Jaiganesh Nagarajan - Week 6 - Inflation prospers
America is known for its wide diversity of people and cultures. With that being said, it also comes with its fair share of varying accents. Everyone's accents define them as humans and give them their own metaphorical identity. With each person having their own origin, the accents will vary slightly between people. Our accents are heavily influenced by the environment we grew up in. For example, I grew up in America as the majority of us have. Being around people with a more “American” accent influenced the way I spoke and the “slang” I used. Accent does not have to mean the type of voice necessarily it can include the type of speech as well. Location also plays a big role in the way people speak. Having a “New York” accent is usually defined from people in New York typically dropping the “r”sound in their speech and making certain pronunciations longer.
While New York is one of the most apparent ones,there are also a lot of minor ones throughout the United States between each state. While having accents is a good way to keep our identities unique it is also important to be accepting of other accents. Constant stereotyping of people with different accents can lead to a split in society and will not bring unity with society. Accents and Identities play hand in hand in influencing culture as well. Using New York as an example again, a child constantly hearing the tone and accent of people around them makes them more likely to repeat the things they’ve learned and the cycle will continue with other people as well. Overall the varying accents in the US define us and define each country giving everyone their own unique identity.
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/american-accents
Hi Jaiganesh, I really like the topic that you chose for your blog post as I would have never thought of America having separate cultures and identities within the states. In India, there are multiple different states in which the people and culture vary significantly from appearance to language. The contrasts between people and ideologies of each area are very clear. However, I have always envisioned America as one entity or as a whole due to the fact that everyone speaks English and the majority of the people are Christian. Your blog has been very eye opening and I am able to see the clear differences of people between the states in America that make us unique. Although the language is the same, as you mentioned, there are different accents in different regions. People from New York have their own unique accent in which they do not pronounce the “r” in words. Those from California stereotypically (and realistically) are unable to pronounce the “t” in words and say “literally” way too often. Those from the South like people from Texas have a Southern accent. These differences in accent, although subtle, contribute to differences and add a unique touch to American culture and America as a country.
ReplyDeleteHi Jaiganesh! I really like the topic that you talked about in this blog post: local accents. I especially like your specific examples, such as New Yorkers dropping the "r" sound when they talk. Such examples helped me visualize the accents you talked about more clearly, and engaged me in my reading of the blog. However, I wish that you would talk more about specific differences between the states and countries in your blog, such as the southern accent, or even just geographically specific slang. I also like that you looked deeper into the issues, mentioning that the stereotyping that accents create can ultimately be damaging and divisive toward society. It brought a lot of nuance to your blog, which I found very interesting. I also like how you cut straight to the point in your writing, avoiding making your blog stagnant. I only have one question: is the title of your blog, "Inflation prospers" a title that you accidentally left in from a previous blog idea? I don't see how it directly relates to accents.
ReplyDeleteHi Jaiganesh! I really enjoyed your unique take on the diversity within America, particularly focusing on accents. It's intriguing to think about how our accents serve as both products and storytellers of our environments and interactions. I can relate to your your experience of being influenced by the "American" accent and slang. After moving here, as I became increasingly immersed in the American culture and language, my vocabulary, along with the cadence of my speech, started to gradually shift too. Being raised in the Bay Area, my exposure to countless of diverse accents, has heightened my appreciation for their beauty and the stories they tell. This variation in accents, whether observed within the bay area or nationwide, has come to represent a linguistic tapestry that weaves together the stories of our lives and our origins. In line with this, I completely agree with your emphasis on the importance of being accepting of different accents and the dangers of stereotyping. As you explained, such stereotyping only deepens societal divisions. In a nation defined by its cultural diversity, it's crucial that we actively work toward the greater effort of promoting unity by embracing the rich tapestry of accents that make up our country.
ReplyDelete