Dialect learning

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I just want to see if there is any other countries where young people have to learn their own dialect plus another dialect in the same language (totally not necessary). It is a sick part of this country, and I guess we're alone in the world about this.

Are you forced to learn different dialects in your language?

 

If you mean at school, than answer is no for here in Croatia.

If you mean during the life, then answer is yes. What d'ya think, that someone will adopt your dialect? You'll adopt pal or you're gone!

 

No, I never had to learn any dialects in school. I think that is a shame because the local dialects are a part of a regions culture and identity and with the older generation disappearing the dialects disppear as well.

I speak my local dialect Kölsch a little, though not really good. However, it helps me to understand dutch.
This also is the reason for our local accent here in cologne: We speak with a slight melody (up and down), even when speaking pure hoch-deutsch. Sounds nice, so most tv and radio speakers in germany are from my region. We are proud on our dialect and our accent.
The funny thing is that I even have that accent when I speak english

[This message has been edited by Ragusa (edited September 24, 2001).]

 

In Holland you don't have to learn other dialects either, but if you live in Friesland (part of Holland) you have to learn both Frissian (language spoken in Friesland) and dutch.

Frissian isn't a dialect BTW, but a language.

[This message has been edited by Silverblade (edited September 24, 2001).]

 

Here in Cyprus we are forced to learn the greek dialect.Books/Tv reaporters/teachers use the greek one while all other peaple use the cypriot one.The difference is small though.

 

nope, just the main language, only in spelling though, the speach is way different from place to place. You learn danish in school, and you might pickup dialect from your area, but there's no written language version of any of the dialects

EDIT:

Well, you're reserve swedish over there Nobleman!!!

[This message has been edited by Lokken (edited September 25, 2001).]

 

Lokken is right, even though our country is small he wouldn't understand me if I spoke the dialect I was raised with, "Bornholmish"

On the other hand I certainly can't understand the southern jutland accent. Denmark is a weird small country when it comes to language


EDITED HERE: Lokken we do infact have our own written language on Bornholm although rarely used.

[This message has been edited by Nobleman (edited September 25, 2001).]

 

well in canada we have a language called quebecois as our second national language. But the strange thing is in school we learn pariesian (sp?) french not quebecois. However it is mandetory in public school and high school i believe.

 

Actually not all French Canadians speak Quebecois- in Manitoba for example the Metis and French Canadian communities speak "real" French. So it truly is French that is our second language and not that weird quacking they do out east.

Speaking as a born Parisienne, let me say that it is definitely NOT with the accent or pronunciation of my hometown that Canadian schoolchildren speak. Unfortunately. (Where's a wry grimace emoticon when I need one?)

Yes everyone from Paris is snotty about accent and I can't help it. Sorry to anyone offended.

 

Just to clarify a little:

This is not strictly speaking a dialect, in the usual sense. Norwegian is like any other language riddled with different spoken dialects in different parts of the country.

There are two official written versions of Norwegian. One is the standard written language as it has developed from Norwegian/Danish over the years. This is what you would generally see in print, and approximates to how Norwegian is spoken in the southern parts (approx 2/3 of the population) and in the far North (strangely?).

Sometime about 150ish years ago some complete bastard decided to travel the nooks and crannies, fjords and valleys, collecting details of the dialects spoken in these sparsely populated areas, and this was then put together into a separate written language - "New Norwegian". Too late to shoot him now, but I must confess this could bring out the violence in the most placid person.

It is strictly a written language as it is based on this collection of the spoken dialects. However, you are expected not only to learn to write it, but you have to read aloud from it too in order to get pronounciations etc.

Compulsory stuff in Norwegian schools.

You have my sympathy Mollusken, just be glad you don't live along the western coast. This would be your main written language in school.......

 

In America we have many different dialects, but it was only recently that they were forced to be taught in school.

For example, in California, they teach EBONICS as a real language.

In other states, Spanish is now mandetory (whereas it used to be an elective along with French and German).

Mostly, we Americans take all the people who speak like ferigners (spelled wrong on porpoise ) send them to special schools, and then dictate that they work in the fast food industry.

 

Viking: You on the west coast have to learn 'bokmål' to, right?

 

I'm not on or from the west coast, but my mum is. From memory she told me that her main language, "Hovedmaal" was indeed "New Norwegian" with "bokmaal" as written "sidemaal".

Thankfully I grew up in southern Norway, so no such horror story. Personally can't stand it. Nynorsk that is.

 

I always thought French was the first language in Canada and English the second. Well, must be my mistake then.

 

oh dear this is one of the many places where britain falls short. I think you can guess that the answer is no. But that is not quite true. I gopt compulsory japanese and french from a very early age but of course being genetically british i have a total inability to remmber anymore than hello. Mainly because deep down we are pompous enough to assume everyone should speak english.
Not a personal view i assure you but just look at us we are from many different countries and we all write in english!

 

Actually, in America our dialects tend to spread around and certain dialect terms become mainstream. Most northerners will look oddly at someone with a Southern accent, but they can understand them. Same for us Southerners figuring out Westerners. There are some odd expressions, but for the most part dialect is no barrier.

Used to be that immigrant communities would make their home language into a sort of pidgin English dialect, but for the most part, they have been absorbed into mainstream culture. There's still some pockets of Italian or Pennsylvania Dutch (a German dialect) or Russian, but not much.