sound coming from my mouth corrected until I lost all trace of any Americanism in my voice, and learned neat tricks like using "c'est" when I was unclear as to the gender of a specific noun

And please, don't get me started on the Passé Simple: it defies all rational explanation.

Way-uhll, heah's yoah cunnundrum, chile:

It's a lack of either familiarity with, personal comfort with, or a combination of both with, the existence and idea of the Gullah Language.

It's not an ignorance. It's actually the other way around. People who are intolerant of difference are the ignorant ones.

One of my favorite songs (and sadly too obscure even for inclusion on YouTube) refers to someone as "Geechee Dan"; up until now I'd always thought it was a nickname. Now I know better.

The things one learns on LPSG!

 

[Empathizer]

Bbucko -- Maybe you could teach me (and any other interested persons) the song when we have the Meet and Greet! Then we could pass it on and it would keep going!

 

[Bbucko]

Bbucko -- Maybe you could teach me (and any other interested persons) the song when we have the Meet and Greet! Then we could pass it on and it would keep going!

I'll upload it to my MP3 player. It's from Dr Buzzard's Original Savanna Band Meets King Pennet , which was their second album. The first cut is called Mister Love, and starts like this:

Deep into the night
The box-back dance arrives
In apple jacks and tams
Man oh man they look
Just like that Geechee Dan!

 

[BIGBULL29]

For whatever reason, the French stubbornly hold on to the myth that they are not a land of immigrants, and see little value in diversity of anything but cheese (and I'm a rabid Francophile). I spent several torturous months having every sound coming from my mouth corrected until I lost all trace of any Americanism in my voice, and learned neat tricks like using "c'est" when I was unclear as to the gender of a specific noun

And please, don't get me started on the Passé Simple: it defies all rational explanation.!

I like the conditional tense in French, which might not translate at all to the conditional tense in English.

And the beautiful futur antérieur, which sends waves of joy through my body when I both hear it and say it. But it just doesn't always translate into a future perfect in English.

Pourquoi t'as fait ça? Tout ce que j'aurai fait pour toi!

Oh the nuances of the French language!

 

[Bbucko]

I like the conditional tense in French, which might not translate at all to the conditional tense in English.

And the beautiful futur antérieur, which sends waves of joy through my body when I both hear it and say it. But it just doesn't always translate into a future perfect in English.

Pourquoi t'as fait ça? Tout ce que j'aurai fait pour toi!

Oh the nuances of the French language!

That reminds me of a song from Starmania, Le blues du businessman, where he rails against all he would have wanted to do:
...

J'aurais voulu être un auteur
Pour pouvoir inventer ma vie.

...

J'aurais voulu être un artiste
Pour avoir le monde a refaire
Pour pouvoir être un anarchiste
Et vivre comme un millionnaire.

:biggrin1:

 

[BIGBULL29]

That reminds me of a song from Starmania, Le blues du businessman, where he rails against all he would have wanted to do:
...

J'aurais voulu être un auteur
Pour pouvoir inventer ma vie.

...

J'aurais voulu être un artiste
Pour avoir le monde a refaire
Pour pouvoir être un anarchiste
Et vivre comme un millionnaire.

:biggrin1:

Love that!

Et si, après avoir lu ces paroles, j'avais été chez toi en Floride, je t'aurais planté un gros bisou sur les lèvres.

J'adore entendre les trucs comme ça:wink:

 

[Drifterwood]

Love that!

Et si, après avoir lu ces paroles, j'avais été chez toi en Floride, je t'aurais planté un gros bisou sur tes lèvres.

Coreejay sa poor twoi.