Instr: Mayes, Patricia
Office: CRT 486; 229-6992
e-mail: mayes@uwm.edu
Office hours: TBA
Course Information: MTWR; 1pm - 3:31pm; CRT 127 (7/21-8/16)
Have you ever wondered how many varieties of American English there are? (Why use good morning, why not w's up?) Have you ever wondered why we have different varieties of speech, or why it's easy to tell a speaker from the south from a midwesterner? Is there really a standard spoken language, or are language standards only for writing? How do people perceive the different varieties and accents of American English, and what do people in other parts of the country think about the Wisconsin accent? (Is it really just about cheeseheads and bubblers?) What is the role of other languages in our changing multicultural society? And what do our ways of speaking say about our identities? (Are ya a Yooper, eh?) We'll explore these and other questions in English 209. We'll also investigate the future of our language: What's the likely effect of new forms of technology and global communication? We'll use short readings, lots of in-class discussion, and web sites like "Do You Speak American?" to look at these and other important issues affecting our evolving American speech patterns. y dont u sign ^ 2day!
English 209 satisfies Humanities GER credit and is a requirement for 'Plan D' English majors.
