Lippi-Green's English With An Argument

“English with an Accent” by Rosina Lippi-Green is an informational text that includes the chapter Language Subordination which focuses on different aspects of the languages we speak, and the many versions of those, on a cultural and geographic level. In this chapter Lippi-Green talks about things like language discrimination, location playing a part in the way we talk or the way we carry out conversations, and even communicative burdens.

Lippi-Green makes a point to share that even after the Civil Rights Legislation was passed, discrimination continues to be a day to day experience in everyone’s life. Green claims “all the evidence indicates that there is still blatant discrimination in employment, housing, education, the media, the courts

“Speakers choose among sociolinguistic variants available; their choices group together in ways which are obvious and interpretable to other speakers in the community”(68), Green says in context to the fact that inside speech communities, specific languages seem normal but once you leave that area, it may be hard to communicate as effectively with others. The way that people communicate is the way they are able to relate to their neighbors, when you take that away from them you take away their allegiance and their sense of loyalty to their community (68). Even if two people who speak different versions of English, they are both speaking English and will be able to understand each other, but communication is always easier and more effective when conversing with someone who has a similar linguistic style, or with someone from a related culture. Even when all parties are willing to work hard and share the burden of communication, sometimes accents can be too much of a barrier and prevent full