Language
Originally Posted on August 14th, 2007:
I was having this discussion elsewhere, and felt the need to elaborate. You don’t need to go there to find out what was said, because I’ve conveniently rehashed the issue here. The discussion has to do with whether or not English is an important subject at school. My answer: absolutely! The main argument against this is that even someone who fails English as a subject will still know it “well enough to get by” in day-to-day life. They say the English language is adaptable–that words can mean whatever you want them to mean–because when a phrase or word is used often enough, it becomes integrated into the language itself. I agree in the sense that words and expressions are an adaptable part of the English language.
However, I think the rules should be observed.
Language is easily the single most important human construct in existence. The purpose of language is to convey a message or to express an idea. Clever expressions, similes, anecdotes and parables all assist in explaining a meaning, but even with these the rules should be followed so that the meaning of the message remains intact. For when the mechanism by which we communicate is crippled, the message is compromised as well.
Language can be a barrier as much as a facilitator, even when the language is the same. Here’s how I put it in the forums:
Suppose I want to convey that I’m hungry. I would say,”hey, let’s go get something to eat.” You would understand the meaning of that. Likewise, you would understand the meaning of slang (”grab a bite”, for instance) or a humorous adaptation such as,”the track is empty. I need to rebuild the poop train.” You’d also understand a simile such as “I’m going on empty, need to refill.”
You would not, however, understand “Zeegbarper quarter goofenhorfer blung revelation,” even if I was trying to say the same thing. This is why rules for language exist and why it is important to understand and abide by them. If we lose the means by which to communicate, nothing will get done, ideas will not be shared, meanings will be lost or misinterpreted.
If we are simply able to make up the rules as we go, the purpose of language is lost. There needs to be grammatical structure, proper spelling and proper punctuation. The example sentence above has none of these, as all the words can mean whatever we want them to mean, and the sentence structure can be whatever we want it to be.
There are a number of limitations people place upon themselves when they disregard the proper use of English, be it written or spoken. Career choice is the major limitation, but speaking and writing in poor English may not have as large of an effect on this as the common response to it: indignation.
Yes, indignation is the number one response we have to the butchering of our native language. Following that is a perceived inferiority towards the offender and then, sometimes, ridicule. This is common among all cultures, including the German, the French, the Spanish, Italians, Russians, etc., not just our own.
Think of the last time you talked to a non-Americanized Chinese or Indian over the phone or in person, and the frustration and indignation you felt when you couldn’t understand them clearly. Or perhaps you mocked the person to their face or laughed about how they spoke behind their back. That’s what I’m talking about. You’ve been there. Against you, that person didn’t have a chance. It didn’t matter how smart they actually were; you either treated them as being inferior or perceived them as such. Or, on the opposite end of things, perhaps you treated them with too much care because you thought they wouldn’t be able to understand you at all.
Why?
Because of the way they spoke. Because of language. It is a prejudice we all have and there is no escaping from it. For instance:
why people dont find a darn job instead of holding up people,attacing people on the street,stellin at food stores,,get a job lazy azz people in peoria.the cop should of shot him,,one less lazy person in peoria
That was written by someone known only as “why this don’t suprise me” in response to this article on pjstar.com. I don’t know about the rest of you, but judging by what this person wrote, their grammar, punctuation and spelling, I’d say they’re a god damn idiot, wouldn’t you? Is it true? Who knows, doesn’t matter, look at the way they write!
This is why you get spelling/grammar trolls on forums and websites who would rather decry the poor spelling and shitty grammar of someone than listen to what they have to say or engage them based on the merits of their argument. The trolls aren’t any smarter. They simply know that if the person is perceived as stupid it won’t matter what they say. Honestly, how often do we genuinely listen to people we think are stupid? (Hint: the answer is “never”)
That’s my case for it.