Episode 3: Negative Experiences

<Before watching>

 

  • Have you ever felt embarrassed, uncomfortable, or offended because of how you speak language, or because of others’ reactions or comments about your speech?
  • Do you agree that people often judge others based on their linguistic differences? What is the reason behind it?

 

— While watching, take notes on anything that interests, strikes, or puzzles you.—

 

<Discussions/Reflections>

 

  • What did you learn from this episode? Did you find anything interesting or surprising while watching it?
  • Did anything in the episode resonate with your personal experiences?
  • Has this episode influenced your perspectives toward communication? If so, how? If not, why not?
  • If you were one of the interviewees, how would you have reacted to the incident narrated by them?
  • Can you think of examples of microaggressions (i.e., intended or unintended insults in overt or subtle forms) caused by language differences?
  • What are the pros and cons of using subtitles (transcripts) for this video?

 

<Further Questions>

 

  • Do you think it is possible to assume someone’s background based on their way of speaking? If so, what makes you think so? If not, why not?
  • List as many factors as possible that influence people’s language attitudes and evaluative beliefs about speakers of different language varieties.