In my humble opinion I don't believe that a prescriptivist is always prejudice . I think it doesn't matter whether you are a prescriptivist or a descriptivist you can still be prejudice in regards to language. So what I'm trying to say is that no matter which category you fall may fall in, we all have preconceived feelings towards the other. Even descriptivist with their vernacular dialects have words and thoughts that try to demean the prescriptivist.
I describe my self as a mid-prescriptivist and also a little prejudice but not towards all people who use slangs because even I use Ebonics but to the extent of trying to change my self. I'm mainly prejudice against people who use a slang that doesn't belong to their culture in constant effect. Such as a white kid using Ebonics. So in a way we are all a little prejudice and at times I think it is understandable to be prejudice.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Language Discrimination
I believe people use language as a form of discrimination on a regular basis. Whether you consider yourself a prescriptivist or a descriptivist, you probably have, at some time, judged people based upon the way they use language. Prescriptivists may judge people because of the way they misuse "standard" language, while descriptivists' judgments may lie in the way others do not progress with language changes. Either way, we experience evaluation from others regarding the way we use language.
Language variations can be a great way to express one's identity. Teenagers often use slang to identify themselves as individuals, different from the older generations. However, language discrimination is often used in a much more harmful way. For example, after African-Americans were given the right to vote many states/districts used tests for voters containing language which most African-Americans were not able to understand. Therefore, they couldn't pass the tests, and were not allowed to vote. This form of language discrimination was not beneficial to America, and is an embarrassement to our country's history.
In conclusion, we all use language to discriminate, at least apolitically. However, political language discrimination can be very detrimental to our society.
Language variations can be a great way to express one's identity. Teenagers often use slang to identify themselves as individuals, different from the older generations. However, language discrimination is often used in a much more harmful way. For example, after African-Americans were given the right to vote many states/districts used tests for voters containing language which most African-Americans were not able to understand. Therefore, they couldn't pass the tests, and were not allowed to vote. This form of language discrimination was not beneficial to America, and is an embarrassement to our country's history.
In conclusion, we all use language to discriminate, at least apolitically. However, political language discrimination can be very detrimental to our society.
Reading Homework!!!
Hi Everyone,
In the rush to get out today, I forgot to mention that you have some reading homework for Tuesday too. It's on the schedule. It's "What is Discourse?" and is in the packet.
Thanks for a good discussion today,
Tiffany
In the rush to get out today, I forgot to mention that you have some reading homework for Tuesday too. It's on the schedule. It's "What is Discourse?" and is in the packet.
Thanks for a good discussion today,
Tiffany
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Post 2--Correctness and Prejudice
Hi Everyone,
This will be the first blog "assignment" for the semester. To complete the assignment, you need to respond to this message (preferably in a new post) by Sunday at midnight. Then, by the time class starts on Tuesday, you need to respond to two other students' posts. Here goes...
This week, we've been talking about the innovations of different dialects/varieties of language and how such language change intersects with considerations of correctness in language. We've looked at gatekeeping institutions/individuals and how language use can be a marker of a speech community's (or individual's) morality or worth in society. We've also examined the distinction between prescriptivism and descriptivism in regards to language and power.
In our readings, I included a chapter from Jabari Asim's The N Word, to provide an example of how language is used to express prejudice (albeit in a more complicated manner than we may have considered before). I did this because I think it is more familiar to conceive of prejudice and language in this realm: using langauge to mark, identify, or harm a devalued group of people.
But, do prescriptivism and gatekeeping institutions/individuals reveal prejudice in their efforts to assert that a variety/dialect is the 'correct' language? Leslie Milroy, in "Myth 12--Bad Grammar is Slovenly" says, "In such a way is social class prejudice disguised as neutral intellectual commentary, and for this reason one linguist has described linguistic prescriptivism as the last open door to discrimination."
The majority of the class, on Tuesday, identified themselves as 'Somewhat Prescriptivist.' Does this mean that we are somewhat prejudiced as well? If so, is that something that should be addressed, or is it an acceptable form of prejudice?
The issue of Language Regulating Bodies came up on Tuesday, with Academies of French and Spanish and the Hebrew Language Academy. You can find on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_regulators a list of the language regulating bodies for dozens of languages. Some are to promote languages that lack power in their geographic locations, others are to maintain languages that have power. Both types of bodies are prescriptivist in nature; are they prejudicial bodies as well?
We will return to this issue much later in the semester, when we discuss Official English incentives. For now, consider the concepts that we have raised here, or this week in class, for your post.
Thanks,
Tiffany
P.S. Please remember, when you write your post, to insert the Label for it (the bottom of the post screen). If you select "Show All" you'll find "Post 2-Correctness and Prejudice).
This will be the first blog "assignment" for the semester. To complete the assignment, you need to respond to this message (preferably in a new post) by Sunday at midnight. Then, by the time class starts on Tuesday, you need to respond to two other students' posts. Here goes...
This week, we've been talking about the innovations of different dialects/varieties of language and how such language change intersects with considerations of correctness in language. We've looked at gatekeeping institutions/individuals and how language use can be a marker of a speech community's (or individual's) morality or worth in society. We've also examined the distinction between prescriptivism and descriptivism in regards to language and power.
In our readings, I included a chapter from Jabari Asim's The N Word, to provide an example of how language is used to express prejudice (albeit in a more complicated manner than we may have considered before). I did this because I think it is more familiar to conceive of prejudice and language in this realm: using langauge to mark, identify, or harm a devalued group of people.
But, do prescriptivism and gatekeeping institutions/individuals reveal prejudice in their efforts to assert that a variety/dialect is the 'correct' language? Leslie Milroy, in "Myth 12--Bad Grammar is Slovenly" says, "In such a way is social class prejudice disguised as neutral intellectual commentary, and for this reason one linguist has described linguistic prescriptivism as the last open door to discrimination."
The majority of the class, on Tuesday, identified themselves as 'Somewhat Prescriptivist.' Does this mean that we are somewhat prejudiced as well? If so, is that something that should be addressed, or is it an acceptable form of prejudice?
The issue of Language Regulating Bodies came up on Tuesday, with Academies of French and Spanish and the Hebrew Language Academy. You can find on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_language_regulators a list of the language regulating bodies for dozens of languages. Some are to promote languages that lack power in their geographic locations, others are to maintain languages that have power. Both types of bodies are prescriptivist in nature; are they prejudicial bodies as well?
We will return to this issue much later in the semester, when we discuss Official English incentives. For now, consider the concepts that we have raised here, or this week in class, for your post.
Thanks,
Tiffany
P.S. Please remember, when you write your post, to insert the Label for it (the bottom of the post screen). If you select "Show All" you'll find "Post 2-Correctness and Prejudice).
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
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