***Intro Music***
Allison:
Hello and welcome to Voices of the City, where we explore how languages shape identity, community, and culture in New York City! Or should I call it the Big Apple or the city that never sleeps! I'm your host, Allison, and today we’re diving into the topic of language practices and cultural knowledge in one of the most linguistically diverse places on Earth—New York City.
Joining me today are two of my friends: Charlotte and Arianna!
Charlotte, Arianna—welcome to the show!
Charlotte:
Thanks so much, Allison. It’s great to be here.
Arianna:
So excited to be part of this conversation. Thanks for having us!
Allison: Growing up in New York, I’m sure we’ve all heard the stereotypical “New York Accent”.Y’know, the one heard in movies and TV shows (insert clip “Hey, I’m walking here”, “cawfee”, etc.), and typically associated with Italian Americans, which makes sense because it was largely shaped by Italian and Irish immigration. This accent is historically non-rhotic, meaning that the “r” sound is dropped at the end of words or in the middle if followed by a consonant. Other common features are the tongue-tip hitting the teeth on t, d, and n sounds and the “o” or “ou” sound becoming “ah” or “aw”. For example, “coffee” becomes “cawfee” and “dog” becomes “dawg”. In reality, however, there are countless variations of the New York Accent, varying by socioeconomic background and ethnicity rather than borough or neighborhood.
Arianna, can you tell us a little more about some of these dialects?
Arianna:
Sure! About half of New York City’s population speaks a language other than English and for half of those people, that language is Spanish. It’s no wonder, then, that New York Latino English is one of the most popular variations of the New York Accent. Heavily influenced by Puerto Rican Spanish and Dominican Spanish, New York Latino English is known for the light “L” sound, in contrast with other New York accents that have dark “L” sounds.
Another common variation is African American English which developed as a result of the contact between slaves who spoke a variety of African languages and the English-speaking colonizers in the U.S. African American English is characterized by features such as “t-h” stopping and making the “d” sound instead, “L” vocalization or turning an “L” into a vowel, and consonant cluster simplification at the end of some words. When African Americans moved North during the Great Migration, their linguistic practices traveled with them. In New York City, African American English shares a common feature with other variations of the New York Accent- the raised vowel. For example, words like “thought” or “cloth” become “thawght” and “clawth”.
Allison: Thanks, Arianna. As you can see, the New York Accent comes in many shapes and sizes, but as Arianna mentioned, New York City is especially well-known for its multilingual speakers. In fact, there are hundreds of languages spoken throughout the five boroughs, each contributing to the city’s rich and diverse culture.

Charlotte is here to share some more about the wide variety of language practices you can find here in New York City.
Charlotte:
New York has always been a “melting pot” of different immigrant communities, and as a result it is one of the most linguistically diverse places in the world. While countless languages can be found here, a few stand out as predominant. Like Arianna said, Spanish is the most common language besides English spoken in New York City. Next is Chinese, including Mandarin and Cantonese, followed by Russian, Haitian Creole, Bengali, Yiddish, French, Italian, Korean, and Arabic. Each of these languages stems from a unique and vibrant culture, and reflects the history of a people.
Many New Yorkers are multilingual, which means that they are proficient in more than one language, oftentimes English and their home languages. With their vast linguistic repertoires, they navigate everyday life making meaning through the knowledge of multiple languages and cultural contexts.
Allison: That’s so interesting! I only speak English but I know plenty of people who speak a different language at home with their family.
Although numerous people in New York City are multilingual speakers, some have a limited English proficiency or LEP. How might that affect their experiences living here?
Charlotte:
It could definitely be challenging to live in New York City without proficiency in English. However, there have recently been efforts to increase accessibility for all New Yorkers regardless of what languages they speak. Many documents from the city such as ballots and other widely distributed forms are now available in other languages besides English. There are also interpreters for numerous agencies including the Department of Labor, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Education. Of course, there is always more that can be done to improve language accessibility, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
Allison: Thanks, Charlotte. Speaking of the New York City Department of Education, I’ve heard that there are numerous resources available for families who might not be proficient in English or prefer to use another language to communicate. Arianna, as a future teacher, could you tell us a little bit about some of these services?
Arianna:
In 2022, the Office of Language Access was established as a part of the Department of Education in order to better connect with families who prefer to communicate in a language other than English. This office provides translated documents in the most common languages spoken in New York City, virtual and in-person interpreters, and helps public schools develop programs to improve communication with all families.
Another important feature of education in the city is the Culturally Responsive- Sustaining or CR-S framework. Issued by the New York State Education Department in 2018, this approach to teaching recognizes diversity of race, social class, gender, language, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, and ability as assets to learning. It also promotes the creation of student-centered learning environments that affirm students’ many identities, encourage cross-cultural connections, and foster growth and engagement through critical thinking. All of these features are crucial to student success both in and out of the classroom.
Allison: Wow, that sounds like a great program! I can’t wait to see how it plays out in the lives of students and teachers.
Well, that is all for today! Thanks so much for tuning in to this week’s episode of Voices of the City, and another special shoutout to Charlotte and Arianna for providing their insight into the world of linguistics and culture here in New York City.