Tag Archives: examples

We speak with a Lowland Southern dialect

dialect map screenshotYes, someone has created a map of North American English dialects, based on pronunciation patterns and it’s recently been updated.

It was developed by Rick Aschmann, a professional linguist and Christian missionary who grew up traveling back and forth between Mexico and the U.S.

The full map includes links to YouTube videos as well as audio clips of individuals thought to be representative of the specific area’s speech patterns.

Who are the folks used as examples for Birmingham, AL? There are three actually – U.S. Senator Richard ShelbyU.S. Congressman Spencer Bachus and retired Florida State University (and Woodlawn High School alum) Bobby Bowden (NOTE: the videos linked to are not necessarily the ones used by the site).

If you disagree with his findings, you can always contact him.

Screenshot of the North American Dialect map. Courtesy of website.

Metro Birmingham thinks “green” collectively

Elected officials from throughout metro Birmingham announced the formation of the Alabama Green Initiative (AGI) on Friday. AGI is, according to Friday’s press release, “a non-profit organization created to assist the municipalities of the metro Birmingham area in applying for and receiving green-only and stimulus grant monies from President Barack Obama’s upcoming stimulus package.” It could be one of the most powerful moves yet to a truly regional approach to the area’s future.

According to reports, this is the first such partnership in Alabama and the United States. The organization will be headed up by Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford and Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos, with participation from other cities and the Jefferson County Commission.

Examples of programs that will be targeted by the new organization include low emission vehicles, public works’ projects and large-scale community structures utilizing green-building standards.