“Ovuh Dyuh” is Joanne Kilgour Dowdy’s account of how the two languages of Trinidad, British English and Trinidadian, are viewed in Trinidadian society. British English is spoken as an educated, well-cultivated language that is the “right” language to speak, whereas Trinidadian is the language that expresses natives’ innermost feelings and desires, which can cause a schism in the citizens’ lives. The native language comes more easily, of course, and the idioms that are used in it are more readily available to express what they want to say. English, on the other hand, may come haltingly; the speaker may search in her mind for the “right” phrase or expression, the resulting speech coming off with less emotion, simply because the speaker couldn’t find the words. In order to be the “good girl” one must speak in English, but to be accepted in one’s personal life, Trinidadian is a necessity. Trinidadian society considers its own native language one of a lower class. This stems from the country’s colonial rule, having ended only twelve years prior to Dowdy’s article. The country is still dealing with the transition of freedom and independence from foreign government control. It is understandable that those in power would still consider English the language of power, education, and class. Perhaps as the next generation comes to power, this purview will decline and Trinidadian will no longer be considered a poor choice of language for public communication. The native language may, in time, become the language which Trinidadian newspapers are proud to print.
Would this even become an issue if one of the languages were to die out in the region? Could Trinidadian even prevail as the public language considering the opportunities English poses? Will future generations care about the native language enough to save it, or will they perhaps consider teaching their children English as a first language so as to get rid of this issue altogether? Would that be a terrible thing?
*(Someone let me know I did this right!)*
Posted by KaciElise
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The question you seem to be asking in this post is: Would it be a terrible thing if Trinidadian English were to die out? After all, British English is better suited for success in society. My response to this is that it would be a terrible thing for Trinidadian English to die out. A peoples’ language is something they hold near to their heart. Referring to a quote by Lisa Delpit, language embraces people long before anything else does. On the surface, one may look at the extinction of a language as merely the death of a certain vernacular. But on a deeper inspection, if Trinidadian language was to perish we will lose Trinidadian culture as well. Language is a means of expressing innermost feelings and beliefs for people. If we take away their mode of communication, we can no longer hear their thoughts. Dowdy pointed out that Trinidadian language was accepted if artists and popular culture used it. That is because from an artist we look for expressions of some sort. This gives us an objective view and it becomes easier for people to swallow different vernaculars because we dissect an artists work for it’s meaning and we embrace their means of expressions. Take for example AAVE and hip-hop. While AAVE is discouraged in normal settings it’s accepted in hip-hop because we look at the language as expressing something and we hold the artist on a higher pedestal than common folk. It’s okay for Jay-Z because he’s an artist and he is just using the language for artistic purposes but he “knows better.” Trinidadian English is not inherently worse for handling business than British English; it is just that those who handle the business use British English. They use British English because they are not from Trinidad. They have taken over the land. If Trinidadian English dies out, it symbolizes the complete domination of the colonizer over the colonized. Language is the last vestige of hope for Trinidadians. That is why I believe it would be a terrible thing if Trinidadian English were to die out. Ernie Smith highlighted this when he spoke of how he was indicted after giving a protest speech. The language of the oppressed had to be stifled in order for the status quo to be maintained.
ReplyDeletei posted my comment on the wrong blog. :( it was supposed to be here!
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter “Ebonics: A Case History”, Ernie Smith gives the reader an autobiography from the time he was in grade school. He writes about when he was a child he was used to speaking “Black English”, but when he reached the classroom his language was the wrong language, and he was looked down upon for using it. He tells of his struggles through life trying to make a name for himself, and trying to get a respected education, while struggling through his handicap (that’s the only word I can think to use at the moment).
As teachers we will have to understand the language that students use is what they are most comfortable with. Their language is what identifies them as a person. We cannot take away their comfort. I understand the scenario of trying to speak with perfect English. When you are halted in your speech and have to think of the correct way to say something, it does not always come out the way that you wanted it to. I think the only issue that would appear if the country of Trinidad tried to choose a dominant language, a language associated with success, is making sure that everyone in the country can understand the language. If America were to choose Ebonics, Spanish, or another language as the dominant language, would everyone be able to read the newspapers, signage, and books? That is the problem that would arise. How many times can you say the same thing on a sign in another language? People would start to get confused. I think the only way for Trinidadian to succeed as the dominant language would be for it to be understood by each and every person in the country. I think it would be a terrible thing for the language to be lost over time, no matter how small the population that used it, it still existed and should not be forgotten.