Rural mountain dialects: Teaching the "Voiceplace" in Appalachia

Abstract

A 2010 study conducted by teaching consultants in the Appalachian Writing Project examined (a) the impact of vernacular dialect on student writing at the middle, secondary, and college levels, and (b) to what extent the pedagogical method of contrastive analysis would improve the students' ability to code-shift into the Language of Wider Communication (LWC, commonly known as standard American English). The results at the middle and secondary levels suggested minimal influence of spoken vernacular in formal assignments; however, results did show a significant improvement in students' ability to shift into written forms of LWC after a year of contrastive analysis instruction. Six years later, a follow-up study further reinforces these results and considers how technology continues to influence how students use these skills.