The Pros And Cons Of Standard English
“No Abuse of Fire Hose,” says a sign in the local carpark of my real estate.
Is the meaning of the sign clear? Yes it is. But, is it written in, “Standard English?” I doubt it. In Hong Kong this sign is viewed as something quotidian and straightforward, the use of Simple English gets the message across readers who graduated from different levels of education. However, imagine putting this sign 12,719 kilometers across the world in the United States, it will no longer be one of those ordinary signs that people look at and walk pass. Instead, it will be considered as one of those, “language errors” that gets on the headlines of The New York Times, being criticized and ridiculed.
During the years, 1841 to 1997, Hong Kong was a colony of the British Empire. As a result, the official language of the British Empire 一 English, has been introduced to our Cantonese-speaking society. Since the
…show more content…
Even now, in 2017, twenty years after, “the Handover” we are still told to speak like them in order to be, “high class.” Our local English dialect was never treasured and still is not. Due to the lack of Standard English usage in our dialect, our dialect is labeled as a “sad state.” “ Often, we are told to improve our English standards and speak more like a westerner. Yet, if every one of us learns to speak like them, will Hong Kong English still be Hong Kong English? Our speech will no longer reflect upon the colonial history of our city nor will it reflect upon our Cantonese-speaking
Racial Fault Lines Analysis
1871 Words | 8 PagesChapter six examines the anti-Chinese sentiment with the emerging class antagonism and turmoil between white capitalists and workers. The unwelcomed arrival of Chinese immigrants brought along their own social organizations such as the huiguan, fongs, and tongs. These types of social organizations secured areas of employment and housing for Chinese immigrants in California. This social structure that was unknown to Anglos led them to also categorize Chinese on the same level as Indians by depicting them as lustful heathens whom were out to taint innocent white women. These images were also perpetuated onto Chinese women, thus, also sexualizing them as all prostitutes.
Kellie Schmitt's The Old Man Isn T There Anymore
499 Words | 2 PagesTravel Writer Kellie Schmitt wrote the essay The Old Man Isn’t There Anymore when she lived in China for two years. She writes about the death of a neighbor and a case of mistaken identity. It begins with the news that a family in her communal apartment building has experienced a loss in their family. Her confusion with the layout of the building, the identity of her neighbors and their connection with each other, and her halting progress with the Chinese language sets the stage for her confused progress through this strange social world.
Sonja L Lanehart Let The Copula Be Analysis
1426 Words | 6 PagesWhat she previously thought was “bad” English is merely a language variation, each variation with its own history and culture. Lanehart now believes these variations need to be celebrated and that they don't always need to be corrected. The more Lanehart learned, the more she believed that English can vary as long as we can all understand each other. Lanehart decides she doesn’t want to correct people anymore.
Nancy Rourke's Deaf Culture: Unity Of Global Signing
647 Words | 3 PagesNancy Rourke, the painter of Deaf Culture: Unity of Global Signing, was born deaf and grew up in a world of oralism (Northen, Spindel). Oralism is when someone teaches a deaf person how to read lips and talk instead of teaching them to sign (Oralism). Rourke’s parents did not know she was deaf until she was about six years old but quit in 1986 to become a graphic designer. Twenty years later she was laid off and decided to begin painting again and took a couple of workshops to help prepare for the transition in her life. Her life transition did not begin until 2010 when she became involved in
Sign Language In Lynn's Deaf Like Me
684 Words | 3 PagesThe story of Lynn Spradley’s journey is for every parent who believes that their child isn’t normal. I learned a great deal about what it truly means to be deaf from this book. Reading this story brought out much emotion as the story progressed. Lynn’s parents Tom and Louise reaction of every parent’s worst thought when having a child. Everyone believes that there child is going to be healthy and fully functioning ready to be a part of the world.
Angel Island Poem
1176 Words | 5 PagesThese poems discussed factors leading to immigration, such as poverty, arranged marriages through the “picture bride” system, and ambition. They communicated to historians the complex and differing stories of immigrants bravely facing a new world of American Sinophobia and Yellow Peril, allowing a more complex analysis of Asian-American history. These poems, alone, have shaped much of our modern understanding of early Asian
What Is The Main Idea Of Amy Tan Mother Tongue
984 Words | 4 PagesSome information about the author: She was born in China and studied in a local Chinese school for a few years before switching to an International school. It provided her the chance to experience first hand the real meaning behind "broken English", and understand how non-standard varieties of English have their own rules and shape a community 's sense of identity. In this article, she shares her views on Amy Tan 's "Mother Tongue" and talks about the power of language. I was reading Amy Tan 's "Mother Tongue" when I came across the idea of language being "fractured and broken". She gave examples of how her mother’s limited English caused her to be given poor service at department stores, banks and restaurants.
Essay About Clothing Over Time
891 Words | 4 PagesFirstly, during the years around the time of the American
African American Vernacular English Essay
479 Words | 2 PagesLanguage, though primarily used as a means of communication, can be used to form community-like bonds with additions to and evolutions of different regional, cultural, racial, etc., vernaculars. What is one community’s “how are you?” is another’s “what’s good?” or “‘sup?” Those terms are understood and accepted almost unilaterally in their respective communities, but beyond those borders, they may or may not be. The push to broaden mandating “proper English pronunciation” is a direct attack on those communities that do not fall in the narrow definition of those whose community is deemed “correct” by mainstream society. When this is enforced, its roots are usually found in racism/white supremacy.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Mother Tongue
458 Words | 2 PagesThroughout the article, Tan uses a number of personal examples to show and support her point. These examples span from phone conversations and hospital visits to standardized tests. By using examples that cover a wide variety of topics, Tan is able to demonstrate the large effect that her mother’s style of english had and how it was woven into her whole life and not just a part of it. Particularly in the hospital example, Tan also brings in the stereotyping of people who speak “broken” english as not being very smart. In bringing this issue that is at the very root of our society, she darkens the tone to melancholy.
Always Living In Spanish By Marjorie Agosin Analysis
1095 Words | 5 PagesAlthough he draws out a story where a Chinese boy turns against his own language and culture for the sake of fitting in, the moral of the comic is that the past will always be a part of you no matter what. The two texts give the readers examples of what makes the past, so rich and how our roots are truly forever bound to us. The authors, both hope to have their audience realize that wanting to fit into one’s generation is fine, but knowing one’s roots and accepting them as your own as you are doing so, is even
Essay On Chinese Culture
1243 Words | 5 PagesThe traditional Chinese cultures have a development process for thousand years, now we are creating another kind of traditional culture especially under the wave of globalization. Although the form of expressing or performing the culture experienced some changes but the basic idea and belief behind rarely changed. To promote Chinese culture we would refer to the essence of Chinese wisdom so the following is actual practicing of different dimensions of Chinese traditions which show the beauty of China. The family concept is the essence of Chinese culture.
Importance Of Standardization Of English Language
1762 Words | 8 PagesFinally, for mainly historical reasons, certain English dialects or varieties have been viewed more positively than others. Thus, Standard English, because of its association with being the national English language, has been perceived as the most prestigious of English varieties. However, the fact that some dialects and accents are seen to be more prestigious than others is more a reflection of judgements based on social, rather than linguistic, criteria. As society changes, so too do attitudes towards dialect, accent and variational use of English generally.
Advantages Of English As A Global Language
1262 Words | 6 PagesEnglish as a global language We can’t deny that English has become an international language for communication between all mankind , it is the common language between most of the countries , English is a global language which is spoken as a native language and a second language in most of the countries , and we noticed that people who use English as a second language are way more than people who speak it as a native language , it is taught in every country in this world , it is using as a medium language of understanding between the teacher and the learner , you can see it in banks , supermarkets , in road signs and in international web pages, it is the language that you see and hear every day, so speaking English become a must , also we can’t ignore the fact that English is the language of global communication at medical , tourism , trade and other elements of language use , So English is so important in our various lives aspects. So in this essay I am going to discuss the reasons of how English become a global language and is it a good or bad thing? and what is the advantages and did advantages of spreading of English? There is a lot of reasons that helped to make English a global language and one of the most important reasons is policy , the west colonization for the countries had helped English to spread and distribute by imposing the language and the west culture on the colony countries , so we can say it is all because of the strength that the west had on the world
More about The Pros And Cons Of Standard English
Racial Fault Lines Analysis
1871 Words | 8 PagesKellie Schmitt's The Old Man Isn T There Anymore
499 Words | 2 PagesSonja L Lanehart Let The Copula Be Analysis
1426 Words | 6 PagesNancy Rourke's Deaf Culture: Unity Of Global Signing
647 Words | 3 PagesSign Language In Lynn's Deaf Like Me
684 Words | 3 PagesAngel Island Poem
1176 Words | 5 PagesDivine Hiddenness
1297 Words | 6 PagesWhat Is The Main Idea Of Amy Tan Mother Tongue
984 Words | 4 PagesEssay About Clothing Over Time
891 Words | 4 PagesAfrican American Vernacular English Essay
479 Words | 2 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of Mother Tongue
458 Words | 2 PagesAlways Living In Spanish By Marjorie Agosin Analysis
1095 Words | 5 PagesEssay On Chinese Culture
1243 Words | 5 PagesImportance Of Standardization Of English Language
1762 Words | 8 PagesAdvantages Of English As A Global Language
1262 Words | 6 Pages