You will be required to write two paragraphs.
1. The first paragraph, which will be critical thoughts on the course materials. By critical reading, I mean a close examination of the main argument of a text, as well as what evidence is used to support the argument.
Related materials:
The Social Art (TSA), Chapters 12-14, & 16.
Language Myths (LM) # 4, 8, 13, 14, 17
Optional very short film on Hawaiian pidgin.
2. The second paragraph will be a response to one of your classmates' original posts. Think of these blogs as a way to explore a major theme or two from the week's reading in more personal terms. Once you've analyzed the major points, how do you react to what you're reading?
Can you think of experiences from your own life that either support or contradict what you're reading (considering I am an international student from China)? The following is one of my classmate's post:
Blog
There is no doubt that there is immense variety found between all languages. The variety that has found its way in one language alone creates dialects, registers and accents as shown through the readings.
The book, The Social Art: Language and Its Uses creates the argument of how amazing this variety is within our own species. Macaulay writes, "Very few languages use an inventory of more than one hundred discrete units of sound, although the vocal tract is capable of producing and the ear able to discriminate more than one hundred times that number" (2006, 58).
This quote alone brings into perspective how great of an asset language is and the way humans have evolved to make it their own. With humans having the same speech structure and many languages using only a few sounds out of the many we are capable of creating, we have managed to create variety in language among regions, ages, countries and more.
Phonetically speaking, the variation found within how one may say "water" across areas, ages and genders is immensely different. However, although this difference is substantial, we are still capable of distinguishing what is being said when speaking to one another. Macaulay says, "Languages and dialects have both a unifying function and a separatist function. They help a group of people see what they have in common with each other and how they differ from ‘others'" (2006, 65).
Although this may have the potential to cause problems, it proves how much variation is found all over the word, but still creates the fact at how amazingly this occurs within all cultures. In slang alone, one person can change the way an item is distinguished and how registers create a wider vocabulary based on the context we are placed within. The myth that children are falling behind in the accuracy of English is one which is very misplaced.
Language is always evolving for our communication to continue to be distinguishable. Many forms of English have come and gone, but labeling younger generations as failing to uphold old ways is disheartening. Not only are children to blame, but minorities are also said to be contributing to this downfall.
Furthermore, many of these arguments have to do with opinions and not necessarily research based facts. This can be said as well with the opinions of bad speakers originating in the South and New York. All across areas, ages, genders and more variation, is vital to language continuing to change and reflect the way we communicate. By no means should an opinion disvalue any certain factor in altering the way our language is evolving.
I have come across many arguments as these in my Speech for the Actor course earlier in the year. As we were tasked with learning "General American Speech" to enhance our skill set when looking for a career, we learned about how some accents and dialects are more desirable than others.
However, many also despise students learning General American, as in the past it was taught to get rid of one's own dialect. In my opinion, I think all forms of dialects, accents, slang, registers, and all ways variation can enter language should be embraced. Human culture is enhanced by different practices and creates wonderful differences in society.
If one believes that language should be uniform, standard, or proper, it seems contradictory to the way society lives. Standard English should not be frown upon as well as it can be vital in helping another person understand what cannot come across when accents or dialects get in the way of communication. Overall, I believe variation in language is vital and reflects the diversity which different societies and cultures create.