1. By Betz Lund

2.  Language expresses solidarity or group identity, separating insiders and outsiders, creating those in and out of the language loop.  Groups can be determined by geography  Northerners put groceries in a bag but Southerners use a sack  Groups can be small  families, friends, roommates, colleagues, couples  Larger social groups have dialects based on class, ethnicity, gender, or age

3.  African-American Vernacular English  Also called Ebonics or Black English  Mainly used by African Americans from working class or inner-city areas. Not strictly used by African Americans, those living in inner cities or in opposition to mainstream culture will use it.  Some find Ebonics as ignorant, others see is as a symbol of pride and some see it as a language separate from English.  With enough exposure anyone can pick up the lingo of a new context

4.  Gender roles not gender influence language  1970’s- US Department of Labor tried to eliminate gender bias  Use “flight attendant” not “stewardess”  Users adapt a word to mean something different from original intent  Ms was meant to be female equivalent of Mr where marital status is not identified  It is used as trendy alternative to “Miss” or by widowed or divorced women  “Guys” is gender neutral though guy is usually masculine, the plural can refer to a group of all females

5.  US is founded on diversity in religion and ethnicity, but diversity gives way to one language: English  Some believe if you don’t speak “American” you are not an American  Government policy tried to end Native American languages  Trying to preserve them now-too little to late?  Loss of language is common for immigrants  Schools during 1900s focused only on English  More than 50% dropped out of high school during the height of Eastern European immigration

6.  1970s-court ordered bilingual education tried to help speakers of minority languages  Idea to teach core subjects in native language  Effective when done well yet controversial  California rejected bilingual education for English immersion projects Supporters fear that this is a step backwards towards isolationism  Americans still face issues of assimilation and minority language rights