The Appalachian Mountains, which range from New York to Mississippi, making up part of the landscape of 13 different states, are known to many Americans as being home to a unique cultural and linguistic experience. In this course, we will examine the extent to which this uniqueness is true, considering the nature of many myths and stereotypes that exist about this variety. We will discuss certain lexical, phonetic, syntactic, and other linguistic features that set this variety apart from other American varieties while also noting the features the speech of Appalachia shares with others. We will examine the history, origins, and development of English in Appalachia and address issues of identity, education, and standardness with respect to the English of Appalachia.

The Appalachian Mountains, which range from New York to Mississippi, making up part of the landscape of 13 different states, are known to many Americans as being home to a unique cultural and linguistic experience. In this course, we will examine the extent to which this uniqueness is true, considering the nature of many myths and stereotypes that exist about this variety. We will discuss certain lexical, phonetic, syntactic, and other linguistic features that set this variety apart from other American varieties while also noting the features the speech of Appalachia shares with others. We will examine the history, origins, and development of English in Appalachia and address issues of identity, education, and standardness with respect to the English of Appalachia.