What Is The Battle Of Black Vs Standard English Essay

Back in elementary school, I remember getting taunted and picked on because I “talked white” and I didn’t sound like the other kids. I always questioned the idea that one could talk a color. Then, I often wondered why I sounded different from the other black kids. However, as I grew older, I realized that I didn’t “talk white,” I just knew how to pronounce and enunciate my words correctly. Unlike most members of my family, I knew the differences between Standard English and home English due to the education that I received unlike most of the old souls in my household. I was taught to use “proper” English in school unlike most of my family members, who only finished the sixth-tenth grade. They didn’t pursue higher learning, which showed a major differentiation in the way we spoke to each other. The …show more content…
standard English, I realized that the language I most identify myself is the one I should focus on. Although my friends continuously called me “white girl” and “oreo”, I started to accept that name and enjoy the name of being called an oreo. I started being myself and my double life disappeared because I realized that I identify with who I am through my use of the English language. The battle between black vs. standard English became easier and my friends from both races accepted me as who I was and how I spoke to them. Furthermore, I enjoyed conversation more and I didn’t feel tense with trying to change my language based on the race of the other person. As I progress through college, I’ve started to just use code-switching as a skill by the rank of people. With professors, my language is more professional, but with students, my language shifts to a more casual tone. Mastering the art of language and code-switching is difficult because I’m battling “proper” vs. black English. The process is difficult to understand, but it will continuously change as I matriculate through college and meet different