Just a side note, not really having to do with language, but definitely a lot to do with diversity and sub-cultures. First, I want to make it clear that I do not support polygamy in any way (my wife would have me killed) however, I do find there is a disparity in the subject.
With all the news swirling around the FLDS in Texas there has been a lot of attention on all polygamist compounds. I agree that if there is child abuse occurring then something should be done, but if there isn't shouldn't we just leave them alone? So many people that I have heard discussing the subject think that polygamy is so disgusting and everyone participating should be arrested, after all it is against the law right? I find the prejudice against these people somewhat unfair, considering that it can be argued that polygamy is just another lifestyle choice, just like homosexuality and co-habitation. Many people think that same sex marriage is only fair since they should be allowed the same rights as heterosexuals. Couldn't it be argued that polygamists should be allowed the same privileges? Why isn't there anybody arguing for the legalization of polygamist marriages? Why is is labeled close minded, prejudice, and homo-phobic, to disagree with homosexuality, but it is the norm to discriminate against polygamists? I just think that it's something to think about.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Extra Blog
Just a short blog about technology and language! I was listening to a tape-recorded conversation that I created while working on my ethnography. A while ago I recorded a group having a conversation over lunch, and was on the recording a few times myself. What hit me while I listened to it was how different I come across from how I think I come across! Hearing my recorded voice, my tone is so much different than I imagine I sound when I'm talking. I sounded so much younger and more soft-spoken than I thought. It cracked me up hearing myself say "oh my gosh" and "ooooh!" and some of the other little phrases I say all the time. It was kind of cool to be more aware of what others hear when I talk!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Extra Thoughts
As I work on my ethnography project I find that not only am I busy and a little stressed/pressed for time, I find that I am actually learning more than I thought I would. I entered this endevor with a lot of pre-concieved notions and I am actually happy to realize that I am wrong in many aspects.
I chose to immerse myself in the homeless culture and had the idea that since many of them are uneducated, their language skills would be very poor. As I spent more and more time with different groups I realized that I was jumping to conclusions both that they were all uneducated and that their language skills would reflect that.
This led me to what I believe is the ultimate lesson to be learned from the project. Which is: Language has the power to teach regaurdless of what language it is or what subculture it comes from. I think that all to often we disregaurd languages and words or styles that we don't understand, instead of taking the time to learn from it. I certainly learned a lot from the languages that I studied and there is, I'm sure, infinite numbers of language groups still to be studied.
I chose to immerse myself in the homeless culture and had the idea that since many of them are uneducated, their language skills would be very poor. As I spent more and more time with different groups I realized that I was jumping to conclusions both that they were all uneducated and that their language skills would reflect that.
This led me to what I believe is the ultimate lesson to be learned from the project. Which is: Language has the power to teach regaurdless of what language it is or what subculture it comes from. I think that all to often we disregaurd languages and words or styles that we don't understand, instead of taking the time to learn from it. I certainly learned a lot from the languages that I studied and there is, I'm sure, infinite numbers of language groups still to be studied.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
its not language that matters so much as communication...
Ok blog #10, here we go!
I agree with Betty Bimer’s point of view: Spanish does not threaten American English. Look at this statement:
“English is in no danger of disappearing any time soon; it is firmly established both in America and in countries throughout the world. In fact, no language has ever held as strong a position in the world as English does today. Some people worry when they see Spanish showing up on billboards and pay phones, but in a neighborhood with a high Spanish- speaking population, it makes perfectly good sense for public information and instructions to be printed in both English and Spanish. This doesn't mean that the English language is in danger.”
In John Miller’s piece, English is Broken Here, the issue I think he should be addressing is not about whether or not we should allow ballots to be printed in other languages, or whether or not ‘English is broken here.’ His only arguments that held any validity for me were about all the money being wasted on printing ballots in other languages. I personally think that printing translated ballots is the right thing to do. No matter how much the cost our government is securing the rights of its people by giving them voting materials in the language they can understand. The real issue (once you get rid of fear, prejudice, and stupid anger that Miller wastes most of his essay on) is money. At the end of his article he does finally bring forth a solution I could stand listening to: he said: “ maybe we should expand the use of ethnic newspapers in preparing for voting season, or maybe we should let them take an English-speaking friend into the voting booth with them (like with blind voters). I would suggest that maybe one solution would be to make the English on the ballot easier to understand. Even I have a hard time understanding the language on the ballot and I was born here!! I believe that this move would make it easier even for those with broken English.
That website was wacky!! I wasn’t sure if it was joking some of the time. I mean, German almost won becoming the official language of the U.S.??—to me that seemed to say ‘look no need to worry about what the ‘official’ language is , even house of representatives knows that no matter what they say English will still be the one used all over the united states, it won’t change what choices people make.” I guess I just didn’t get it. They were trying to scare people, about how ‘English is threatened’ ooooh! The site also bothered me because I assumed that readers were already, or would soon be on their side of this ‘debate’ (I’m with Ali Mae, this is a debate?? Who cares? Is it a debate?) But on the other hand, it does make itself look very respectable and says over and over that the only effect there would be would be in government dealings. If it’s really not such a big deal then why the website, why the ‘debate’ at all? Why are they arguing? I don’t get it.
Dennis Baron’s article and the comic in the book were the best comic relief, for me! I loved them. This whole issue is just ridiculous, so, Baron went and wrote a ridiculous paper about it. I particularly liked his use of logic: “Chinese is too hard to write” and “In the end, though, it doesn’t matter what replacement language we pick, just so long as we ban English instead of making it official. Prohibiting English will do for the language what Prohibition did for liquor. Those who already use it will continue to do so, and those who don’t will want to try out what has been forbidden. This negative psychology works with children. It works with speed limits. It even worked in the Garden of Eden.”
I guess my main conclusion is who cares? So what if the language changes? As long as we can communicate, does it really matter? I figure that as problems crop up that truly impede communication, we’ll fix it. We’ll find a way through our problems. I would hope that, with language change and transformation we, as a society—as a people, will retain the language we have had, keeping respect for the past but always looking forward to the future.
I agree with Betty Bimer’s point of view: Spanish does not threaten American English. Look at this statement:
“English is in no danger of disappearing any time soon; it is firmly established both in America and in countries throughout the world. In fact, no language has ever held as strong a position in the world as English does today. Some people worry when they see Spanish showing up on billboards and pay phones, but in a neighborhood with a high Spanish- speaking population, it makes perfectly good sense for public information and instructions to be printed in both English and Spanish. This doesn't mean that the English language is in danger.”
In John Miller’s piece, English is Broken Here, the issue I think he should be addressing is not about whether or not we should allow ballots to be printed in other languages, or whether or not ‘English is broken here.’ His only arguments that held any validity for me were about all the money being wasted on printing ballots in other languages. I personally think that printing translated ballots is the right thing to do. No matter how much the cost our government is securing the rights of its people by giving them voting materials in the language they can understand. The real issue (once you get rid of fear, prejudice, and stupid anger that Miller wastes most of his essay on) is money. At the end of his article he does finally bring forth a solution I could stand listening to: he said: “ maybe we should expand the use of ethnic newspapers in preparing for voting season, or maybe we should let them take an English-speaking friend into the voting booth with them (like with blind voters). I would suggest that maybe one solution would be to make the English on the ballot easier to understand. Even I have a hard time understanding the language on the ballot and I was born here!! I believe that this move would make it easier even for those with broken English.
That website was wacky!! I wasn’t sure if it was joking some of the time. I mean, German almost won becoming the official language of the U.S.??—to me that seemed to say ‘look no need to worry about what the ‘official’ language is , even house of representatives knows that no matter what they say English will still be the one used all over the united states, it won’t change what choices people make.” I guess I just didn’t get it. They were trying to scare people, about how ‘English is threatened’ ooooh! The site also bothered me because I assumed that readers were already, or would soon be on their side of this ‘debate’ (I’m with Ali Mae, this is a debate?? Who cares? Is it a debate?) But on the other hand, it does make itself look very respectable and says over and over that the only effect there would be would be in government dealings. If it’s really not such a big deal then why the website, why the ‘debate’ at all? Why are they arguing? I don’t get it.
Dennis Baron’s article and the comic in the book were the best comic relief, for me! I loved them. This whole issue is just ridiculous, so, Baron went and wrote a ridiculous paper about it. I particularly liked his use of logic: “Chinese is too hard to write” and “In the end, though, it doesn’t matter what replacement language we pick, just so long as we ban English instead of making it official. Prohibiting English will do for the language what Prohibition did for liquor. Those who already use it will continue to do so, and those who don’t will want to try out what has been forbidden. This negative psychology works with children. It works with speed limits. It even worked in the Garden of Eden.”
I guess my main conclusion is who cares? So what if the language changes? As long as we can communicate, does it really matter? I figure that as problems crop up that truly impede communication, we’ll fix it. We’ll find a way through our problems. I would hope that, with language change and transformation we, as a society—as a people, will retain the language we have had, keeping respect for the past but always looking forward to the future.
Monday, April 14, 2008
English in America
I found the articles interesting for this blog. What I believe is that you cannot make English the official language because there are just so many people that speak different languages. We as a country, are very diverse in our language.
The article that we read called, "Do you speak American?" brings up a very good point on the matter. It brings back thoughts to where I work at and how many people come through my line to pay for their things and how many of them are not able to speak english. It seems to me more than half of the people that come through are of other origin. Alot of them don't understand english and have either a child or someone else translate. This brings up the example of children who live in a home that are bilingual and their parents or caretakers speak a totally different language. I believe that we should leave the laws on language the way that they are and focus on different things that are much more important to the counrty's well being. I would love to learn spanish myself to improve the ways that I communicate.
The article that we read called, "Do you speak American?" brings up a very good point on the matter. It brings back thoughts to where I work at and how many people come through my line to pay for their things and how many of them are not able to speak english. It seems to me more than half of the people that come through are of other origin. Alot of them don't understand english and have either a child or someone else translate. This brings up the example of children who live in a home that are bilingual and their parents or caretakers speak a totally different language. I believe that we should leave the laws on language the way that they are and focus on different things that are much more important to the counrty's well being. I would love to learn spanish myself to improve the ways that I communicate.
U.S. English
I believe that if your going to live in the United States you need to learn to speak the dominant language. I only speak english and I think it is a good idea to learn a second language but if I go out of the country I don't expect people to accomadate me. Its very frustrating when I go out to eat and I can't understand what the guy at the fast food window is saying to me. I know that english or any language is hard to learn especially if you learn it later in your life but if someone is going to live in a place where english is spoken they need to try very hard to learn that language.
U.S. English
Logically, being that English is the dominant language in the U.S., it should most definitely be the official language of this country. English has been the dominant language for centuries in this country. Don't get me wrong, because I love the fact that the U.S. is such a culturally diverse country and is so welcoming to people of other countries. However, if someone wants to come over and live in this great country, then they should try their very hardest to learn the language that is spoken here. I understand that learning to speak English as a second language is very difficult. I lived in Central America for 2 years and had to learn Spanish. That was quite difficult for me, and I recognize that English is a much more complex language to learn than Spanish. In my mind I thought, I'm going to be living in a country where the dominant language is Spanish, therefore I need to learn to speak Spanish as quickly and as well as I can. That should be the mentality of those that come to the U.S.from other countries!
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