While studying abroad in Northern Ireland, I grew very interested in the way dialect influences cultural identity.  Both the Northern Irish and I speak English, but our dialects are very different and our cultures are even more so. I learned through my Honor’s First Year Experience class and taking French classes, that language and culture are intertwined, but I wanted to look more into the way dialects of the same language and culture is connected. I conducted a research paper in which I researched how dialect influences cultural identity. Through the course of writing the paper, I learned the many elements that make up dialect, how dialect is formed, how it influences and shapes identity, and how identity is shaped through code-switching.

 

The Influence of Dialect on Identity Formation and Expression.pdf