The rhetorical situation in the text "3 Ways to Speak English" by Jamila Lyiscott identifies the language in a particular context. People talk differently depending on the context and the need to pass information. Thus, the rhetorical situation is that language should be spoken in a particular context. No one has to judge how people talk about a language, for no one is articulate in a specific language. Therefore, in this case, the author outlines three different ways a person can speak English and remain articulate by observing the context of the language use. Thus, the author's main argument from this text is that language should be used in various contexts since they determine how we choose our words or the diction applied. For instance, …show more content…
For instance, the author argues that, at times, even American English differs at some point from British English. Not that they are not speaking the correct language, but it differs in meaning, which implies that no one can claim to be perfect or articulate in one language, particularly if it is widely shared, like English. Therefore, the author of this text highlights that people should use language to suit their needs. For instance, the language should be inclusive, even if it is broken English, as long as it meets the required meaning or purpose. Thus, it brings out that the primary function of language is communication, and the language was chosen to fit the context in which it has to be applied. In a school setting, the preferred language has to be formal and official to meet the required evaluation standards (Warren, 2017). However, when with friends, the traditional structure of using a language like English changes widely since some slang is incorporated into the language to suit the needs of the audience or the users. It is a similar aspect that the author examines in language use at home. Therefore, no one is wrong when using a specific language when it meets the desired purpose. Besides, the author reminds us that language abuse cannot be pinned down on the user since people have different cultures and have been forced to adapt to a particular …show more content…
The author argues that language has a stronger connection with culture in this context. Historically, English has robbed man's native languages and significantly impacted their usage. It has become a determining factor through the culture in which the language is spoken. It is the driving force that the author highlights as affecting the use of English and why aspects like broken English are being realized in speaking English as a language. Besides, the author explores other rhetorical devices in the text, particularly rhyme. It has been widely used in the text to create rhythm and affirm the importance of using English in different contexts (Zulkipli & Ariffin, 2018). Rhyme has been used in this text to create a rhythm to differentiate users' ability to use English. It shows that other users can play with the English words to create a rhythm unique to other users, particularly those whose languages have been assimilated by English. It becomes essential that the speaker of a given language understands the context in which they try to proclaim the prowess of the given language and ensure that they live within the contingents of that
The English language has been around for a number of years, but now it is taking the world by storm. In Dennis Baron 's article titled "Who Owns Global English," he discusses how English has taken root in different countries to the dismay of their Governments. English has taken a new meaning in some countries that native speakers would call improper English. " Yes, we want" (Baron, 35) is the new battle cry of Madrid 's campaign on English. This may be bad English, but Baron is considering the possibility of it becoming a new form of English.
In the article “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan cogitates about how her mother’s spoken English is compared to the Standard English language. Tan believes that language is not only a tool of communication, but also a sociological tool of measuring self worth. She’d always loved language, but never had she appeared expressive and rhetoric in front of her mother, due to the fact that her immigrant mother could not speak the Standard English language, but rather a “broken” English language. She discloses that between her mother, the outside world, and herself, only three languages exist: “broken” English (as her mother speaks to her), “simple” (as she speaks to her mother), and “watered down” (as she translates her mother’s tangled up broken English to
The Joy of Language In the passage “Mother Tongue”, the author Amy Tan writes about the relationship between her, her mother and the English language. Tan uses various rhetorical strategies to convey the experiences and thoughts she has when it comes to the influence of language on her life and those around her. Through the use of these persuasive language devices, Tan shares what she has learned growing up with different Englishes in her personal and social life. This, in turn, ultimately enables her to convey her love for the English language and the power that it holds.
“So many words were still unknown that when the butcher and the lady at the drugstore said something to me, exotic polysyllabic sounds would bloom in the midst of their sentences. Often, the speech of people in public seemed to be very loud, booming with confidence. The man behind the counter would literally ask, ‘What can I do for you?’ But by being firm and so clear, the sound of his voice said that he was a gringo; he belonged in the public society”(12). Rodriguez describes the way English sounds to him creating an image that the language was very complex to in his perspective.
If you think about it, language is an extremely vital part of our daily routines. Without it we'd have no means by which to communicate with one another, and confusion would most likely reign or world as we know it. James Baldwin's “If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” exposes just how crucial language is when it comes to expressing ourselves and finding a place amidst the Earth's bountiful cultures. But even more importantly, how life's affairs have assembled and molded language as a whole. When reading the author's brief story, or sort of impatience and indignation is alive, almost overwhelming his words.
Before the 19th century, English was not considered a discipline and the purpose of it is still debated. Throughout the years, new cultural, social, and philosophical trends have influenced the way English is taught and studied. During module 1, different videos were shown, and several readings were assigned that helped me to relate all the material. In this synthesis essay, I will describe what I learned throughout the videos and the readings by making connections among them.
Have you ever wondered what language is or meant to you? Language can mean many things such as where it comes from if you speak more than one language or it can also mean a voice of power. In this essay I'm going to be talking about how this plays a big part in our day to day life. In the article “Homemade Education” excerpt from the Autobiography of Malcolm X talks about who he is and what language meant to him. Also another article is “Martin Luther King Jr. biography” gives his perspective on the power of language and how it helped him become who he was as a leader.
In the article “Our Language”, Oliver Kamm argues that the grammar rules enforced on the people who speak the English are strongly artificial. The author speaks against the worries concerning the growing popularity of language use that does not correspond to the established once standards. He claims that the issue of language purity is not worth discussion since the use of language should be the factor that identifies the rules of its existence rather than calling non-standard dialects improper English or making conclusions about literacy based on the use of standard rules. Oliver Kamm is a British journalist and writer. The author gained education and graduated from New College, Oxford and Birkbeck College, University of London.
Marilyn Chandler McEntyre's book Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies is a thought-provoking and timely work that addresses some of the key issues facing language users in contemporary culture. The book is based on the premise that language is a valuable and powerful tool that should be treated with care and respect. McEntyre argues that the careless use of language can have negative consequences, including the spread of falsehoods and the erosion of trust in public discourse. McEntyre wrote the book in response to what she saw as a growing problem of unethical language use in contemporary culture.
The power of language We all have some form of language limitations, no matter where we come from and what our background is. “Mother tongue” by Amy Tan and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua both share similar themes in their stories that demonstrate how they both deal with how different forms of the same language are portrayed in society. In both stories they speak about what society declares the right way of speech and having to face prejudgment, the two authors share their personal experiences of how they’ve dealt with it.
The comparison proves that the mind needs these “two tools” in order for a person to further their knowledge of a language. The author manages to incorporate figurative language into her writing excellently to convince the reader the value of
Throughout generations cultural traditions have been passed down, alongside these traditions came language. The language of ancestors, which soon began to be molded by the tongue of newer generations, was inherited. Though language is an everlasting changing part of the world, it is a representation of one’s identity, not only in a cultural way but from an environmental standpoint as well. One’s identity is revealed through language from an environmental point of view because the world that one is surrounded with can cause them to have their own definitions of words, an accent, etc. With newer generations, comes newer forms of languages.
Our identity is a place upon many attributes of a human being. Whether the person is someone who goes on promoting themselves to the world or not, and it shows how people communicate to others around them. Language is one of the main components that unveils the person’s identity in their everyday life, and they are many different ways to approach a person’s language. Relating to the article of Yiyun Li, “To Speak is to Blunder,” she knows two languages that has its positive and negative outcomes in her life. I to relate to her understanding of language, but a different view of what language means to me.
In Lera Boroditsky 's "How Does Our Language Shape the Way We Think" the purpose of the essay is apparent from the second paragraph. "Language is a uniquely human gift central to our experience of being human" she explains, so that the reader understands how language affects ones thoughts and day to day lives (2). Boroditsky 's use of empirical evidence, factual information, organizational structure, understanding and construction upon thoughts that disprove her purpose, and light tone all aide in accomplishing her purpose. Each of these methods help convince the audience that, " Language is central to our experience of being human, and the languages we speak profoundly shapes the way we think, the way we see the world, the way we live our lives" (Boroditsky 10).
On the one hand, some argue that language constructs our thoughts. From this perspective, Deborah Tannen, from the language constructs thought community, states that “This is how language works. It invisibly molds our way of thinking about people, actions, and the world around us” (Tannen 14). On the other hand, however, others such as Richard Selzer, might say that language is used to represent our thoughts, but it can fall short. One of his view’s main proponents are, “these extremes of sensation remain beyond the power of language to express” (Selzer 28).