Analysis Of The Film 'American Tongues'

Disney has faced a large amount of criticism from critics over the tropes and stereotypes that it portrays in its animated films. This is not a recent event however. One of Disney’s most notorious and controversial films, Song of The South, was released in 1946. Song of the South, set during the Reconstruction Era, focuses on a young boy named Johnny who learns that his parents will being living apart for an unknown amount of time, moves to a plantation in Georgia, while his father continues to live in Atlanta. Depressed and confused over the recent events Johnny decides to run away to Atlanta, but is drawn to the voices of Uncle Remus, an ex-slave living on the plantation, telling stories of Br’er Rabbit. Although it is implied that the African American workers are no longer Johnny’s family property, the black characters are still wholly subservient and are happy to be so. James Baskett plays Uncle Remus as a blissfully, happy companion ready to please. Due to this “magical negro” trope, the characters’ ridiculously stereotypical voices, and the unrealistic happy and joyful relationship between the white landowners and their black help, Song of The South, is one of Disney’s most offensive, racist, and fictitious film. Disney’s portrayal of Uncle Remus is his veiled justification of the mistreatment that minorities received before and after the Reconstruction Era.

This has lead to English taking the role of the global language, or as Crystal (2013) refers to, ‘Englishes’. He argues that it is necessary to use the term ‘Englishes’, to truly reflect the nature and variance of English as it has spread across the world. In this way, Standard Australian English is just one of many varieties of English. Among the list are varieties such as New Zealand English, American English, Spanglish and Singlish. Of note is the variety of Aboriginal English which contrary to popular belief is not English spoken badly but indeed its own classified dialect of English (Malcom & Ziljstra, 2011). Crystal (2013) explains how these varieties of English have developed as communities take ownership of English and use it to express their own local and cultural notions and ideas. Because language is culturally informed, it is also inextricably connected to one’s identity (Malcom & Ziljstra, 2011). The evolution of language in the context of changing time and place demonstrate the dynamic nature of language. This social phenomenon results in language being both diverse and unique amongst

It seems unusual to start from scratch with such a thing. With there being several types of accents, why must one feel like they should change theirs? As Text B illustrates, it seems as though it is celebrities in particular that are changing their accents to fit in with ‘showbiz’ and the latest trends or for a movie they will play a part in. Within seconds of meeting someone, we make judgements about who they are just by the way they sound. Attitudes towards accents are based more on social connotations and prejudices surrounding the location or social group associated with that accent than on the sound itself.

In Gloria Anzaldúa article “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” she shows us how different worlds so close can be so different. Anzaldúa shows that people have restricted freedom in society by the social norms set in them. Anzaldúa pressed her awareness and distraught on how people treat her depending on the type of language she uses. She also explains some of her emotions towards the way people are like with speaking and listening to accents. The article is how Anzaldúa explains how culture and accent shapes a person’s identity by being controlled and oppressed to fit into the social norms, which is how she creates cracks using language and code switching.

In this paper, a motion picture about a story of a family who was forced to move out of Uganda to the United States will be discussed. In addition, it will be presented the story a couple from two different cultures who fell in love, which brought consequences to both of their families. Also, this paper will discuss about how some people have a hard time assimilating to other cultures.

The video of American Tongues as narrated by Wilson Trey portrayed the diversity of languages in America despite that the people were raised within the same culture. The video emphasized that people gained their articulation tongues and learned how to speak from their parents or guardians and the environments where they grow up. The participants expressed that no one speaks like others. The point is that English is accepted even when it is not right. Word choice such as “gum band” as against “rubber band” or “milkshake” versus “cabinet” are okay if the choice of word is acceptable within the community where they are being used. It is obvious that when one does not speak a dialect that is desirable, acceptable

In this course theme, I am able to explore various type of languages spoke in the US and how different languages can unite a nation. What sounds more attractive is that how these languages exists in US and how the represent their cultures and social identities as well as their uniqueness through the language they use. US has its unique identity in which English is spoke differently in one region to another region. The language itself stands as one, but how it is mixed with certain dialects converting it into a new dialect. For instance, the Standard American English is used by most of the people from Midwest while Ebonics which is the African American English is used by the African is

Before the group discussion, I believed that the statement “And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with” (Tan, 1), was significant because it shows the reader how important the dialect of Amy Tan’s mother is to her. Additionally, this statement brings to light her diverse background in a variety of English dialects; making her opinion seem more valid. It also shows the reader how the dialects we listen to everyday change the way we think and speak in the future. This belief is proven by Tan when she says, “But I do think that the language spoken in the family, especially in immigrant families which are more insular, plays a role in shaping the language of the child (P4). On top of that, my personal experiences prove Tan’s point; in

Fattal starts her article by talking about a study done by Calvin Gidney and Julie Dobrow. After watching The Lion King, sociolinguist Calvin Gidney noticed that the villain of that cartoon, Scar, had a British accent but the protagonist, Mufasa, had an American accent. Gidney also noticed that other antagonist characters of the movie also had foreign accents. Gidney decided to conduct a research on this pattern with Julie Dobrow, a lecturer at Tufts. Gidney and Dobrow found out that in many children’s shows, there was a relation between the character’s behavior and language style. This pattern can have a negative impact on diverse places like America. The accents of people with low economic status were also used in some antagonist roles.

Society judges civilians based on looks, social status, class and many other ways. One way society places judgment on civilians is by criticizing how they speak or write. This judgment has consequences on individuals who have not mastered the English language, such as limited opportunities and being socially awkward. In “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan discusses the struggles of speaking “Broken” English, consequently leading to judgment.

In my early 20s, before I was cast on 30 Rock and while I was still trying to find my way as an actor, I attempted a very odd social experiment: I would often walk into audition rooms using an English accent. I’d introduce myself and engage in light pre-audition conversations with a standard upper-class British dialect. I would then launch into the scene with my regular speaking voice, and after the scene was over, I’d return to the British for my salutations. The truth of the matter was this: I did it because I was frustrated. Being smart, black, young and American had become a liability. People seemed to think I was some kind of walking oxymoron. I was often asked to be more “urban,” and it never seemed like the right time or place to

Standard American English (SAE) is benefiting ones and is discriminating others. In my opinion, people in the US are judged by accent they have instead of their personality or abilities. It is necessary to speak English in the US if you want good opportunities, but it is not acceptable to be oppressed because of your pronunciation or accent “do not fit the rules”. In the article “8 Harmful Examples of Standard American English Privilege”, Hernandez (2015), mention that people stop listening when they heard your accent pretending that you are not putting enough effort to speak correctly ( para. 12). Very often your accent it is viewed as aggressive or violent, people look at you differently when they hear how you speak making wrong assumptions. All in all, it is not correct to say that ones that speak SAE are smarter only because they are born in the specific area and discriminate speakers of other languages only because it happens to be born in a place where people speak different accent.

Growing up with my cousins I was always made the outsider because I did not speak the same way they did. They would always say I sound “white” or I was “too proper.” So I began to adapt to the way they spoke because as a kid it bothered me that my family made fun of me for the way I spoke but now I realize it was a blessing that I did not speak the same way as they did. I don’t want to sound uneducated or illiterate just because it was normal in Alabama. Around my friends and in Georgia I would speak how I normally spoke but when I would go to Alabama I would speak totally different. As a kid I never realized that there

Marco Dragojevic conducted a study on language attitude changes to analyze how native speakers from California perceive and favor accents from California (CE) the American South (ASE) and Punjabi-accented (PE) speakers. Previous research shows that a positive language attitude is enhanced by external identifiers like prestige, status, and standardization. A language attitude is a social construct that makes assumptions about others based on their accent. Ingroup favoritism develops from those who prefer the same traits as those like them rather than an outsider. The guiding research question asks if Californian listeners can distinguish between ASE, PE and CE speakers relative to their status, solidarity and perceived closeness. Dragojevic hypothesizes that Californian listeners will prefer the accent closest to home (ASE when it's ASE vs PE and CE when it's ASE vs CE) in both tests because they will have a stronger sense of connection, solidarity, and status.

J.C Wells points out that an accent is special to every individual and that each one has its own idiolect and that there are many aspects that affect an accent (Wells, 1982).