An NPR piece, Do you Speak American, reviews language and the various American dialects. It turns out that Michiganians are the most “linguistically secure” in all 50 states. Even more importantly, the Northern Midwest dialect is considered by most Americans to be the most “American” of all dialects. Just one more reason to put our Michigan voice talents to work. They’re some of the best.
When contemplating the future of American English, there is some comforting news too. Although media voices are homogenizing, local dialects are going strong.
“Exposure to mass media is not homogenizing American language or making us all talk the same. . .
. . . Media exposure can spread new vocabulary and give people in different regions an understanding of the ’standard American’ that broadcasters use, but it does not make listeners speak that way themselves.”
One Comment
Nice post, Hans.