Standardisation Of Language : The Standardization Of The English Language

“Twenty-one percent of U.S. residents now speak a language other than English at home. Although many of these people are bilingual, more than twenty-five million residents say they speak English at levels they would rate as less than ‘very well’’ (washingtontimes.com). In the United States, there is no official language, yet most Americans believe everyone must speak English and only English to be an American. Americans who become citizens must learn Standard English resulting in a forked tongue speaking both their native language and English or complete loss of their native tongue and culture. When there is a loss of someone’s culture it results to a loss of identity, beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors. When policing Americans, there are invisible laws set which establish boundaries between Standard and Nonstandard English. There are two forms of English: Standard and Nonstandard, but Nonstandard English is not excepted in all situations. For example, if someone was in a job interview using Nonstandard English, he might be addressed as uneducated or underqualified. Nonstandard English should be recognized but not used in a professional, formal, or intimate conversations, furthermore allowing immigrants, students, and all Americans to express themselves in a way that is comfortable to them and the person they are speaking to.

Resulting from the dominant white culture in the United States, these authors express that their own ontology is an echo of what society projects onto them—hindering them from creating their own identity. Du Bois explains that the voices create “this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others” (887). Meaning that his own identity has been molded by the constant awareness of what he is perceived as by the dominant culture. Furthermore, mirroring and further expanding upon the impact of the societal voices, Anzaldúa explains that “ambivalence from class of voices results in mental and emotional states of perplexity” (839). Anzaldúa explicates that the voices impact her way of being in the world so greatly that it creates “mental and emotional states of perplexity” (839). Both Du Bois and Anzaldúa acknowledge that the dominant culture has largely been the culprit for dictating how they view themselves, and that the voices have been extremely debilitating. As Anzaldúa explains, “like all people, we perceive a reality that our culture communicates” (839). Both authors agree that the dominant culture largely defines how they perceive

Without a doubt, George Orwell was a visionary during his time. Having endured the period where fascism and authoritarianism as a whole was at its strongest throughout the world, it is unsurprising that he considered its menace the primary problem facing the world. Through his essay, Politics and the English Language, he attempts to express his worry that the transformation of the way in which English is used will have a direct impact on the minds of the general public. Despite the passage of time since this piece was written, his argument certainly has a number of strong points which one can clearly see in the modern era, yet it is not without its flaws.

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.

One ever feels his twoness, - an American, a Negro; two souls in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder” (Du Bois 9). The since of double-consciousness was created by the White hegemony, but kept by the non-white percent of America’s population obligated to negotiate their individualism for the “Melting Pot” America generates.

In the beginning he first presents a raise of Oxford English Dictionary, which is a powerful representative tool all over the world, as a standard to mirror that the changes in English language is also reflected in this long-standing dictionary of authority. He claims that even the OED “has fallen victim to fashion” to express how the high-qualified dictionary is being shaped by the new style of communicating due to those senseless reasons such as saving time and following fashion.

In an ever changing world we have seen the number and complexity of languages become reduced. In a Wall Street Journal article entitled What the World Will Speak in 2115, John H. McWhorter advocates for the world to see these changes as necessary and a way for communication worldwide to become more efficient and simplified. McWhorter shows how language has been streamlined for centuries as a way for citizens to adapt rather than viewed as an extinction of culture. Modern English is likely to become the dominant language worldwide but more so for the fact that it can be easily learned and is open to transformation with the times. Despite the fears of a world where lingual diversity is reduced, McWhorter suggests that there will still be variation to promote culture and communication with people from all backgrounds will be easier. The following is a summary and analysis of McWhorter’s main points describing the simplification of language. Following the summary of main points will be a hypothetical situation in what the world language could consist of 100 years from now.

The English language has changed drastically over the years, but are we the reason that is has changed so much?  With the world constantly changing and evolving, the way we speak changes too; Many things such as technology, music, media, and new products have influenced the way that English is spoken today.

English as we know it is indeed the dominant language, but does that mean everyone should learn it? Should English be the global language? Should you have to know English to communicate if you are someone that lives in a place where the native language is something different? The answer is no. However, first you must consider the statement “It is a fact that English is the dominant language in the world today. Everyone, in every country, in order to participate in the modern world, should learn English. After all, a language is just a random collection of words, so how hard can it be”. Personally, I believe it is tremendously difficult to learn a new language as an adult, but in order to make the world go round, we all should know more than one language; no one language should rule. Barbara Wallraff, David Crystal, and John Tagliabue share a few words that connect to the statement to show their personal mindset behind English being a global language. In this essay, I will extract statements from each of the authors that explain their views on a global language to support my overall perception.

Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and James Baldwin’s “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” discusses the power in language and how it is defined as a tool for communication but is used to shape people’s perception of others. Both Tan and Baldwin state that language is used as an oppressive force that doesn’t properly acknowledge minorities and the lack of proficiency in “standard” English doesn’t allow them to participate with society equally.

The healthcare system in itself is extremely complex and it is important to have a standardized language for healthcare professionals to have, especially during documentation. According to ______, a common language is essential for communication and understanding one another. As an example, a patient with diabetic ketoacidosis will be further explored using three of the thirteen American Nurses Association approved standardized languages: North American Nursing Diagnoses Association – International (NANDA-I), Nursing Interventions Classifications (NOC), and Nursing Outcomes Classifications (NOC) Systems. This paper will also explore of how data, information, knowledge, and wisdom was used in this specific scenario to provide guidance.

“ The Language Wars: A History of Proper English”, it discusses about the propriety and properness of language that a large majority of the people in this country speak, which is English. Throughout, the article it discusses the changes of the English language, such as the changes of meanings of words. Provides the audience an interesting perspective to how language changes the context of several words by giving the words a new meaning(s). Comprehensive coverage of history, covers the history of the first form of the English language that came from the Georgian Age. Therefore, it discusses many events throughout, where there have been a lot of misuse, disease, and abuse of English grammar over all the centuries that English has been a language

In today’s society, there are many reasons why people in the world need to know the fundamentals of using Standard English. When working in a business environment, we as employees need to know how to use Standard English to compete in the world and become successful. Many opportunities and rewards can come from learning how to use proper Standard English. There are many reasons why people should use Standard English in an office or workspace frequently, and using non-standard English can lead to many effects on your outlook as a professional.

The ongoing debate for and against Code switching is demonstrated by reviewing the papers of Vershawn Young and Rebecca Wheeler. Mr. Young voices his harsh disapproval of code-switching in his paper, “Should Writers Use They Own English? (Young 111)”. This is offset by Rebecca Wheeler’s gently persuasive technical paper explaining her implementation of Code-switching which she titled, “Code-Switch to Teach Standard English (Wheeler 108)”. After re-reading both papers several times, trying to move past the emotion, and return to the point of having a US Standard English, I remain with my personal definition of the purpose of US Standard English as a tool to communicate.

Talking about “dialects”, a term often mentioned along is “standard language”. When being brought into comparison with “dialect”, “standard language” usually serves as a legitimate variant with the highest level of excellence (Bex & Watts, 1999). Though positive in nature, standardization - the procedure of standardizing a language – often raises heated controversy because of its consequences on not only linguistics field but also the society. In the second part of the essay, I will focus on the disadvantages of language standardization.