Deeply embedded in the U.S. national consciousnesses is a complexity of cultural references which distinguish 'status' and 'power' relationships among the speakers of American English. This mixture of different culture(s), language(s), and cultural references is continuously changing. New communications technologies (the internet, expanded cable and satellite tv services, wireless multimedia, etc.) are accelerating the pace of change.

They are also disseminating to audiences who are not natives of the host culture a greatly larger volume of highly-culture-specific linguistic and visual content. This content may often be difficult for non-natives to comprehend (translate, subtitle, etc.) without a perspective on the various associations, connotations or other 'insider knowledge' that had been 'assumed' within the native culture for specific 'terms of distinction', including 'register options' which may have a relatively lower or higher status.

What Are the Different Dialects of American English?

A dialect is a variety of language spoken by a group of people who identify themselves with that particular way of speaking. Most dialects are regional, ethnic, or social subsets of a particular 'national' language, even if some 'national languages' might technically be considered to be dialects, and some 'dialects' have assumed the status of a 'language'.

A Dialect is distinct from a Language largely in the numerical, political or other influence of its speakers, as suggested by the pithy definition of a language as "a dialect with an army." This influence may either be "real" or "absolute," or simply "perceived" as being such, whether or not it really is (cf. the 'Thomas Theorem').

Regional and Local Dialects

Everyone speaks in dialect. In fact, as we all belong to many different social groupings, we normally speak in several layers of dialect, "code-switching" among these as appropriate for the environment in which we are speaking. Most visible in American English are regional dialects (such as Southern or New England, or Appalachian, Ozark, Minnesotan or Texan), which identify the area from which the speaker comes (or from which he originally came). Local dialect is a subset of regional dialect. This may be specific to a particular city, such as New York, Pittsburgh, or Boston, or even to particular neighborhoods of a city, such as between Brooklyn and the Bronx in New York City, or Beacon Hill and the South Side or Back Bay in Boston. Mobility and education may diminish the distinctiveness of a regional dialect, but can seldom completely eradicate it.

Social Dialects and Sociolects

We also speak a social dialect, which reveals our educational or class status. The influence of social dialect is often thought to be more prominent in class-oriented societies like Britain, but it is also influential in American English, as the American Tongues videotape demonstrated. In the United States, social dialect is more often associated with the stereotypes of different national or local regions, ethnic groups, or educational level than with 'class'. A social dialect, or sociolect is often revealed through language which indicates the cultural attitudes and status preferences of the communities in which we live, or groups with which we identify. Examples of these could include an individual's use of "politically-correct" language, or the attitudes and perspectives revealed by the humor or special jargons one may use.

Speaking the 'wrong' social dialect in a certain environment may result in awkwardness or difficulty for the speaker. For example, speaking a highly-educated dialect while working in a blue-collar environment would identify one as an "outsider" who might become the subject of resentment or open hostility. If a black person speaks 'standard English' in a Black-Vernacular-English community, he could be regarded as a 'traitor' to his heritage. If a travelling sales professional speaks a local or regional dialect which is perceived by others as having lower or humorous status, he may not be regarded as authoritative or believable, and sales would not be made.

Gender and Ethnic Dialects

We also speak with gender dialect. The speech of males and females differs in more respects than just the pitch. Differences can also be found in vocabulary, grammar and other phonology, as well as style, register and often even choice of topic and length and frequency of speech. To some extent, emerging 'gay speech' may be regarded as a subset of gender dialect.

If we belong to an ethnic community, we may express our membership in that community by speaking the ethnic dialect of that group. The African-American Variety of English (AAVE, a.k.a. 'Black Vernacular English' [BVE] or 'Ebonics') is an example of an ethnic dialect with a strong cultural identity. Currently acquiring significant status in the U.S. is 'Spanglish'. Another example of interest for Finnish students would be Finglish.

All of these different dialect influences affect the way we speak, whether or not we are conscious of it. In turn, the way we speak influences how we are perceived by others. People are usually proud and strongly defensive of the dialect(s) with which they identify. Within a large, diverse, multicultural nation such as the United States, these identities with, and the continuing competition among, the varying registers of local, regional, ethnic, social, gender and other dialects are the basis of much interplay of linguistic power, pride and politics.