English Vs. English Language

Naturally acquiring English comes with time and growth from an infant to a toddler to a child. Even after childhood, time is still spent refining and mastering Standard English skills. The English acquired when we are just learning to talk is incomplete, short, and often incorrect. We use simple words like "Up" to mean "Pick me up", and "Mo" for "I want more". When we collect more words for our vocabularies, we form incorrect sentences like "I goed with mommy". When we study Standard English, we are taught the correct forms. The correct usage of Standard English is an important step in ones English developement. Later on in life, Standard English is expected in environments such as interviews and the workplace. Without Standard English, one's

“Authority and American Usage” written by David Foster Wallace, poses an argument about the English language, and the different beliefs of its usage. This essay was written in defense of Bryan A. Garner’s, A Dictionary of Modern American Usage. His argument in “Authority and American Usage” is the difference the between prescriptivism perception and the descriptivism perception (Linguistic terms that could easily be made into smaller, more understandable words for people like me). Since the beginning of time, language has evolved. From biblical times, to Shakespearean times, to present day; the English language has been continuously changing since it’s birth and has no intentions on stopping.

As society begins to change so do other aspects that are within that particular society. Within the articles “Why Good English is Good for You” by John Simon, “Do You Speak American” by Robert MacNeil, and “Lost in America” by Douglas McGrey, each author gives their own insight as to how social changes have impacted the language within America, as well as the implications of those changes. While they each argue different views on how those implications have benefitted or hindered the language, they all agree on the fact that the language is ever-changing.

He quotes John Simon, a major prescriptivist, stating that “No Damsel was ever in such distress, no drayhorse more flogged, no defenseless child more drunkenly abused than the English language today”(Simon, 307). He also shows the other view of this issue that says that English as a language should evolve along with the rest of the world that has been “Swept by a tide of informality”(MacNeil, 311). With the evolution of technology and language instalments on software and computers, English changing so much among races and regions could become a major issue for this generation. Simon states that English should be treated as the original language and should not be simplified. He refers to common day slang by stating that “Just because you can figure out what the person is trying to say, doesn’t mean you should”(Simon, 333). MacNeil highlights the positives and negatives of the evolving English language along with reasons why people speak the way they do. He seems to have a neutral stance on the issue while Simon bluntly argues the fact that proper English is the English that is mean to be spoken. However, both mention the fact that education has a major influence on how this language is

The English language began its climb to world dominance with the rise of the British Empire in the 16th century. During this time English began to spread as the worlds lingua franca for business and trade. With the support of the United States, which at the time was one of the most successful nations in history, english was able to overthrow all previous lingua francas. However, english should not be considered as the “gateway to the world”. Although the english language is widely- spoken around the world, making english language the official language of the world will lead to diminishing cultural diversity.

There is a variety of English, for example colloquialism. Colloquialism and slang may seem similar to a certain extent. These words are alike because they both mean a word or phrase that is not formal or improper english. However, colloquialism is standard english and slang is not. Slang is normally being used in certain society groups such as teenagers. Also colloquialism enriches the language and slang would degrade it.

It was diappointing to see the antipathy against the use of AAVE. Pollum also mentions that this negative attitude towards AAVE is related to the prejudice still targeted on African American people. I think the dichotomous thinking of the variations of English of that time is stilll present nowadays. Standard English has a much higher prestige than the AAVE or any other variation of English. In my opinion, devaluing students language pattern in school has no benefits, nor does labelling any language or dialect bad or unaducated just because it differs from the standard. It should be called

Since we are teaching children the standard form of English, it is necessary that all primary teaching is in that form, however, society needs to understand that every child comes from a different background; a child may have grown up using a different form of English or even an entirely different language. Coming from an individual that grew up speaking a different language at home, it is difficult for students like us to make certain connections that children who grew up speaking the standard can make easily. We have a tougher time with seemingly simple concepts because our dialects/languages do not adhere to the same rules that the standard does. Although we have one unifying goal of educating the young in Standard English, all teaching should be based on the child’s background and try to use that to help them learn better and faster. As Pullum described, there is a lot of misconception involving using AAE to implement student’s learning. The point is not to make dialects like AAE a language course in schools or have classes be taught in those dialects, but rather to be used in conjunction with the Standard to efficiently ease children into the desired outcome. Judge Joiner offered a solution to the problem by requiring teachers to dedicate a certain amount of hours to understanding these children’s point of views. Verdelle, on the other hand, seems

In the United States (US), the US Standard English (aka SAE) is an anchor or Rosetta stone to assist the vast diversity of our country

While reading through some of the words that LSSU wants to ban, I realized that American language has turned into what we like to call, "slang." Take 2015 for example, there is words like, bae, cray-cray, foodie, and swag. You can also see words like this in previous years. The American language has been taken for granted for years and is just getting worse. There are very few people you could have an intelligent conversation with using words that are actually in the English dictionary. It's a sad truth and with the new generations it is going to get worse.

The English Language has been in existence for many years. This is thanks to many early conquers who spoke the language. As a result, today English is used by “at least one out of every seven human beings around on the globe” (Lederer 216). With that many speakers, the reality in Lederer’s words that “half of the world’s

In contemporary society the Standard variety of English is the most commonly used as it is respected and associated with a higher prestige. Its usage is also advocated by prescriptivists who believe that it is the ‘correct’ and only variety that should be used. Standard English is usually seen in formal settings, where its usage is necessary for official and public purposes. However, contextual factors play a vital role in determining the most appropriate variety to be used, which is supported by the Principle of Appropriateness. Certain contexts where a non-standard variety is necessary are in social media settings and in communities of different ethnicities, where they are undeniably required to create solidarity between speakers.

For example, English as a language has been developed and adapted into what David Crystal (2013), describes as Englishes, meaning that there are different variations of the English language to accommodate a variety of English speaking people. Crystal (2013), explains that language variation occurs when a group of people adjust and adapt their language and form a new variation to express or communicate certain ideas, values and beliefs based on their personal experiences, geographical location, and or to communicate with another foreign language. Language variations can occur due to several reasons such as gender, culture, and race, and that as individuals our language is influenced due to what is around us (Emmitt, 2010 p.54). It is constantly changing and adapting to its users, insisting that there is no correct or incorrect way of speaking English, just variations which are all equal in value. Language dialects occur relatively quickly and without too much thought, as people use language to communicate and by adapting their existing language to what suits them at the time (Crystal,2013 ).

Dervin (1993) takes a purely theoretical view of difference. She views difference as fundamental and postulates that language as symbolic product produced by humans whose lives are at least in part symbolic confounds the differences between humans. Symbolic language also confounds the differences seen in the intuitions produced by humans. It is her contention that language is the key to understanding difference. She utilizes Nouns, Verbs and language structure as metaphors for understanding difference. She posits that when we search for patterns with research tools deviations from the a pattern constitute difference and that we must then locate that difference into a conceptual frameworks the most common being culture or agency.

It is important to note that for people who did not receive an education when English was being taught in public schools, would be at an extreme disadvantage as it will be much harder for the older citizens to learn English than for the young and upcoming citizens. But for the students who have an interest in seeking employment internationally, studies have shown that English language competence undoubtedly plays a role in their ability to find employment in countries such as the United Kingdom (Negash). Negash has also found that there has been a big influx of African doctors coming to Canada because the wage gaps between the countries are so large. Many African students will want for English to be the main language that they learn when