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April 06, 2005

North Dakota Targets Professors With Foreign Accents

North Dakota is considering a law giving students certain rights if professors do not “speak English clearly and with good pronunciation”—and if enough students complain, stripping the professor of classroom duties. Two observations:
· This is the most jingoistic proposal I can recall since California’s English-only initiative. The referenced study, showing how listeners implicitly discriminate against minority lecturers, shows just how warped this proposal really is.
· I have a tough time understanding Wisconsin accents, let alone people with a strong Southern drawl!

Posted by Eric at April 6, 2005 10:19 AM | Legal Education Industry