Dialect opt outs?

Tomm   Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:19 pm GMT
"Everyone speaks a particular dialect, i.e. a particular type of English distinguished by its vocabulary and its grammar."

Does this mean that those who speak Standard English, and no other variety, are the only English speakers who do not speak a dialect?
'   Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:49 pm GMT
What do you consider "standard English"? RP?, General American (Midland)? Canadian? Australian?
Tomm   Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:53 pm GMT
<What do you consider "standard English"? RP?, General American (Midland)? Canadian? Australian? >

Why not use your own definition to answer the question?
Josh Lalonde   Fri Jun 22, 2007 12:03 am GMT
<<Does this mean that those who speak Standard English, and no other variety, are the only English speakers who do not speak a dialect?>>

No, that's exactly the opposite of what it means. Your quote means that Standard English is just one dialect among many, and that everyone uses at least one dialect, so that "dialectless" speech does not exist.
Guest   Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:26 am GMT
<Your quote means that Standard English is just one dialect among many, and that everyone uses at least one dialect, so that "dialectless" speech does not exist. >

Are you saying that standard English is a dialect?!!
Guest   Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:33 am GMT
I would say that standard English is definitely a dialect, just a standardized one.
Matt   Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:20 am GMT
Everyone speaks with an accent. Accents are simply the way we pronounce words, regardless of whether we pronounce them in “standard English”, or not. There is no such thing as accent-less English.
Matt   Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:23 am GMT
*** Sorry, that should have said "dialect", not accent. Two different things, but the gist is still the same. According to the Cambridge dictionary:

dialect
noun [C or U]
a form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country, containing some different words and grammar, etc
Guest   Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:37 am GMT
How about this one Matt?

Dialect- A representation of the speech patterns of a particular region or social group. Dialect, naturally, changes from location to location
Matt   Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:17 am GMT
It's very nice ;-)
Jim   Fri Jun 22, 2007 10:58 am GMT
Everyone speaks with some dialect or other. Single one of those out and label it as "standard" if you must but it's still no less a dialect.
Matt   Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:03 am GMT
Exactly, Jim.
Matt   Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:09 am GMT
I often have this debate with my partner.

We are both English, but she has a "standard english" home-counties accent, whereas I speak with a north-eastern accent (but not with a north-eastern dialect anymore, sadly).

She refuses to accept that she speaks with an accent, or in a dialect, but labels my speech as a regional accent.

My argument is that accents and dialects are simply sound patterns and words people use, therefore we all have accents.

Plus, labelling my speech as a dialect infers that it is somehow subordinate, or evolved from "standard english" - which isn't the case at all.