Joseph’s Dialect in Wuthering Heights Essay -- Language Literature

Despite the fact that English is considered one language, there are many regional varieties called dialects spoken all over the world. Although these dialects are mutually intelligible by English speakers, they are quite different. For example, British English is markedly different than American English. British speakers pronounce words differently and use a different vocabulary. Some words and phrases have different meanings in American English versus British English. One example is the word â€Å"bathroom.† If an American were to ask where the bathroom is in a British home, they might be sent to a room with a bath and no toilet, which is probably not what the American wanted. The two dialects may even differ in grammar in some cases. For example, â€Å"gotten† is considered correct in American English, but in British English, â€Å"got† is used. Dialects do not merely differ according to country, however. Within a single country, there may be many dialects. In the United States, one can usually tell if a person is from the South, East, West, or Midwest based on the way that they speak. There are regional dialects within states and even within cities as well. Every dialect has its own phonological and syntactic patterns, as well as some unique vocabulary. Analyzing dialects can be difficult due to the fact that is it hard to transcribe the pronunciation of an individual dialect because English is not spelled the same way it is pronounced. Furthermore, one person’s interpretation of spelling a dialect might not match up with another’s, so the reader might not â€Å"hear† the dialect properly. Regardless, written versions of dialects are essential to discussing dialectical differences. Sometimes when an author wants to emphasize the fact that a c... ...lects. The reason this is possible may go back to the early stages of language acquisition. Although we learn to speak English in one particular way, our brain retains the capability to understand English spoken in hundreds, if not thousands of different ways. Works Cited Class Notes. Dec. 6th, 2010. Clark, Virginia P., Paul A. Eschholz, and Alfred F. Rosa. Language: Introductory Readings. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. Print. —. Language: Readings in Language and Culture. 6th ed. New York: St. Martin's, 1998. Print. Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. An Introduction to Language. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2007. Lee, Marnie. "Joseph's Yorkshire Dialect in Wuthering Heights." Associated Content. Yahoo!, 4 May 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2010. "Understanding Joseph's Speech." The Reader's Guide to Wuthering Heights. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.