MYTH: Dialects inherently carry negative connotations.
MYTH: Dialects have no linguistic patterning in their own right; they are derivations from standard speech.
MYTH: A dialect is something that SOMEONE ELSE speaks.
MYTH: Only varieties of a language spoken by socially disfavored groups are dialects.
MYTH: Dialects always have highly noticeable features that set them apart.
MYTH: Dialects result from unsuccessful attempts to speak the "correct" form of a language.
REALITY: Dialects, like all language systems, are systematic and regular.
REALITY: Dialect speakers acquire their language by adopting the speech features of those around them.
REALITY: Some dialects get much more attention than others.
REALITY: Everyone who speaks a language speaks some dialect of the language.
REALITY: The notion of dialect exists apart from the social status of the language variety.
REALITY: Social values of dialects are derived strictly from the social position of their community of speakers.
