Working Definition of an Accent.

¶ … working definition of an accent. That working definition takes into consideration the fact that "accents are loose bundles of prosodic and segmental features distributed over geographic and/or social space" (42). If that was the true, and only, definition of the word accent I would be satisfied to pen an entire essay based on accents and how they affect literary works and the individuals in society that read those works. There is further definition contained in the article, however, that makes such an essay not as comprehensive a work as is required. That definition says that "we usually use geography as the first line of demarcation: a Maine accent, a New Orleans accent, an Appalachian accent a Utah accent" (42). Based on the fact that I was born in a foreign country (Poland), immigrated to the United States when I was just four years old, and having traveled extensively throughout the United States, I am in definite agreement with the fact that there are as many varieties of language accents than there are societies of people. An individual can travel from Maine to Appalachia to New Orleans then to Utah and would have to learn what seems like an entirely new version of the English language in each area. Even when the words used enjoy the exact same definition or usage, the way they are spoken can render the language either understandable or uncomprehendable. What I really find fascinating is the fact that not only do accents change the way we view different cultures but word usage changes as well.

As an example when I once traveled to North Carolina the state was experiencing some significant snowfall (a rarity in North Carolina) and I saw some young people sledding down the hill. I talked to some of those young people, and told them that they rode their 'toboggans' with a certain style and panache. They laughed at me and told me that they were not riding toboggans, their toboggans were the quilted hats they wore on their heads. My toboggan (of course) was a sled used to travel through the snow. Of course, this does not certify the accent but (as the article suggests) it does show that there are different uses for different words.

A also currently reside in a very ethnically diverse area and as such also agree with additional arguments as they are contained within the article. One primary argument presented by the author is that accent is not only based on geography but it is also based on the individual's culture and upbringing. The article states "there are also socially bound clusters of features which are superimposed on the geographic: Native American accents, black accents, Jewish accents. Gender, race, ethnicity, income, religion - these and other elements of social identity are often clearly marked by means of choice between linguistic variants" (42-43).

As I walk out of my residence I can be assailed by accents and word usages that vary from culture to culture based upon the ethnicity, race and religion of the individual. What is much more difficult to discern is the differences in language usage by gender or by income (although men do seem to be much more colorful in their use of the English language than women are).

I'm not certain that I agree as much with the author's assertion that income affects language usage as much as culture, although I can see that those 'uppity' Easterners living in the Boston area are much more likely to be condescending in tone than the 'cowboys' who live out West.

The article continues by presenting the argument that adults are unable to acquire a new language (although most are capable of acquiring a new accent) due to the fact that adults no longer possess the tools to build a new "Sound House." According to the article's author a Sound House is the process a newborn child begins when acquiring a language. The article states "the Sound House is the 'home' of the language, or what we have been calling accent - the phonology - of the child's native tongue" (46). The Sound House, according to the author, is the place where children learn to speak and to communicate in the most effective manner with the largest amount of individuals. The problem with this scenario is that the newborn only consistently comes in contact with a certain few people. These are normally parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other close relationships. These people speak in relatively the same manner and with the same accent (with the exception of Aunt Maude from Brooklyn who always speaks in a loud, obnoxious voice). Understanding that the child develops a Sound House based on hearing the voices of those with whom the most contact is maintained, leads to the child speaking in relatively the same manner. The article does go further, by stating that the language the child develops can morph.

This happens when the "child starts to socialize with other children" (47) due to the fact that the child wishes to be (and sound) like the child's friends so the child "makes renovations to the Sound House" (47). Therefore, the acquired language is uniquely the child's, but sounds very similar to those with whom the child most associates with.