Communication Studies

Module 2 – Language and

Community

Dialectal Variation
Questions
Read Susan’s monologue, then answer the questions that follow.

“Lord,mi chile, every time mi go by Tantie, she does say mi does

talk too bad. She does say ah does chop up de words an dem and
mix up de language too much. She does say mi doesn
‘communicate’ right. Lord! Dem big words dere she expec mi to
use. She does seh I must speak the standard language so that I may
move up in society. An yu know, I say I was talking nice wid
Merican accent an ting!”

Question
Susan laments being told by Tantie that she does not communicate well. Give
THREE examples of structures in Susan’s monologue to which Tantie would
object.
Read the poem, then answer the questions that follow.

Ah hear dem say Creole is wrong

It only good for stage and folk song.
To use it mean yuh didn go to school
An if yuh talk it too much yuh go look like a fool.

Well ah eh believe in all da comess!

In my opinion my Creole is de bess.
Ah know in my country it have it time and place,
But ah doh think dat using it is a waste.

Question
List FOUR linguistic features in the poem that are not features of
Standard English.
Read the lyrics of the calypso below , then answer the questions that follow.

Dey say ah too young to soca.

Dey say ah playin with fire.
Dey say ah too young to boogie.
Dey say ah come in too early.
Tell dem ah feelin to soca.

Question
List FOUR linguistic features in this calypso that are NOT features of
Standard English.
Study the scenario below and then answer the questions that follow.

Yuh votin in dis Nah! Dey doh

election? care about
vagrants in dis
country.

1) Identify the language spoken in the scenario.

2) Give two linguistic features in the language of this dialogue that makes it
different from Standard English.
Write a short analysis on dialectal variation
from the short story entitled ‘Bullies don’t
succeed’.