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Sorry if this isn't really the appropriate subforum for this question, but I'm not really sure where else it would belong...
Anyway, yeah. When someone who's, say, 30 or younger and has the traditional strong accent of their area, but in an area of the US where most young people nowadays sound standard American (New York, Chicago, Boston, the more cosmopolitan urban centers in the South, etc.), what does it communicate to you - if anything? Or does the person just come off with the same general stereotypes their accent normally carries?
I have my own ideas about this but I'm wondering what the general perception is. Sociolinguistics is something I've been into a lot lately.
Sorry if this isn't really the appropriate subforum for this question, but I'm not really sure where else it would belong...
Anyway, yeah. When someone who's, say, 30 or younger and has the traditional strong accent of their area, but in an area of the US where most young people nowadays sound standard American (New York, Chicago, Boston, the more cosmopolitan urban centers in the South, etc.), what does it communicate to you - if anything? Or does the person just come off with the same general stereotypes their accent normally carries?
I have my own ideas about this but I'm wondering what the general perception is. Sociolinguistics is something I've been into a lot lately.
If someone has a “country” accent and someone assumes they are a country redneck, then that says a lot about the person doing the judging. It means someone is from a different area, that’s about it
That being said, accents tend to fade away after someone is in a new place for awhile. When I moved to California 2 years ago, everyone always asked where my accent was from (Kentucky, country accent), now it’s less noticeable and hardly anyone ever says anything.
Almost invariably, a strong local or regional accent in someone under the age of 35 (maximum age for individuals in the Millennial Generation as of 2017) implies the individual is likely uneducated, hails from a working-class background, hasn't traveled very much and has parents who were born and raised in the same local area they were.
Almost invariably, a strong local or regional accent in someone under the age of 35 (maximum age for individuals in the Millennial Generation as of 2017) implies the individual is likely uneducated, hails from a working-class background, hasn't traveled very much and has parents who were born and raised in the same local area they were.
This is absolutely false. As a college educated millennial who is under 35, I have known plenty of people in my age group over the years who came from middle class backgrounds who have regional accents. Granted, regional accents are MUCH less prevalent among people in my generation, but they exist. Assuming that anyone under 35 with an accent is blue collar, not well traveled and poorly educated is laughable. Go to any SEC school and you will find young people from well off families with very noticeable accents.
Almost invariably, a strong local or regional accent in someone under the age of 35 (maximum age for individuals in the Millennial Generation as of 2017) implies the individual is likely uneducated, hails from a working-class background, hasn't traveled very much and has parents who were born and raised in the same local area they were.
Please explain how this would apply to the Kennedy family (you know, JFK, RFK). As I recall, their accents were very strong. Since you were stereotyping, you don't get to make exceptions. An accent, is an accent.
Almost invariably, a strong local or regional accent in someone under the age of 35 (maximum age for individuals in the Millennial Generation as of 2017) implies the individual is likely uneducated, hails from a working-class background, hasn't traveled very much and has parents who were born and raised in the same local area they were.
I’m hoping you’re trying to be a troll and get reactions? This might be the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard/read. Please, get some help with your perception and join reality.
It doesn't mean anything. Most people I know from Minnesota are under 30 and have very noticeable Minnesota accents. Same with Texas. I'm not sure why so many people think all millennials speak with "standard American" accents. We don't. News flash, there hasn't been a sudden change in dialect. Funny though with this topic, I have a coworker who yesterday told me he tried "scatch" for the first time recently. I was a little confused and asked "do you mean 'scotch'"? to which he said "yea that's what I said." Very Minnesota-y. Guess how old he is... 28.
Almost invariably, a strong local or regional accent in someone under the age of 35 (maximum age for individuals in the Millennial Generation as of 2017) implies the individual is likely uneducated, hails from a working-class background, hasn't traveled very much and has parents who were born and raised in the same local area they were.
Travelling means you don't have a regional accent, now? Hahahahaha. Good to know. I guess I'll sound like Johnny Applepie after I rack a couple thousand more air miles!
Pretty sad that being from a working-class background is seen as a sign of unintelligence to you.
Interesting. I find accents very interesting, but regarding the US, I always come away sorely disappointed when I try looking for examples of US regional accents. The person either speaks in "standard" American or has such a watered down accent, that you barely notice the regionalism unless listening very carefully. So I find it interesting when I see a young person with a proper regional accent. Almost like a relic. Like, in this video, I was really taken back when I heard this girl talking in a thick southern accent:
However, it seems more common with the South compared with the Northeast. To take NYC for example, I've seen youngish guys with slight NYC affected accents, but a thick full blown NYC accent, I've never seen. Only on older working class guys. The south however, I occasionally catch vids like above where I'd see a young southerner with a thick southern accent.
Interesting. I find accents very interesting, but regarding the US, I always come away sorely disappointed when I try looking for examples of US regional accents. The person either speaks in "standard" American or has such a watered down accent, that you barely notice the regionalism unless listening very carefully. So I find it interesting when I see a young person with a proper regional accent. Almost like a relic. Like, in this video, I was really taken back when I heard this girl talking in a thick southern accent:
However, it seems more common with the South compared with the Northeast. To take NYC for example, I've seen youngish guys with slight NYC affected accents, but a thick full blown NYC accent, I've never seen. Only on older working class guys. The south however, I occasionally catch vids like above where I'd see a young southerner with a thick southern accent.
The stereotypical Tony Soprano accent is only found in NYC among older, white, blue collar folk and it's been that way for a while.
But right, in a lot of the South you can still hear strong Southern accents.
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