Code Switching In English Language

Anzaldua’s How to “Tame a Wild tongue” goes to great lengths to discuss her opinions on language, and how her communication with people from various linguistic backgrounds required her to change gears in a way. To “switch codes.” Each of us as we participate in different environments with diverse expectations and duties switch various codes of our own. In my life I most often switch between a normal code, a snarky code, and a business code.

Using dialect in society is natural and people can often not control how they sound. When that same person writes however they are expected to drop their dialect and only use proper english. Vershawn Ashanti Young discusses this topic in his article “Should Writer’s Use They Own English?”. Young has several good points including that their accent comes through their writing and that “code meshing” can be effective in a person's’ writing. On the contrary, I agree more with the fact that we need a “universal” way of speaking in America, because of the fact that it is harder to learn several “languages” as a child and it would be almost impossible for people from other countries to learn all the slang if we don't have one set way of speaking.

Communication is one of the main things humans do in their day to day activities. Scholars define communication as an act of exchanging information between one another and understanding the meaning of it (Semenescu, 2016). The four mains types of communication are written, verbal, non-verbal and visual. Humans communicate to establish relationship, build foundation for planning, socializing in general and motivating each other. Communication can vary in different settings. For example in personal context, communication style used is more relaxed, which means that informal language is used. However, in a professional context, communication style used in more focused on workplace. Therefore, the language used is more formal so as to show respect

Communication can be adapted very easily, usually without you realising. However, the style used can make a big difference, and help build and maintain positive relationships.

“Language is a product of society. As society changes, so does language.” Because of this, over time, English speakers all over the world have reinvented language and in some cases come up with their own very different ways of speaking. African American Vernacular English (AAVE), also referred to as Ebonics, is one of these variations of American English, most commonly spoken today by urban working-class and middle-class African Americans. Not only does Ebonics make up an immense part of African American social life and communication, but also it is heavily used in the music industry. Its use in the music industry today, particularly in the hip-hop industry, has definitely had an effect on society’s use of language, especially today’s youth. Although widely used by African Americans, many other ethnicities also use Ebonics as a way of communication. The use of Ebonics has steered many away from learning and/or using Standard English and unfortunately, this has lead to communication barriers between speakers of Ebonics and speakers of Standard English especially within academic environments. Due to this, it is extremely important for school systems to incorporate Ebonics as well as elements from the hip-hop culture into their curriculum to ensure the success of their students.

Speech is often associate with race because some individuals believe that if the person does not sound “educated” enough the person comes from a lower class and was brought up in the so called “ghettos” and this association is often made towards someone that forms part of a minority group. The author illustrates that race is tight up with speech

The vulgarity that rolled off our tongue behind our teachers back was astounding. We knew every curse word in the book and used it with flair. However, we also knew what would happen if we did not use our own personal off switch for this type of talk in front of our parents and teachers. Almost everyone switches how they speak in their day to day lives due to certain situations and what the context of the community they are in is. This process has been commonly referred to as “Code-Switching” .

Speech has always been important; yet being judged by how to speak on a daily basis is what many go through. Not everyone speaks the same, which is why each person is unique. The author Allison Joseph of the poem “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person,” has an precise frame of mind on how people believe that all black people speak differently than others. There is not a certain language that people should speak; it is passed down or learned while growing up. Allison states in the texts “Now I realize there’s nothing more personal than speech that I don’t have to defend how I speak, how any person, black, white, chooses to

While reading chapter six from Beyond Grammar Language, Power, and the Classroom, written by Mary R. Harmon and Marilyn J. Wilson, I began to realize how much we become caught up in the rules of the so-called Standard American English. It is sad because people are being judged on their dialect, which is a representation of who people are and where they are from. I have found myself correcting people that have a different dialect, or correcting people that say words that I have been told were not proper language, such as the word ain’t. Standard American English is something that is embedded in our brains at a young age and as we go through school; language is something teachers are constantly correcting children on. Reading about dialect has

Verbal communication is a two way process and should involve active listening. I will need to adapt my style and method of communication based on whom I am communicating with. For example, if I am communicating with a professional such as a GP the communication will be formal as opposed to how I would communicate with a service user where communication is more informal. There are some basic do's and don'ts which can aid verbal communication. These are:

It is fairly evident that to succeed in any society, one must be able to communicate clearly and eloquently. It’s like the musician that transmits that certain vibe when you hear him/her. This musician has practiced and studied music so as to master it and perform to the best of his/her ability. If we want to communicate to our best, we must also strive to perfect and master our language skills. But we are not going to do it in a tongue that the “public” is not familiar with, you will be driving the wrong way on a very fast one way highway, and find yourself in an accident of a sort.

In Harpers article DFW speaks about how important it is to speak multiple dialects. SWE and SBE are two of the most common dialects. SWE is the abbreviations for Standard Written English, and SBW stands for Standard Black English. Most successful people use standard written English such as politicians, lawyers, and news reporters. In schools teachers drill it into the student’s head that SWE is the correct dialect and that any pother that they use is wrong. In this article DFW stresses the importance of being able to use different dialects in different situations. He then begins describing the scene of someone who is just getting their paper handed back to them, but when they look at it the teacher has corrected their paper so that it is in proper SWE format. He then goes on to say that “[i]n my English class- you will have to master and write in Standard Written English, which we might just as well call ‘Standard White English,” because it was developed by white people and is used

When reading the article I came to realize that code switching is an essential part in the way I socialize with everyone. For instance, I might use a different type of dialect with my 18 year old friends who has a heavy influenced urban dialect than I would with my 46 year old AT&T supervisor from Bridgewater NJ. I also use a different dialect when talking with my brother vs. when I talk to my sister, and when it comes to my fellow peer vs. my teacher. Code switching is important when it comes to communication whether it’s through an email, text, phone call or in person. By being able to embrace code switching, success/acceptance at a job, in a posse or with your family is easily achievable. I again found this article to be relatable because

Code switching is the practice of adjusting a language in varying circumstances and atmospheres. The ability to embrace code switching, success and acceptance at a job site, with your family, friends and strangers is achievable. The ability to successfully code switch also helps form a bond between a speaker and listener. My corporate experience, education and family/friends have influenced the way I speak and write. Gene Demby, the writer of “How Code-Switching Explains The World” addresses how codes switching can be utilized in different situations.

One expects to find formal language in any place of work and authority such as businesses, court, parliament, newspapers etc. Any profession which is associated with a high level of education and order. Formal language is also known to reflect on the speaker’s social class. It shows what type of school you attended, how you were raised and your heritage. Informal language is more commonly heard in a social environment. For example when you are at a braai or attending a family function. The people present usually know each other so the atmosphere is more relaxed and there is not an essential requirement for formality. Informal language is usually used on social media platforms or instant messaging.