Comparing and Contrasting Varieties of English

1. Comparing and
Contrasting different
varieties of English:
Part 1
Made by: Nicola Petrie

2.  In this lesson, you will learn about different
types of English (such as dialects) that are
used in stories, dramas, and poems.
 You will also read to find out how to
compare/contrast these varieties and what
they tell you about the characters.

3. What Is a Dialect?
A dialect is a way of speaking
that is common to a particular
place.

4. Can You Guess The Meanings of these
Dialects?
Awrite. fit
loch the-day
Wotcha. 'a
're ya
today?
 Hello.
Ya' dig?
Howahry
a today,

5.  All three greetings say: 'Hello, how are you
today?'
 Each speaker is from a different place
(Scotland, England, and New York) and speaks a
different dialect of English.

6. Comparing and Contrasting American
English Versus British English:

7. Comparing and Contrasting American English
Versus British English:

8.  It can be difficult to understand a story if the
characters speak a different dialect than you. Authors
write the dialect the way it sounds, so that it might not
look like standard English words.
 This is shown in the third example
above. Howahrya isn't a real word. It's ”how are
you squished together” so you know the speaker didn't
leave a gap between them. And instead of you, the
author wrote ”ya” so you know how to say the word you
the way it is said in New York.

9.  When authors write conversations in dialect,
they use spellings and punctuation that might
not look like English. Sometimes the meaning,
or the way the words are put together into
sentences, is different.
 This makes it difficult to understand. When
you're looking at dialect written in a story,
sound out the words the way they're spelt,
and say them out loud. Reading dialect aloud
can help you figure out the words.

10. Why Do Authors Use Dialect in Stories, Poems or
Plays?
 If a story or play is set in a particular time
period or location, authors use dialect to
help set the scene. If a story is set in
Alabama, for example, characters wouldn't
use the same dialect as people from
Minnesota. Dialect makes the story sound
more realistic, interesting and gives the
author a sense of authenticity.

11. Quiz Time
1. Why do authors use dialects in stories,
poems or plays?
A. To make the story real and interesting to read
B. The author just love to use it
C. To make the story boring and uninteresting
Click for
answer

12. Correct answer is:
A. To make the story real and
interesting to read.
Next

13. 2. What is a dialect?
 A. A dialect is a device used to communicate with friends and
family.
 B. A dialect is a standard way of speaking which is understood
by everyone.
 C. A dialect is a way of speaking that is common to a particular
place or region.
Click for
answer

14. Correct answer is:
C. A dialect is a way of speaking that
is common to a particular place or
region.
Total
Score:

15. Total Score: 2/2
Congratulation you are
a born winner.
The End