Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Language as a facet of identity
The main point of the first chapter of The Skin That We Speak seemed to be not necessarily an argument but just an account of the way Dowdy used her language as a point of connection or rejection with not just her academic peers in elementary and secondary school but also with her strictly "right" speaking mother and grandmother. The idea of language as a facet of identity could pose problems to especially young people trying to mold whatever kind of identity they can. I feel the most important lesson learned from Dowdy's tribulations is the fact that if properly honed, code-switching can be an extremely advantageous tool to possess. Code-switching allows whoever masters it to flow freely across many social boundaries constructed by language the same way mastering different languages fluently to the point of accent control allows its masters to act as a native miles away from their homeland. The problem is overcoming the desire to be defined by your language. While taking pride in heritage is important, it should not make others feel excluded. However, we don't live in a perfect world and we do feel a special kinship to those with similar speech traits. We must all find a way to stay on the right side of pride and arrogance if such a thing is possible. In schools especially, diversity of language should be encouraged and teachers should never draw strict boundaries labeling some dialects higher over others. Knibb high football rules.
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ReplyDeleteThe second chapter of The Skin That We Speak focuses on Ernie Smith’s experience of being labeled all through his school years as remedial based on his speech and language. After he graduated he became fascinated with code switching and is now a powerful public speaker and renowned linguist. In his account he demonstrates the same identity problems Dowdy faced in chapter one, but was given a harsh label by school officials because he spoke Ebonics. I agree that teachers and school officials need not to favor some dialects over others, because a student may be advanced without their language expressing it. It is just like the old saying, “you can not judge a book by its cover.” In my English 3015 course, my professor gave us an assignment to choose which essay was more effective. The first essay had poor spelling and grammar but had a vast amount of information. The second essay was well written with few errors in grammar and spelling but lacked evidence of research. When my professor asked which essay was more effective, the class was divided evenly. We learned that we are quick to judge without paying attention to detail. After we discussed both essays, those who chose the second essay came to the conclusion that lacking Standard English can mislead one to believe a paper is less effective than having the research and evidence to back it up. Having the ability to code switch is very unique and does allow room for a person to jump from social group to social group, but how can we teach people at a young age to code switch without causing them to feel excluded from groups they can identify with (i.e. same dialects) in everyday and essays?
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).
ReplyDeleteAs 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.
oops! i posted my comment on the wrong blog! :/
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