If it is hard for you to understand the difference between a language and a dialect-consider this. Dialects are the siblings of a family known as Language. With common surnames and even some physical features, they are as distinct from each other as it can get. Any person outside might be able to recognize the siblings as coming from the same family, however they will also acknowledge the peculiarities and specialties of each of the siblings. Having said that, recognizing a dialect and practicing utilizing them in conversations of your own is a sure shot way to pass on as a native. If you are looking to pass on as a Haitian you could learn Haitian Creole Dialects online from Creole Tutors, which will not only teach you dialects but also the language from scratch.
It is important to note that dialect is vastly different from an accent. An accent can be put on and is a necessarily the way we pronounce words. Differences of an accent does not imply a different dialect, although it is possible that people speak differently in another dialect. In this article we will learn distinct features of a dialect and how it imparts distinct flavor to a language.
A dialect has intonations
The cause of linguistic change could be many. Right from differences between two different generations to geographical changes. The most probable cause of such varied intonations of a language could be the fact that many languages were imposed on natives as they spread in different regions. This phenomenon is also responsible for certain native words being incorporated into the dialect of any language that most fits the purpose or a reference in a particular situation. For instance, if we take into account the two dialects of the Chinese language- Cantonese and Mandarin-it is surprising that tonality of these dialects is so vastly different that it is considered impolite if you speak a non-local dialect. Cantonese has up to nine tones meaning for each work there will be nine distinct meanings based on the tone being used. Similarly in Mandarin there are five different tones. These slight differences in the pitches grant a completely different lexical or grammatical meanings to the word. And this is precisely what makes Chinese an incredibly hard language to learn. In this regard, it is easier to pick Haitian Creole up. You could Learn Haitian Creole Dialects from CreoleTutors.com and add a language to your kitty.
A speaker of a dialect of a language can understand other dialects
Although dialects have a personality of their own, a native of one dialect can easily decipher the meanings of another dialect of the same language and may even have a working knowledge of the same. This phenomena is known as mutual intelligibility. As far as cultural differences between speakers of different dialects is concerned it is also possible that because of the speakers’ attitude towards speakers of different dialects motivates them to understand and use the language.
Dialects as a function of social class
In many countries, people have distinct languages for official and spoken purposes. This is true for dialects as well. Some dialects are unofficially regarded by natives as high-class dialects often used by the elites in a region while others are widely spoken by the common people. A great example of this could be Hindi- the language used in official and government affairs in the North of India and its dialect known as Awadhi which is spoken in a small part of an Indian state Uttar Pradesh.
In conclusion, it can be said that dialects not only have their own personality, but they also impart a generous local flavour to the language.
Story by Ankita Singh
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