Dialect Sound Files and Lessons - Group Work, Sept. 24

Today, we are working in groups to deal with our self-chosen dialect sound files.

This time, we are not talking about dialects of different states of the United States, but about dialects AND accents spoken by non-Americans when they speak English. They can be native speakers of English (English, Scottish, Irish, Australian, etc.), or of a different origin (Russian, German, etc.).

Prompt:

Imagine your group of 3-4 is a training camp for future actors who have to stage a play in a certain dialect or with a certain accent. You are the trainers and have to teach your actors what this dialect/accent sounds like, what the major differences are with regard to Standard English (American English), and how to practice it. Thus, you need some kind of assignment or pronunciation exercise for them.

If you want to spice up your short instruction, you can add youtube files or other videos with sound, besides the soundfile from the IDEA homepage that you have to use. You may also add pictures.

Required components:
a) title and label
b) working sound file URL of dialect or accent
c) short written explanation of pronunciation and vocabulary
d) short pronunciation exercise
e) voluntary: youtube file or other video of people who speak this dialect/accent
f) voluntary: pictures (hyperlink them to source; otherwise it's plagiarism)
g) presentation of your group's instructional plan in front of the class (smartboard; ca. 5 min.) on Friday this week

Get together in a row with 3-4 people, and go to the following homepage:
IDEA (International Dialects of English Archive).

TASK 1: Pick ONE dialect or accent you want to talk about. Create a new blog thread for your group (only one person is typing, and can edit this entry), invent a headline and label, and insert your URL to the dialect sound file you've chosen. You need to come up front to the smartboard computer to actually HEAR your sound file, because your PC's don't have sound - unless you have a headphone with you. I'm bringing one to class. So select a sound file first (group discussion), and then try it out. If it's not what you wanted, you may always change it and take it in turns with the other groups to hear the new sound file you selected.

Ideally, no two groups should have the same dialect/accent, so we'll put the topics on the board to avoid double entries.

TASK 2: Explain in a short paragraph the major differences in pronunciation and vocabulary of speakers of your dialect/accent. Post this on your new thread.

Then, create an exercise. Finally, insert pics and other sound files (voluntary).

Format: you can address your audience (= actors) like you addressed your students in your WebQuests. Imagine they read your blog entry and work with it.

TASK 3: Look on the blog from Spring Semester 2008 for some good layout examples:
http://grammarians2008.blogspot.com/search?q=dialect
Beware: Those students had a different prompt. They were simply creating lesson plans, and have lots of sociology stuff in there. We are instructing actors, not kids who learn about the history and economy of certain countries.

TASK 4: In case you don't finish in class today, exchange emails with your group members. The one person who opened the thread is the only one who can type into it, so you need to email this person your components (if you delegated work) so that he/she can put it up on your thread before Friday's class.



P.S.

And this is what happens if your actor students don't learn anything from your intro to their dialect or accent - Dialect Laughing: 16 Horrible Movie Accents ;-)