Horner, Bruce. and Lu, Min-Zhan. and Matsuda, Paul Kei. Cross-Language Relations in Composition.Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2010. Project MUSE. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <https://muse.jhu.edu/>.
In this section of the book, "Cross-Language Relations in Composition," Elaine Richardson argues that the promotion of "English Only" in our society. She suggests that "standardized languages ideologies" (Richardson, 97) has parallelism outcomes of colonialism and how it perpetuates eradication and inferiority of other languages. Richardson brings light to African American vernacular which has had to fight for their right since the coined phrases against their language from the time of slavery. She suggests that African Americans have been over time “de-politicized” (Richardson, 98) due colonial legacies and racist acts. Richardson proposes that with Congress’s imposed rule of only English policies in the United States would be a hindrance to its diverse cultural population. Her purpose is to bring awareness of why individuals should not let themselves be marginalized when languages is an important form of communication on our world. Richardson also uses coined terms that has described African American English, one in particular call Ebonics (Richardson, 100). To supplement her argument Richardson brings in outside voices such as DuBois, Woodson, Douglass, and many more to convey her concepts against the “English Only” policy in place. Richardson also brings the view point of Afrodiasporic discourse and how it promotes free style writing. She proposes that this form of writing is a historical practices that should give us knowledge about how languages can be on the same playing field. Words such as ghetto are thrown around a lot and Richardson argues that this is because Black rhetoric is ostracized, has been, and will continue to be unless change occurs. Richardson concludes by elaborating on how the “English Only” policy gives individuals a narrow mindset which undermines other languages and keeps a dominant role. Citation: Horner, Bruce. and Lu, Min-Zhan. and Matsuda, Paul Kei. Cross-Language Relations in Composition.Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2010. Project MUSE. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <https://muse.jhu.edu/>.
4 Comments
Erica Fischer
2/25/2015 12:50:17 pm
I agree with Richardson and yourself when you say that the English only policy dose undermine other languages. While at the same time trying to understand why there is an English only rule I can think of a few reasons. One it is easier to communicate with everyone if they are speaking and writing in the same language. Another reason is for grading purposes. It would be like having a different rubric for all the different languages for grammar and things of that nature. I don't think that languages should be undermined but Im not sure how schools would be albe to include all of them.
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2/25/2015 01:49:48 pm
Richardson stresses the fact that Black English is undermined and as Young demonstrates in her essay it is not hard to understand but a different form of English. I understand how it could be hard to grade or understand other languages, however I argue that there should not be a dominant and inferior view of languages as there are today. In some ways I understand the "English Only" policy and am for it. Nonetheless, I propose that other langues should not be suppressed because they do not fit the standard requirement of that class. For instance with Canagarajah's student at the beginning of his introduction, maybe letting students codemesh in English and their native language would be a way to include other languages in an accepting way.
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2/25/2015 02:28:47 pm
I like the point you are making, I think it is very similar to mine. That rating dialects (and languages) as superior, it also rates certain people as superior. Languages cannot be separated from the people that speak them, so this kind of mindset perpetuates stereotypes. When you talk about English-Only, do you mean in schools? Jobs? Or just in society in general, even at the grocery store? I definitely agree that in jobs and schools there should be some limits on what language is used. One way to incorporate other languages would be to let people define the words they use. Like, in an essay, a person can use a foreign word as long as they define it at the beginning. This kind of codemeshing could help level the playing fields for languages in the United States.
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2/26/2015 02:36:38 am
Richardson gets at that the "English Only" policy perpetuates the notion that English is in fact dominant and other languages such as Black English or Ebonics as she refers to in her essay as a dark mark on the American Society. This is why I argue that there should be a standard language in the work place and in our jobs, but the mindset when we promote these languages should not promote these language stereotypes. Allowing individuals to freely express themselves through their essay as Cangarajah does and as Young does as well is a way to subdue these language differences. Using codmeshing in society in general i.e. grocery store would depend on who they are codemeshing to. For instance a family member is more perceptive to understand what they are saying than a family member.
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