Every 14 days, a new language is wiped off the Earth and half of the languages spoken today are expected to vanish by the year 2100 (Brown). The decline of these valuable and ancient languages is diminishing long kept cultures as well as limiting our ability to obtain and preserve vital knowledge. The languages of many communities connect them, acting as glue that links generations and preserves heritage (Cohen). Language is a valuable tool used to pass down ancient culture and ideas to future…
The English language is an instrument when used purposeful and simplified, they will guard against politically pretentious adjectives. George Orwell states the argument directly “…if you simplify your English, you are freed from the worst follies of orthodoxy.” Again in “Now it is clear that the decline of a language must ultimately have political and economic causes.” Orwell’s essay argument express concern for lack of meaning and imagery. The example of the alcoholic who continues the bad…
As it is stated by Jonathan Culver, “The English language is a work in progress”. This is indeed the case, as to this day, new words are still being introduced. Moreover, the English language is a combination which originated from different languages. These include Sanskrit, Gaelic, Latin, Old English (Anglo Saxon), Norse, French, Greek and Hebrew. The earliest influence on the English language is from Sanskrit. Many simple English words are derived from this Indian-European based language. For…
The study of Newspeak is very interesting, and it has it’s benefits and drawbacks. Getting rid of words from our human vocabulary can be helpful in that it makes speaking more efficient, easier to learn and to converse with, and removes bad words that are not okay in our society. But getting rid of excess words can also be a setback if it takes away words that help us describe stuff better and more vividly, If we were to start taking away unnecessary words from our vocabulary, that would be…
Slang, the way people of this world use daily to expressed how they feel. Slang allows words to have varies meanings; so many meanings that some become evanescent. Some people believe that slang is informal, sloppy, and ghetto,but slang is poetic and when used it connects with other people. Slang is America. The famous poets Walt Whitman and Gelt Burgess points of views are similar on slang and they way it is positively expressed. “Slang, profoundly consider’d, is the lawless germinal element…
Coinciding with literary works and their applications, English colloquial languages undeniably create a socioeconomic divide in the United States and in the pursuit of the American Dream. Throughout America, several derivatives of English are spoken, but because these sub-languages are not standard or articulate English, they are viewed as subordinate, subpar, sub-American. To be articulate, as poet and activist Jamila Lyiscott explained in her spoken word essay “3 Ways to Speak English,” is to…
The videos and articles included in this assignment made me see language a little differently. I’ve always known that language, especially spoken language, is constantly changing and evolving. New words and phrases are invented every single day, so I don’t see why rules and patterns should stay the same. Every region feels the need to change the way it speak to sound different from the regions around them. This results in slowly changing words, pronunciations, and fundamentals of the language…
People who are conscious of their indigenous identity are keen to incorporate aspects of their mother tongue in common languages. However, not all individuals feel proud of expressing their forms of synthesized language. The relationship between cultural identity and language is mutual. Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” and Anzaldua Gloria “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” are exquisite examples of the formation of language and cultural identities due to interactions with American culture. A comparative…
Assignment Heading We now talk about Englishes rather than English and multiliteracies rather than literacies Demonstrate the breadth of your understanding of the diversity of English across time, geography, culture and class and explain why it is essential for teachers in the 21st Century to be aware of ‘multi-literacies’ and language variation. Intro- 150 words Teachers of the 21st Century need to be aware of and up-to-date with the literacy demands required to teach and communicate within…
The issue of dialect and education and, in particular, what dialect is correct to use in the classroom has generated a debate in schools. “Linguistic research defines a dialect, or language variety, as a variety of a language that is associated with a particular regional or social group.” Contrary to popular belief, dialect is not a lesser or ungrammatical way of speaking. All dialects are logical even though they may vary in pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary (Godley, Sweetland, Wheeler,…