In a country as vast as the United States, you’re hardly ever going to find a consensus on how to say something. Social scientists estimate the number of U.S. dialects ranges from a basic three — New England, Southern and Western/General America — to 24 or more. Anybody who lives in the U.S. knows the cliches about how people in the various parts of the country handle the English language. American Tongues: Linguistic Attitudes in the U.S.  is a documentary film that explores the impact of these linguistic attitudes in a fresh and exciting manner.

Since 1988, American Tongues has been an enormously useful teaching tool for helping students and workers hear examples of regional speech and attitudes and relate them to their own lives. On September 30, we will watch the documentary, examine a number of linguistic communities in the US, and explore the effect that different factors, such as geography, class, and attitudes have one the way Americans speak English across the United States.

Sessions facilitated by AMC’s Alina Korshunova.  Alina  is a Fulbright Alumna. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theoretical and applied linguistics from Pyatigorsk State University and a master’s degree in linguistics from Eastern Michigan University. 

This class is hosted on Zoom, so if you are interested in joining, please create a Zoom account beforehand. When registering below, please submit your valid email address to receive a link to the class Zoom meeting 30 minutes before the session begins.

To join other AMC Online programs, please check the American Center’s website and TimePad calendars.

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