“Let the Copula Be”
What is “good” English? What is ‘bad’ English? Do we all use “Bad English?” In the Essay “Let The Copula Be” by Sonja L Lanehart writes about the proper use in her opinion of “Good” English. Lanehart first believed that everyone speaks in-correctly. Growing up, Lanehart goes out of her way to correct people in there “Bad English”. Lanehart in her own words says “ I was a zealous crusader for “good” language.” Lanehart, S. L. "Let the Copula Be." American Speech, vol. 75 no. 4, 2000, pp. 355-356. Project MUSE, muse.jhu.edu/article/2777.) She eventually goes to University of Texas to become a speech pathologist. After taking a couple of English classes, specifically “History of the English Language” and “American English”, her views changed. Lanehart realizes taking these classes that “Bad English” is so much more than
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What she previously thought was “bad” English is merely a language variation, each variation with its own history and culture. Lanehart now believes these variations need to be celebrated and that they don't always need to be corrected. The more Lanehart learned, the more she believed that English can vary as long as we can all understand each other. Lanehart decides she doesn’t want to correct people anymore. However, she noticed people kept asking her for help. Lanehart then came to the realization they didn’t believe in themselves. Being corrected had caused them to doubt what they were trying say. . She said, “I embarked on a new journey to find and reclaim my homeland. I have gone from one end of the continuum to the other, and I know it has been a change for the better. My family still expects me to correct them. I struggle with that because they believe in me more than themselves.” Lanehart, S. L. "Let the Copula Be." American Speech, vol. 75 no. 4, 2000, pp. 355-356. Project MUSE,
Although this article focuses on the decline of big words and the author’s prejudiced love for them, Bernstein uses phrases that are colloquial. Referencing dichotomous relationships, she states, “Add to this list language junkies
Later I could ask questions, try to find out where I was, what had happened.” In this quote, Dana the main character has traveled back in time to the 1800s from her regular time the late 1900s. She faints in her living room and wakes up by a lake and sees a young pale kid with ginger hair drowning. She immediately goes to help the little boy even though she is frightened by being somewhere she has never been. This example from Kindred shows that some people will overcome the dreadful feeling of fear and do what they believe is right.
While discussing terms with the people she thought
The speaker is reminding the reader of the influence English has to his everyday life. All these things stated by the speaker are things regularly done by everybody, and he is trying to put into perspective that our lives are filled with
As a country that was built by immigrants from around the world, America is a melting pot of abundant cultures and languages. However, it seems as though “proper English” is the only appropriate dialect considered to be civilized, neglecting the presence of other native tongues. Amy Tan describes life with her Chinese, immigrant mother who tries adapting to life in America. Tan uses the rhetorical methods of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey a different perspective on accepting the various types of English and how her mother should not be isolated from society while coping with learning a new language.
Part A – Both “Se Habla Espanol” and “Mother Tongue” are titles that manage to grab attentions; however, each does so in its own way. “Se Habla Espanol” is about a Latina women who is attempting to learn how to speak Spanish. Throughout the story, she talks about the struggles to learn it and the judgement that she receives from others for not already having a knowledge it. I feel like the simplicity of the title is what makes it so attractive for a reader. It made me want to read so that I could attempt to understand why she chose what could be considered a basic Spanish phrase when the translation of the title is “Spanish speaking.”
Tan establishes ethos with this juxtaposition by giving an argument on what her definition of English is, despite what society usually defines it as. Q2. The anecdotes further her
Language, though primarily used as a means of communication, can be used to form community-like bonds with additions to and evolutions of different regional, cultural, racial, etc., vernaculars. What is one community’s “how are you?” is another’s “what’s good?” or “‘sup?” Those terms are understood and accepted almost unilaterally in their respective communities, but beyond those borders, they may or may not be. The push to broaden mandating “proper English pronunciation” is a direct attack on those communities that do not fall in the narrow definition of those whose community is deemed “correct” by mainstream society. When this is enforced, its roots are usually found in racism/white supremacy.
Throughout the article, Tan uses a number of personal examples to show and support her point. These examples span from phone conversations and hospital visits to standardized tests. By using examples that cover a wide variety of topics, Tan is able to demonstrate the large effect that her mother’s style of english had and how it was woven into her whole life and not just a part of it. Particularly in the hospital example, Tan also brings in the stereotyping of people who speak “broken” english as not being very smart. In bringing this issue that is at the very root of our society, she darkens the tone to melancholy.
However, it was evident that she felt like she did not belong or fit in with her former culture. This demonstrates how Reyna struggled to find her identity because she no longer fit in with her former
MAIN IDEAS/LITERARY DEVICES NOTES: Purpose Audience Epiphany Dialogue Comparison Figurative Language Ethos Pathos The purpose of Tan’s essay is to show readers the vital role that language plays in everyday life and show that the quality of a person’s ideas does not rely on their knowledge or application of standard language.
In his essay, “Authority and American Usage,” Wallace says, “A SNOOT can be loosely defined as somebody who knows what dysphemism means and doesn’t mind letting you know it” (390). Wallace then introduced a SNOOTlet, the child version of a SNOOT. In his essay, “Authority and American Usage,” Wallace says, “The elementary school SNOOTlet is one of the earliest identifiable species of academic geekoid and is duly despised by his peers and praised by his teachers” (411). The SNOOTlet is actually deficient in Language Arts
When reading a book such as Crossed, by Ally Condie, readers often notice elements that make the connection to the story deeper. Having knowledge in elements from the chapters “Every trip is a quest (except when it’s not)”, “Geography Matters”, and, “Is That a Symbol?” in Thomas Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor For Kids helps readers identify that those three elements are used in Ally Condie’s Crossed. Before understanding how three certain chapters from How To Read Literature Like A Professor relate to Crossed, background information from Condie’s previous book in the series, Matched, must be explained. The main character, Cassia Reyes, lives in a dystopian government called the Society.
I can't make it more clear; it's only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me." (ch, pg) She has concluded that her true identity of who she envisions herself to be is essential to her future
Finally, for mainly historical reasons, certain English dialects or varieties have been viewed more positively than others. Thus, Standard English, because of its association with being the national English language, has been perceived as the most prestigious of English varieties. However, the fact that some dialects and accents are seen to be more prestigious than others is more a reflection of judgements based on social, rather than linguistic, criteria. As society changes, so too do attitudes towards dialect, accent and variational use of English generally.