Standard English and Accents

I have very mixed feelings on the topic of accents.  This has always been a topic that I struggle with.  It is very frustrating when having a phone conversation with a parent who has a native language different than I, and not understand what they are asking.  There is only so many times I can ask them to politely repeat themselves, or that I don’t understand.  After a few tries we are both frustrated, and I end up just saying uhh huhh and ok, but not answering the question.  The accent is what inhibits the conversation from flowing smoothly.  I do understand the parent is doing the best they can to get across the point, and I and doing everything I can to understand the question.  Lippi Green describes the individual’s role in the communicative process.  She explains that the listener has responsibilities also.  If the speaker is working hard and the listener is working hard; who’s fault is it that the communication break down happened?  This is where the Standard English argument comes in to play.  If the speaker was using Standard English would this breakdown happen? This is a Language the speaker is new at speaking and the speaker is doing the best he/she can.  Speaking Standard English is not a skill the speaker has mastered yet.  How can you ask them to do something they are not equipped to do?

This conflict brings around the question of What is Standard English?  Merriam-Webster states that “Standard English is English that with respect to spelling grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary is substantially uniform though not devoid of regional differences.”  Standard English is said to be acceptable wherever English is Spoken and Understood.  Usage is supposed to dictate acceptability, and the dictionary states it attempts to include all variants of a word that are used by educated speakers.  Lippi-Green argues that entries with three or more possible pronunciations are rare.  Lippi-Green makes a great argument, “If Merriam Webster’s Dictionary truly intends to include all pronunciations of the educated, then their definition of who is educated must be very narrow.”   The majority of native speakers must be uneducated according to Merriam Webster.

Is it wrong to ask people to speak Standard English?  I think the answer is unclear.  I think asking a person to speak as clear as possible is definitely ok.  I think asking a person to slow down and think through their speech is ok just as Meryl Streep does when acting.  However asking someone to speak Standard English is ridiculous.  If we can’t even agree on what Standard English is then how can we ask a Second Language Learner to speak it?  And if they don’t have the sound system to speak the language, then they don’t have the sound system.  It was compared to asking a person to grow three inches; it can’t be done on command!