3-562msg1.txt

贝叶斯学习算法源码

Subject: accent : linguistnet in the news

since victor raskin kindly keep me supply with the response he receive to his july 6 query about the westfield accent petition , i be unusually well prepare to respond when a reporter meredith o'brien phon me july 8 to ask if i have an opinion as a linguist on the matter ; when i tell her about the linguistnet discussion of it , she be quite surprise and interest to learn of the existence of such a thing , and it turn out her ediotr be too , and the result be an article which be as much about linguistnet as about accent . the first such that i know of . i contact victor to get his permission to use what i 'd get from him , but of course neither of us could contact quickly enough the many linguist whose response i be fax to the newspaper . i figure , and victor agree , that message send to linguistnet be more or less public , and that in any case this be a very good and positive opportunity for us to do some educate of the public , which we be alway look for opportunity for . i certainly hope everyone who be quote in the article agree that i do the right thing in make the linguistnet discussion available to the reporter . i think the reporter do a good job of it . here 's the text of her article : springfield ( mass . ) union - new , westfield edition , friday , july 10 , 1992 , p . 1 linguists criticize accent position by meredith o'brien westfield - victor raskin , a linguistics professor at purdue university in indiana , be quite perplex when he see an article in his local newspaper about westfield 's petition to prohibit instructor with accent from teach elementary school student . " has anybody else see a weird piece in the newspaper about a measure take by the greek mayor of a small massachusett town with a very ethnically mix population to prevent people with foreign accent to be employ as grade school teacher , " raskin ask subscriber to a linguistics computer network this week . " beside kill my own chance of ever teach grade school over there , be this measure nonsensical linguistically ? " he query . response to raskin 's question have be come into the world-wide computer network call " linguistnet " all week , some from as far away as the netherland and australium . and those who do respond have nothing good to say about the petition . raskin be one of several linguist who have assail the petition , which have also be chastize by education official - - include the state secretary of education - - as unfound and racist . the school committee 's curriculum subcommittee wednesday night unanimously reject the petition because the committee 's attorney tell them it be legally unenforceable . the full committee will vote on the issue at its next meet which have not yet be schedule . the petition 's organizer , laura lee whitten , have no comment on the subcommittee 's decision . meanwhile , the eight linguist who call into " linguistnet " on their computer conclude that parent should not be worry about their elementary school child acquire an accent from their teacher because the chance of that happen be next to impossible . network subscriber , barbara partee , chairwoman of the linguistic department at the university of massachusett , concur with the conclusion of her colleague . " what research exist on this matter make it very clear that it would be nearly impossible to be influence by the accent of a grade school teacher " , she say wednesday . " young child , almost universally , pick up their accent from their peer . " she say if people look at immigrant family where the child be bear in this country , they would find that the child have not adopt their parent ' accent . many other agree . " i use to live in boston , where you can cut the local accent with a knife , and play the organ for a church in arlington , mass . , where the pastor and his wife be from the midwest , " craig thiersch , a linguistics professor from tilburg university in the netherland say . " but all their child have strong ' towny ' accent . " " my own rather limit experience be that child be n't influence by the foreign accent of their parent , much less their teacher , " echo university of georgium professor michael a . covington . " kid get their accent from their peer , " agree susan ervin - tripp from the university of californium at berkeley . while the linguist roundly criticize the petition , some say they could understand why some parent sign it . note the problem some college student have in understand some of their foreign professor , they acknowledge that a teacher 's english should be understandable . but the existence of an accent be not a reason to rule out the hire of an instructor , they say . " my own opinion be that it be legitimate to require that teacher be understandable to their student , but that be presumably a normal job qualification that do not require a petition , " partee say . she say at umass , foreign instructor and professor be screen to assure their english can be understand . " but no one have ever be disqualify because of an accent . " [ end of newpaper article . ] in the same paper , there be a nice column by william raspberry . much of it repeat thing we ' ve be over on the net ; i extract here a bite from the end : " as one who be teach french by a german - accent professor who use to amuse us with her talk of " consonant and wowel , " i understand why some parent may be wary of have their youngster teach read by teacher whose pronunciation be too far from standard . but what in this nation of a thousand accent is too far from standard ? and who determine it ? how much of the whole business be simple prejudice against hispanic teacher ? how do one draw the line between a legitimate interest in occupational qualification and an illegitimate interest in ethnicity or national origin ? where be the universal principle ? kant may not want to hear this , but the principle be the problem . a good principal would handle the thing without work up a sweat . she 'd listen , make some experience-base judgment as to whether a teacher 's accent may prove an impediment to begin reader and make the appropriate assignment . she may not even be able to tell you , in close case , what tip the judgment one way or another , but would that really be so awful ? only if you try to make it a kantian universal . make it a principle , and you ' re stick willy-nilly with language panel , ethnic spokesperson , teacher ' union rep and , of course , lawyer . before it 's over , people will stop speak to each other across racial or ethnic line , and everybody will be work to get everybody else fire or defeat for re-election . the problem , of course , will remain unresolve . as they say in massachusett ( or would if they think of it ) , some thing can be address in term of the philosopher 's " universal law . " some kant .