Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kappler Blog Post 1

I enjoyed all of the topics in this course, but found a few topics especially interesting because they relate to me personally. Having a visual impairment, nonverbal language is one that I am not fluent in. Nonverbal language includes facial expressions, hand gestures, and body movement. While some movements are large and easy to read, such as frantic waving or stomping, many facial expressions or other gestures are much more subtle, such as a brief nod, wink, or glare. For me, I must be very close to someone to read these subtleties; otherwise I may be oblivious to them. Further, projecting my own body language to communicate with someone else nonverbally is problematic, as I cannot make direct eye contact, which is a key element of communication. Since I cannot observe social behavior, I have not entirely mastered the language to effectively communicate with it. I also liked the topics of generalization and categorization because I can see it in action with my g...
Read more

Tangier Island: The Erosion of its Unique Dialect

Tangier is an island off the coast of Virginia, in the Chesapeake Bay. Examining the accents of its residents, this place is seemingly frozen in time; they speak in an unusual, notably British-sounding, dialect. Their strange accent has attracted linguists, who chalk the dialect up to early British settlement patterns in America. Because the island is isolated (only accessible from the mainland by boat or plane), the British accent of the original settlers has remained, and grows stronger amongst today’s Tangier youth. The Tangier dialect has thrived, leftover from British settlers, but is threatened by an unexpected source: climate change. For this blog post, I’ve read a 2016 New York Times article raising awareness of the dangers of a rising sea level that Tangier residents face.  Several reported flooding in their own yards, which is sure to worsen as the Bay encroaches upon their small island. According to the article, the island has lost “two-thirds of its landmass since 1850...
Read more