Saturday, September 10, 2011
Communication
The way that I view the relationship between reality and language is that, the way we view our reality often determines how we use our language. Good example are the wanna be gangsters in today's world. They view themselves as "bad ass" so they talk they way they view as bad asses. You also have the people who are very lazy in everything they do and they view the world in a quote, "why should I have to put so much effort into it." That's where you get these lazy slurs like "ain't." One more good example is with many countries that have been invaded for centuries. Iraq is a good example, an Arab nation that has been invaded many times over hundreds of years when they speak their native language, it sounds angry. They may not be angry but it often sounds that. I feel I can say this from first hand listening to the people in Iraq speak to each other or call out to each other. The history or traits of the society affect their reality and in the end determines how they use their language.
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As I fully agree that people who want to sound bad ass will use language that makes them feel like they sound that way, I also think that the textbook brings a new perspective to light. Or I guess it's really not new at all: ebonics is a dialect in itself. Are they using the word "ain't" all because they think they sound more badass using it, or do they say it because their family and their ancestors have all said "ain't" without questioning it, and it is human nature and human instinct to mimic behavior through vicarious learning (li'l psychology refresh for anyone who has taken psy150 :]).
ReplyDeleteI do think, however, that a language can tend to sound mean when we relate the culture that uses the language to violence and evil... and also that the people within a culture can become mean and evil if that is the way they learn to speak (and think).
- I forgot to add this, but my grandfather lived in Japan because of the military, and while there he picked up some Japanese. He told me that in their language, the way you put emphasis on your syllables changes a word, even if it sounds almost the same. The word for "Thank you," which I can't recall exactly what it was in Japanese, can be a dirty word if pronounced with emphasis on the wrong syllable. When English-speaking people hear Japanese people talking to eachother, it can sound like yelling, fussing, or rude talk, when really they could be sounding excited or giddy. Your Iraq example made me remember this haha so you're exactly right.
ReplyDeleteI don't realty agree when you said that
ReplyDeleteThat people who are lAzy use the word ain't. I use that word when I'm around certain people or when I start talking fast. I wouldnt call myself lazy because of my word choice. THats like saying ALL people who use Ebonics are stupid. I do however agree when you say that when people who speak Arabic sound angry. I'm near a lot of Russian speaking people and whenever they are calling out their names or just talking they seem to sound like they are telling at each other
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