Talking New Orleans

Catalog description

Do you know how to pronounce New Orleans the right way? Do you make groceries or wrench your dishes in the zink? You’ll learn to talk like an insider in this class that looks at the history, development, and current diversity of New Orleans English! We’ll start by taking an overview of the New Orleans (and by extension Louisiana’s) linguistic history, starting with the indigenous people who occupied the place called Bulbancha at the time of European arrival. We’ll then examine the arrival of Europeans and Africans: the languages they brought with them and the new one(s) they created here. You’ll get hands-on experience collecting and analyzing linguistic data as you explore modern New Orleans, talking to locals, attending festivals and participating in the exciting culture this city has to offer. By the end of the semester, you’ll be able to say what it really means to sound New Orleans!