Essay #1
The highly ambiguous phrase, Standard English, is commonly synonymous with “proper English”. This misconception extends from preconceived notions about speech and social class and discrimination against “nonstandard” dialects. I would like to propose a blog with the purpose of educating the subscribers on English dialects within the United Sates. The blog would increase exposure and acceptance of “nonstandard” dialects, by teaching the public about dialects in general and exploring the phonology, lexicon, and grammar of specific dialects.
Everyone speaks a dialect, which is simply a variety of a particular language (Daniels 7). Within the United Sates, there are varieties of dialects. All of which are languages in their own right operating …show more content…
It is unfair and a hindrance to their future education to be forced to learn a second language, Standard English. But with today societal norms it would prove impossible to do well on standardized tests, gain job opportunities, and make good first impressions without Standard English. Studies have shown that education actually acts to stratify students who speak alternate dialects, further alienating them from their classmates and hindering their upward mobility (Macaulay 389, 391). This is the reason the NCTE created a statement deciding that students have the right to their own language and the dialect that expresses their familial and cultural …show more content…
I believe the world has become too politically correct and the rapid removal and addition of new terminology is detrimental to the English language and societies perceptions of particular groups. Political correctness discourages words with offensive and negative connotations by replacing them with euphemisms without removing the original negative connotation given to the people by society. Most words themselves are not negative or offensive rather they reflect society’s view of a particular people. The only way to make the word less negative or offense is by changing societies wrong and illogical prejudices about specific groups.
The euphemism treadmill creates unnecessary confusion and offence with out removing any prejudice. Mandating PC language and the generation of euphemisms shift the focus from social issues to debates focused on precise language and censorship which is unfair and counterproductive to generating social change and growth (Greene
The highly ambiguous phrase, Standard English, is commonly synonymous with “proper English”. This misconception extends from preconceived notions about speech and social class and discrimination against “nonstandard” dialects. I would like to propose a blog with the purpose of educating the subscribers on English dialects within the United Sates. The blog would increase exposure and acceptance of “nonstandard” dialects, by teaching the public about dialects in general and exploring the phonology, lexicon, and grammar of specific dialects.
Everyone speaks a dialect, which is simply a variety of a particular language (Daniels 7). Within the United Sates, there are varieties of dialects. All of which are languages in their own right operating …show more content…
It is unfair and a hindrance to their future education to be forced to learn a second language, Standard English. But with today societal norms it would prove impossible to do well on standardized tests, gain job opportunities, and make good first impressions without Standard English. Studies have shown that education actually acts to stratify students who speak alternate dialects, further alienating them from their classmates and hindering their upward mobility (Macaulay 389, 391). This is the reason the NCTE created a statement deciding that students have the right to their own language and the dialect that expresses their familial and cultural …show more content…
I believe the world has become too politically correct and the rapid removal and addition of new terminology is detrimental to the English language and societies perceptions of particular groups. Political correctness discourages words with offensive and negative connotations by replacing them with euphemisms without removing the original negative connotation given to the people by society. Most words themselves are not negative or offensive rather they reflect society’s view of a particular people. The only way to make the word less negative or offense is by changing societies wrong and illogical prejudices about specific groups.
The euphemism treadmill creates unnecessary confusion and offence with out removing any prejudice. Mandating PC language and the generation of euphemisms shift the focus from social issues to debates focused on precise language and censorship which is unfair and counterproductive to generating social change and growth (Greene