Whats a Language, Anyway Essay - 672 Words

Speech is much like the fashions in clothing. Most of us dress according to the style of the day. The shoes we wear and the shirts we put on usually what is considered fashionable. If you choose to ignore the understood dress rules set by society, than your chances of being accepted become slim. In the same manner, when you ignore the majoritys methods of speech, you become less accepted for it. If you buy a cool Tommy Hilfiger shirt, nobody looks at you any less for giving in to the standard instead of wearing a pink and orange poke-a-dotted shirt like you might have wanted to. You have not degraded yourself for conforming, but instead have opened opportunities for an audience. Just the same, when you change your manner of†¦show more content†¦When reading Anzalduas essay, I could not help thinking how ridiculous it is for someone to be prejudged based solely on the language they speak. She states If a person, Chicana or Latina, has a low estimation of my native ton gue, she also has a low estimation of me. This is not how things should work. Stereotypes control too much of our perceptions of different people. Knowing that people rely on stereotypes to judge unfamiliar people, I do not believe that it is wrong to change our language to fit into another situation. If we change our methods of speech, then we are more likely to be heard and have our ideas appreciated. In the movie Educating Rita, Rita is a hair dresser who speaks the working-class dialect in Britain. Upon enrolling in a university, she realizes that she is very out of place and tries on many different identities and languages to fit in. Although no one ever comes out and ridicules her for speaking the way she does, there is always the pressure looming over her to conform to the rest of the students in their way of speaking. Rita was doing what she had to do to fit in. If she was to go her own route and continue talking the same that she did when she entered the college, she would not have many friends and her peers would not take her seriously. But she does change to a certain degree to fit into the student mold, and her social life benefits as a result. SomeShow MoreRelatedEnglish Spoken Language Features1299 Words   |  6 Pagesthat what is said can be followed by the listener or reader Ex. ‘first’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘now’, ‘what’s more’, ‘so anyway’. Discourse marker Words and phrases which are used to signal the relationship and connections between utterances and to signpost that what is said can be followed by the listener or reader Ex. ‘first’, ‘on the other hand’, ‘now’, ‘what’s more’, ‘so anyway’. Contraction A reduced form often marked by an apostrophe in writing Ex. Can’t=Cannot, She’ll=SheRead MoreAuthority Individual1437 Words   |  6 PagesIn Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, authority is viewed as ruthless and the individual is portrayed as innocent. This is also emphasised in two related texts, Whose Life Is It Anyway? By Brian Clark, and Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont. The themes of ruthlessness and innocence are exemplified throughout all three texts, through the concept of the authority and the individual. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, authority is depicted as ruthless. This is shown throughout theRead MoreGraduation Speech : Language And Language Differences1166 Words   |  5 Pagesare from and which country you are in right now, it is not easy when you are trying to communicate with foreigners in your non-native language. It really isn’t. Although I can speak and write in English pretty well now, I’ve been through so many situations where I did not understand English words at all and I’ve made so many mistakes due to the cultural and language differences. The first time you are exposed to a different culture is the worst. If you have not experienced this before, let me tellRead MoreEcology Is A Modern Issue1596 Words   |  7 PagesEcology, a word gains an increasing attention recently, was seldom a theme in utopian literatures. In many utopian literatures, an abundance of natural resources is granted and allows the author to explore other aspects of human societies. Anyway, ecology is a modern issue. Yet, to me, ecology should always be the foundation of any utopian society for it to be a successful model of the real world. The humanly created societies ignorant of human nature are unstable and would soon become dystopia instead;Read MoreWho Cares About Writing?1066 Words   |  5 Pages Why would anyone care about writing anyway? It’s only the single most important form of communication, outside of verbal. Writing is an underestimated and misunderstood art. Yet it is so widely used and taken advantage of. By â€Å"taking advantage,† I mean the improper uses of the language. But really, who cares? So many use it, but no one takes into consideration how important the usage of words are and what they have the power to do. I don’t think the question should be ‘Why would anyoneRead MoreWhat I Have My Life1229 Words   |  5 Pagesup. I have been living in China for 15 years and I started my life in Australia last year. It was a huge challenge because it means a whole new life for me and I need to adapt to a new environment, a new place and make new friends. Also my first language is not English makes it even hared. In a period of time, I was confused about lots of things. The society of China is totally different from the western world such as Australia. You can’t trust strangers unconditionally like people normally do inRead MoreEssay About My Day1049 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"It was good.† And she was literally dancing, making a video on social media. Amara was a girl with the same skin tone or color as me, long brown hair, and she looked just like me, what a coincidence. She was dancing pretty good, better than me. Anyways, my brother James was watching Cartoon Network and eating some nachos. Those really spicy nachos you get from Walmart. Walmart is a blue and yellow logo store. James had a m ore darker skin tone than me and he had black, natural curly hair just likeRead MoreThe Changing Literature And Identities Of Third World Culture Essay1146 Words   |  5 Pagesof cultural identity and exsepetance. The globalization and colonization of the English language has influenced the nature of identity formation through third world countries, specifically touching on concepts of ethnicity, class and literature. English is thought to be more educated and civilized even though much of the meaning of another cultures words cannot equally be expressed through the English language. Throughout American colonization people that did not know how to speak English oftenRead MoreThe Advantages and Disadvantages of the Interpreter’s Profession†830 Words   |  4 Pagesfeet in case of any misunderstandings in this challenging and tough profession. Besides, it’s vitally essential for him to keep track of everything: historical events, places of interest, latest news and of course keep up with the changes in the language. Although one cannot know absolutely everything, the interpreter is an extremely curious person who takes special attention to updating his knowledge by any means and as long as he lives. Therefore, we’ve come to the greatest advantage of interpreting:Read MoreAll in the Timing - David Ives996 Words   |  4 PagesAll In The Timing The plays of David Ives are certainly clever and comic. There is no doubt that Ives gives us inventive scenarios that smartly use language and test our knowledge before we chuckle. But what does it all mean, anyway? What do we gain from the techniques he uses in the one-act plays of All in the Timing? Are they meaningful works, or simply highfalutin vignettes? To answer these questions, let’s consider three of his plays: â€Å"Words, Words, Words,† â€Å"Variations on the Death of Trotsky