Code Switching In America

The origin of America was based on immigration that created diversity in language, which today continues to increase. America, a melting Pot, a diversity of language and culture is somewhere where the technic of code switching is essential in life and to advance in the social latter. Even though everyone in America cannot speak Standard English because of that language barrier, they should not be looked down upon by the American society because there is not really a “correct” way of speaking.
Code switching is the ability to speak multiple types of dialect; it is a major skill for gaining power in society. One Example as Manuel Muñoz mentioned in “leave your name in the border” is having that ability to speak Standard English gives you an …show more content…
Language in the social class and geographic stance play a large role with the change of language being those two of the coordinates in the axis. Bolinger states that one horizontal coordinate is the geographical dialects, because people communicate with the people most nearest them, the ones in their community, which form the way of speaking. But as immigration happens in America the community is always changing, as well as other new languages and ways of expression are formed. As a community grows and generations do there is that change of communication, through slang or ways of expression in their generation as well as the pattern of language. For example some meanings of words now are seen as less vulgar and more as the “norm” because of the reappropriation of words, also there has bee the formation of new words for each generation. For example in the past generation the word “Hella” coming from the roots of Oakland and now used as well as this generation has other words that they created. This is called the Cohort effect it is the shared linguistic patterns unique to a generation according o my Oral Communication class. Also Linguistic relativism plays a role in how there is no one way off speaking because the language we use plus the cultures, sort of a view towards the world but involving values. This shows that language has no real correct way of speaking because it is always changing. Standard English is needed to advance in the world but one shouldn’t be looked down because of the way they speak. The Vertical coordinate is society, the social classes in the world. Based on where you stand in the social class is usually where you stand in the social latter. Including codes witching in these two coordinates they both play a factor. Power is based on how big of a circle you are between these coordinates. Not how high you are in the axis.