Once I knew it was Mark Twain's work, I assumed that the pronunciation would be difficult no matter the piece. Knowing this, I began reading aloud (much like Jourdan) in order to quickly and effortlessly finishing the story. To be honest, the tone of Aunt Rachels voice sounded more like a Jamaican Rastafarian in my head and aloud which made reading it all the more entertaining. When it comes to educating students on this model of the improper use of language, the intended voice and character of the author should be taken into account.
When I become an educator, I feel it is my job to educate my students on the proper use of language and southern slang is very improper. There will be no judgement if a student falls short and relies on slang and accented voice however, I will assume that no former education has been received if a student comes into class sounding like Aunt Rachel after a hard day of labor on the cotton farm. As and English major I understand that Twain was simply conveying the level at which these uneducated slaves of the 19th century spoke and context plays a role in the mode of language these characters employ. Good read though.
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