Language Investigation #3

I come from the midwest where we are notoriously free of accent or regional diction. There are however a few words that I know we use regionally that are not used in other places.

The first of these is the word "bubbler". Where I come from this term refers to a drinking fountain. More specifically, one of the wall mounted units, typically found in classrooms and schools the world over.

I first discovered the difference when I moved to Colorado. I was in a school and asked casually where the bubbler was. The student had no idea what I meant. I described what I was looking for and he rudely remarked that what I was looking for was a "drinking fountain." I was so embarassed.

The second word that I find is very regional is the difference between the uses of the word "soda" and "pop". Where I grew up the prefered term is "soda". However, when I first moved out to colorado I again experienced this embarassment when I asked for a soda and had to clarify that I wanted a coke. Again I was corrected and told that what I was asking was actually a pop.

I quickly learned upon arrival in colorado that while my speech is mostly free of regional diciton I do use these words that aren't normally universally accepted.

Rose Response Chapters 5 & 6

Response to Question #3


I found the language used by the schools to be discouraging. Use of words like deficient or remedial or illiterate can have a dramatic effect on the future lives of children. It is almost the self fulfilling prophecy, tell a child they cannot do something and they will begin to believe it.

I had a similar experience with this in high school. My brother had a learning disability, he couldn’t read very well and was hindered in all of his classes. Our principal, in a phone call home to our mother told her that my brother wasn’t “Academic Material” and that he should begin to focus his life and career in a vocational direction.

This had a terrible effect. My brother began to lag in his classes, even the ones he had previously excelled in. That principal had made it clear to my brother that he wasn’t smart enough for school. Thankfully, my mother never let up and always somehow managed to get the best out of my brother. Now every time my brother gets a degree, he now has two and is working on his master’s, my mother sends a photo copy of the graduation notice and his diploma to that same principal who didn’t believe.

I think as teachers we need to be aware of labels and the effects that they have upon our students. I was told that we receive the student files in the beginning of the year. After long consideration I have decided not to open or to check the files. I would rather come into the class with no pre-conceived notions of the students and their abilities. Imagine what it would have felt like to walk in a class room and know that you are working on a clean slate.

The only thing that really matters are the students and it is our job as teachers to give them the best possible access to information possible. If we hinder ourselves with our own judgments and ideas we will lose focus on the fact that each student and each situation is unique.

Personal Language in a Group Context

If I had to select a group that I affiliated with and shared a special language with I would have to say that group would be kitchen workers. I have been involved with kitchens my whole life, my parents owned one when I was a child and I worked in them since I was a child. The dialect used in kitchens is often crass and vulger. The language is filled with sexual references and is basically constructed that way to enforce the attitude or confidence of the cooks.

Some of the more innocent terms can include things like:
Temp - Temperature
flat-top - Griddle
Boat motor - Food processor
Newbie - Rookie on the line
Bubble-gummer - Someone who cannot "hang" on the line

Some of the less innocent phrases use derogatory phrases in order to influence or propmt the cooks to work harder or longer. I will not mention some of the less-innocent versions of the words. I am sure that you can guess on your own.

I have thought about the language used in kitchens for a long while now. I have often noticed that cooks will get away with saying things that would normally not be accepted in society. The reason for this I find is that cooks have such stressfull and difficult jobs that they need a release from the everyday work that they do. These jokes and phrases are used to lighten the tension that inevitably builds while working in close quarters in over 100 degree heat.

Family Words

There are a few words and phrases that my family has adapted for our own use. The first of these is the phrase "Cootie-Hoo". This phrase is one of praise and adulation. When hunting, after you shoot your buck, you shout this through the woods letting the family know you were sucessful. This phrase can also be used as an affirmative. For example, someone could ask, how did that go, or were you sucessful? The person would then answer with "Cootie-hoo" meaning that again, they were sucessful.

The last word or phrase that my family uses is a modified version of the term "Broom-Ball". Broom Ball is a canadian sportwhich is played with similar rules to hockey. Our version is a bit different. To my family this game has become a bit like the thanksgiving argument that some families get into. My family will march outside, pick up our custom made paddles and head to the snow covered yard where we will proceed to beat each other senseless for the next few hours. The only real rule is that there are no rules. Team members will attack other teams and the next moment they will turn on each other. Basically, we have taken an established, structured event and turned it into a release for all of the pent up family anger over the year.