Untitled Essay, Research Paper
Slang in America
For 100s of old ages, English has been continuously altering. Wordss that were
unacceptable 300 old ages ago are now commonplace. English has ever had a hallmark of
being a comfy linguistic communication, the linguistic communication of the common people ( MacNeil 143 ) . Change in
the grammar and enunciation of a linguistic communication is natural, and English is ever confronted with
alterations. Among them are the usage of slang, clipped word terminations, and new idioms. Some
Conservatives do non like alterations because they claim that standard English is a perfect
linguistic communication ; they do non desire to pervert it. Others merely do non like alteration. Neither group
of Conservatives has any new statements, and nil to fear from alteration.
Slang worries Conservatives the most because it affects the vocabulary of English.
American English, particularly, is ever adding new words to its vocabulary for societal,
scientific, or artistic grounds. The scientific and artistic words do non trouble oneself these
people ; merely the societal, or slang, words do. Slang is normally created by kids or teens
who seek societal position ( Morrow 137 ) . Because childs are the beginning of new slang, some grownups
look down on it with the premise that childs are stupid and merely arising
against established English grammar and enunciation. However, most of the grownups did the same
thing when they were kids. Adults have been glowering on slang for coevalss ( Crystal
104 ) .
Conservatives besides look down upon slang because slang is non used by people of high
position. If they hear person speech production in Jive, they will be angry because Jive is non the
manner that high category people speak. Peoples who do non like slang are normally prejudiced as
good. They do non desire to hear other ways of speaking because it deviates from the manner they
talk. Besides, much slang comes from other linguistic communications, of which Conservatives might besides be
prejudiced. The idiom that a individual uses may do him comfy, but this is non
considered. If a linguistic communication is non comfy, why would you desire to talk it?
Language has ever changed to suit the paradigms of society ( Crystal 105 ) . For illustration, in
Shakespeare & # 8217 ; s clip, many contractions used today were considered hapless English. Rarely
could a individual of high societal position be found utilizing “ wear & # 8217 ; T ” in a sentence.
Today, nevertheless, people may utilize contractions without fright of being scorned by society. This
merely illustrates The same types of people who opposed contractions in the yesteryear are
opposing slang and new idioms of English. They do non recognize that the manner they speak
differs from the manner that their predecessors spoke. Peoples opposed to linguistic communication alteration merely
support their idiom, which will decease out anyhow, and turn out their intolerance of alteration.
will be used, the largest one being the Internet. Today, many people are utilizing the
Internet to “ speak ” to people all over the universe. The Internet has its ain
linguistic communication, which Conservatives position as computing machine slang. No affair what enunciation or idiom
you speak, you still have to type out an Internet message in standard Internet. There are
words used specifically for the Internet, normally acronyms that are universally
understood, that will likely look in lexicons in the hereafter. Conservatives have no
ground to trouble oneself with whether a individual & # 8217 ; s dialect or diction will be understood in spoken
linguistic communication, because most communicating will be typed, non spoken, in a impersonal Internet
linguistic communication.
Conservatives claim that the deficiency of standard English is due to an instruction lack.
They explain that the ground some slang is created by childs in inner-city countries is that the
childs bead out of school, because the childs are stupid, and hence ne’er larn criterion
English. In world, the childs bead out of school because they are told that the manner they
speak is stupid ( Seymour 123 ) . The Conservatives are non willing to assist the childs with
“ bad ” idioms. Possibly this is because of a bias, kind of “ one time
slang, ever slang ” outlook. The Conservatives should utilize the childs & # 8217 ; idioms to
assist the childs learn standard English.
Conservatives have one ground to oppose linguistic communication patterned advance: fright. Conservatives have a
fright that the linguistic communication they speak will non be the primary 1. For this ground, they will
set down other idioms merely because these idioms are non standard English. Standard
English is merely another idiom, nevertheless, and believing one idiom greater than another is
mere dogmatism. If Conservatives had their manner, people would ne’er be able to show
themselves in new ways because there would ne’er be any new words. There would be
academies for English, academies that travel against every rule of freedom to which
talkers of English are heir.Works Cited
Crystal, David. “ The Prescriptive Tradition. ” Language Awareness. 4th Ed. Eds.
Paul Eschholt, Alfred Rosa, Virginia Clark. New York: St. Martin & # 8217 ; s, 1986. 101-107.MacNeil, Robert. “ English Belongs to Everybody. ” Language Awareness. 4th Ed.
Eds. Paul Eschholt, Alfred Rosa, Virginia Clark. New York: St. Martin & # 8217 ; s, 1986. 140-144.Morrow, Lance. “ If Slang is Not a Sin. ” Language Awareness. 4th Ed. Eds. Paul
Eschholt, Alfred Rosa, Virginia Clark. New York: St. Martin & # 8217 ; s, 1986. 135-139.Seymour, Dorothy Z. “ Black Children, Black Speech ” Language Awareness. 4th Ed.
Eds. Paul Eschholt, Alfred Rosa, Virginia Clark. New York: St. Martin & # 8217 ; s, 1986. 122-129.
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