Introduction:
Dialect can be used to dissect grammar by delving into the drama genre of English. Grammar will be explored by focusing primarily on the Shakespearean use of language in conversation. This differs from most teachings of language in Shakespeare as studies focus solely on the text. Students will learn to explain the variations between Shakespearean dialect and their own. Students will also understand how the rules of grammar and dialect give acting verisimilitude.
Importance of learning this concept:
Learning how dialect varies helps students understand the expectations that pertain to really making their acting of the play a success. Rule governed grammar differs among languages as well as between dialects. As students gain a better understanding of this concept, the will understand some of the difficulties foreign students have with learning another language. The students will gain this understanding by virtually being put into an environment where their own use of language is forbidden.
Drama Dialectic:
Actors studying Shakespeare often use the International Phonetic Alphabet (I.P.A) when forming their dialects. I.P.A. uses phonetic notations based on the Latin alphabet. It serves as the standard representation of spoken speech. I.P.A. gives the guidelines for the “correct” sounds of “Standard English.” Standard English is said to be the perfect mix of American and British English sounds. We may be able to recognize Standard English on paper, but most of the time we are actually pronouncing it incorrectly. Although, Shakespeare’s works are from Great Britain, you will not hear Shakespeare plays spoken in the “Cockney” British accent that was common of many people who lived during the Elizabethan era. The phonetic alphabet is composed of numerous symbols representing the variety of sounds present in the English language. Since the teaching of I.P.A and it’s symbols can easily fill a semester of class (and because we are only teaching a short unit on drama to 9th graders) we are not going to focus on having the students memorize these symbols. Rather we want them to focus on a few simple sound rules, when performing their scenes from Romeo and Juliet.
1. Words ending in “y” will be changed to “i.”
Example: “Happy”- in normal English we pronounce the “y” in happy with a long “ee” sound. However, in proper Standard English, it will not be a long “ee” sound. Rather, it will have a short “I” sound- “happi”
2. Words ending in “r” should be pronounced softly.
Example: “Yonder”-in our everyday speech we always pronounce the “r”. However, this makes the speech more harsh. Instead, make the “r” soft and drawn out.
3. Words beginning with “re” should be changed to “ri”
Example: “Return” Instead of carrying out the “e” as in “Ree-turn” it should be short “I” sound. Instead, say “ri-turn.”
4. Most words beginning with the word “a” should be pronounced with the “awe” sound.
Example: “Answer”- “Awe”swer
Example of dialect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jas0DT-mtPA
Resources to learn dialect: http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm
Dialect can be used to dissect grammar by delving into the drama genre of English. Grammar will be explored by focusing primarily on the Shakespearean use of language in conversation. This differs from most teachings of language in Shakespeare as studies focus solely on the text. Students will learn to explain the variations between Shakespearean dialect and their own. Students will also understand how the rules of grammar and dialect give acting verisimilitude.
Importance of learning this concept:
Learning how dialect varies helps students understand the expectations that pertain to really making their acting of the play a success. Rule governed grammar differs among languages as well as between dialects. As students gain a better understanding of this concept, the will understand some of the difficulties foreign students have with learning another language. The students will gain this understanding by virtually being put into an environment where their own use of language is forbidden.
Drama Dialectic:
Actors studying Shakespeare often use the International Phonetic Alphabet (I.P.A) when forming their dialects. I.P.A. uses phonetic notations based on the Latin alphabet. It serves as the standard representation of spoken speech. I.P.A. gives the guidelines for the “correct” sounds of “Standard English.” Standard English is said to be the perfect mix of American and British English sounds. We may be able to recognize Standard English on paper, but most of the time we are actually pronouncing it incorrectly. Although, Shakespeare’s works are from Great Britain, you will not hear Shakespeare plays spoken in the “Cockney” British accent that was common of many people who lived during the Elizabethan era. The phonetic alphabet is composed of numerous symbols representing the variety of sounds present in the English language. Since the teaching of I.P.A and it’s symbols can easily fill a semester of class (and because we are only teaching a short unit on drama to 9th graders) we are not going to focus on having the students memorize these symbols. Rather we want them to focus on a few simple sound rules, when performing their scenes from Romeo and Juliet.
1. Words ending in “y” will be changed to “i.”
Example: “Happy”- in normal English we pronounce the “y” in happy with a long “ee” sound. However, in proper Standard English, it will not be a long “ee” sound. Rather, it will have a short “I” sound- “happi”
2. Words ending in “r” should be pronounced softly.
Example: “Yonder”-in our everyday speech we always pronounce the “r”. However, this makes the speech more harsh. Instead, make the “r” soft and drawn out.
3. Words beginning with “re” should be changed to “ri”
Example: “Return” Instead of carrying out the “e” as in “Ree-turn” it should be short “I” sound. Instead, say “ri-turn.”
4. Most words beginning with the word “a” should be pronounced with the “awe” sound.
Example: “Answer”- “Awe”swer
Example of dialect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jas0DT-mtPA
Resources to learn dialect: http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/ipa.htm
Assignments:
One major assignment will be given as an overarching project that will incorporate smaller assignments to guide the students learning. The overarching assignment will be that students would get into groups and learn the words of a Romeo and Juliet and act out the scene based on their interpretation of the reading. Students would draw numbers that would govern which scene each group would act out. The smaller assignments are to reinforce the rules of grammar that students already know, while helping students understand the variations between modern American and Shakespearean dialect.
Students will be asked daily to reflect on the difficulties of using language that they are unfamiliar with inside of journal until the day of the actual production. The students will also be asked everyday to pick a line of within the scene that they are acting out and describe the rule of English that is ignored, altered, or dismissed in Shakespearean dialect. Students will then be force to recollect the actual rules of grammar in English and understand their relationship to other words in conversations or text.
Assignments:
One major assignment will be given as an overarching project that will incorporate smaller assignments to guide the students learning. The overarching assignment will be that students would get into groups and learn the words of a Romeo and Juliet and act out the scene based on their interpretation of the reading. Students would draw numbers that would govern which scene each group would act out. The smaller assignments are to reinforce the rules of grammar that students already know, while helping students understand the variations between modern American and Shakespearean dialect.
Students will be asked daily to reflect on the difficulties of using language that they are unfamiliar with inside of journal until the day of the actual production. The students will also be asked everyday to pick a line of within the scene that they are acting out and describe the rule of English that is ignored, altered, or dismissed in Shakespearean dialect. Students will then be force to recollect the actual rules of grammar in English and understand their relationship to other words in conversations or text.
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