Community Studies of Sociolinguistic Change in Appalachia

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

Abstract

The project's research questions focus on how traditional dialects have changed and how Appalachian teens alter them to build their own identities in the 21st century. Since World War II, rural America has changed dramatically, and sociolinguistic patterns in these communities have morphed over the last three generations. With these changes, English in Appalachia will be markedly different by the middle of the 21st century, and these transitions are socially and linguistically complex. This sociolinguistic confluence of change provides an excellent opportunity to examine why Appalachian teens propagate certain dialect features at the expense of others. This proposal provides worthwhile community benefits because it integrates research and education by advancing discovery and understanding of what language patterns hamper students from obtaining their fullest educational potential. The outcomes from the project will provide teachers across Appalachia with the content and pedagogical knowledge needed for addressing linguistic diversity in a culturally sustainable manner. The long-term objective is to boost students' comfort in the classroom by reducing 'stereotype threat' and fostering positive learning environments for students. The proposed study brings together the previous examination of 14 variables and divergent West Virginia vowel systems to document emerging trends in language variation. The researchers will conduct interviews with Appalachian students to compare dialect patterns. The interviews will be in four schools in West Virginia: two northern, secondary schools (rural and nonrural) and two southern, secondary schools (rural and nonrural). The most socially marked variables from the previous studies provide lexical, morphological, and phonological variation for quantitative investigation. To probe deeper into teens' local understanding of sociolinguistic patterns, we will also conduct classroom observations and focus group discussions. The project design is well-suited to explore how teens use linguistic patterns to create social meanings that drive transmission and diffusion of Appalachian language variation patterns.