Tuning in to Accentism: Dialect, discrimination and education in the Black Country

适应口音：黑人国家的方言、歧视和教育

• 批准号: 2606949
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Queen Mary University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2606949
• 关键词: Tuning; Accentism; Dialect; discrimination; education

Within the UK, each year thousands of children begin school only to find that the language variety they speak at home is at odds with the one used in the classroom. This was neatly illustrated when a Black Country primary school sent a letter to parents explaining that local dialect forms would no longer be tolerated in the classroom. However, local press coverage of the story revealed the parents' reaction to be one of disdain, demonstrating how the standard language ideology within education is often at odds with how accent and dialect are experienced within the local community where they are a source of pride and connection. While research into language acquisition demonstrates the necessary milestones children must reach in order to be "ready for school", much less research has looked at how dialectal diversity may impact on this journey, particularly when the variety spoken is stigmatised. Indeed, earlier work has shown that the denigration of local dialect forms can lead to lower engagement in class. The negative effects of these early experiences can have long lasting effects: they can be a contributing factor in lower academic attainment and in some cases create a barrier to literacy (Labov, 1994). Examples of accentism, or prejudice against an individual based on their linguistic background, can be found throughout society. If you speak with a Birmingham accent, a jury is more likely to find you guilty (Dixon et al., 2002). If a medical professional speaks with Korean accented American English, they are perceived to be less trustworthy (Pantos and Perkins, 2012). This prejudice has far reaching consequences, not only for individuals who speak with a non-standard accent, but also on the linguistic vitality of the dialect itself. Just as with language, when accentism leads people to stop using their native dialects, the dialect dies out, taking with it the associated culture and history. Through targeting the sectors of media and education, this project will investigate and tackle accentism in England's Black Country, where accentism is keenly felt. The project will combine the perspectives and platforms of two research sites: Colley Lane Primary School in the West Midlands, and the collaborative partnering of 'Black Country Radio' a local radio station and community hub. This collaboration presents a unique opportunity to unite the contrasting perspectives of community and classroom whilst simultaneously benefiting both. The primary academic research site is the classroom. How do children cope with the competing language ideologies of home and school? How do they integrate this understanding within their developing linguistic systems? And ultimately, how does this impact on their academic attainment? These academic findings and questions will be explored in a public-friendly way using the platform of local radio. This will enable the results from the school study and their implications to be disseminated amongst the most important stakeholders: the parents and pupils themselves, whilst simultaneously engaging and educating teachers and policymakers about the effects their decisions and practices have on both the future of the local dialect, and its speakers.

在英国，每年都有成千上万的孩子开始上学，却发现他们在家里说的语言与在教室里使用的语言不一致。一所黑人乡村小学给家长们写了一封信，解释说在教室里不再容忍当地方言的形式，这很好地说明了这一点。然而，当地媒体对这一事件的报道揭示了家长们的反应是轻蔑的，这表明教育中的标准语言意识形态往往与当地社区的口音和方言不一致，而口音和方言是当地社区的骄傲和联系的来源。虽然对语言习得的研究表明，孩子们必须达到必要的里程碑才能“为上学做好准备”，但很少有研究关注方言多样性如何影响这一旅程，特别是当方言多样性被污名化时。事实上，早期的研究已经表明，对当地方言形式的诋毁会导致课堂参与度降低。这些早期经历的负面影响可能具有长期持久的影响：它们可能是导致学业成绩较低的一个因素，在某些情况下，还造成识字的障碍（Labov，1994年）。口音歧视的例子，或基于他们的语言背景对个人的偏见，可以在整个社会中找到。如果你说话带有伯明翰口音，陪审团更有可能判你有罪（狄克逊等人，2002年）。如果一个医疗专业人员说着带有韩国口音的美式英语，他们会被认为不那么值得信赖（Pantos和Perkins，2012）。这种偏见有深远的影响，不仅对那些说话不标准的人，而且对方言本身的语言活力。就像语言一样，当口音主义导致人们停止使用他们的母语时，方言就会消失，随之而来的是相关的文化和历史。通过针对媒体和教育部门，这个项目将调查和解决口音在英格兰的黑人国家，那里的口音是敏锐的感觉。该项目将结合联合收割机的观点和两个研究地点的平台：科利巷小学在西米德兰兹郡，和合作伙伴关系的“黑人乡村电台”，一个地方广播电台和社区中心。这种合作提供了一个独特的机会，统一社区和课堂的对比视角，同时使两者受益。学术研究的主要场所是教室。孩子们如何科普家庭和学校的语言意识形态竞争？他们如何将这种理解融入他们发展中的语言系统？最终，这对他们的学术成就有什么影响？这些学术研究结果和问题将利用当地电台的平台，以方便公众的方式进行探讨。这将使学校研究的结果及其影响能够在最重要的利益攸关方之间传播：家长和学生本身，同时让教师和政策制定者参与并教育他们的决定和做法对当地方言的未来及其使用者的影响。