In Dowdy's first chapter of The Skin That We Speak, we are introduced to the fact that our language affects far more than just our means of communication. The language that we speak has to do with our identity, and also how we are seen through others' eyes. She describes in her high school years that she wore "the mask of language" enabling her to blend in and be accepted by her peers. This happens all the time especially at the high school level. We see it we use slang terms amongst our peers. We do it to try to fit into our surroundings, almost in a survival like manner. If we hear someone speaking in a different dialect, we immediately recognize it as foreign, and it is difficult not to distance it from ourselves. We immediately see the unfortunate person as "not one of us." The foreigner has to overcome the "linguistic tension" that will be present before being accepted into his or her new surroundings.
This forceful usage of language seems to complicate things when we are trying to express ourselves, especially in our fits of passion. Dowdy explains this as our common “loss for words.” We have to go through an “act of translation, cooling the passion of the thought.” This diversion from the formal nature of the expected language blurs the line of what is considered acceptable in public conversation. Wouldn’t it be more natural to be able to fully express our thoughts all of the time? …Then again, this might have its repercussions as well.
Indeed, the language we speak has a great deal to do with our ability to survive in the socially interactive world in which we live. While it would be nice if all people could express themselves however they deemed the freest, the world may yet be filled with happier people, but there would still be language barriers of sorts. For example, in “Ebonics: A Case History” by Ernie Smith, the main character does express his feelings about “capitalism and the imperialistic oppression, repression, depression, suppression, and compression of the Afro, Asian, and Latin American peoples” at a student strike in the 70’s (24). In this speech, he uses bits of Ebonics because he feels they best describe how he feels and members of the crowd agree with him and understand what he means. However, some ladies nearby do not interpret his language the way that the others do and have him indicted on charges of profanity. As is argued by a Professor in his defense, the word choices the speaker used are not profanity, but a different dialect, if one will, than what the ladies were accustomed to hearing. And therein would lay the problem with people speaking however they pleased to express themselves. While they and others might agree, there will be others who will hear more than gibberish, but misconstrue the intended meanings.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes. Audiences--intended and unintended--will always be a hugely important factor in determining the effectiveness and appropriateness of our language choices. And that's one very powerful tack that the English teacher can take: helping students become audience-aware. The question is no longer one of whether or not a student's language is right or wrong, superior or inferior, but whether or not it is likely to have the desired effect on the audience. Nice insight.
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