Free Essay

The Fear of Broken English

In: Social Issues

Submitted By mikeisgoodforyou
Words 1079
Pages 5
A man walks into a gas station to ask for driving directions. It's clear to the attendant that the man is having trouble articulating his words as he speaks a foreign accent. The attendant listens impatiently and starts to look away, less than a minute later the attendant answers the man in a slow and booming voice; laughing between some words here and there and mockingly impersonating the man's pronunciation and timbre. The man, looking surprised, says thank you and leaves the store. The scene described here illustrates one of many personal observations I've made throughout my life about the influence of language on perception. Misunderstanding and ignorance about cultural differences give rise to a malignant social disease, that those who speak a foreign language e.g. "broken English" are considered to be inferior.

It's a well known fact that we feel most comfortable around those who are similar to us, and the way we speak alters the perceptions of those around. It's not just the quality of our speech, but also what we speak. For example,someone who speaks British English with perfect clarity is deemed by many to be more intelligent than the average person, while someone who speaks imperfect Nigerian English is automatically assumed to be ignorant. Both are speaking English, both are able to communicate with each other and the rest of us, so why is it that one is associated with intellectual prowess and the other intellectual fallacy? Part of the answer lies in our social conditioning. Were constantlybombarded with images from the media that often reinforce negative stereotypes in portraying those who don't speak English well.

Media groups often utilize these tried and true techniques to tell an entertaining story in an efficient manner. Such tactics cut out the complexities in life and offer the audience with a condensed reality that tells an intricate story in a short amount of time. Archetypes and stereotypes offer a convenient shortcut to tell a story often with persuasive results. As an example, a well known pizza chain offered a television commercial several years ago that depicted two pizza parlors taking orders. In one parlor was an unshaven man who spoke broken English in a Eastern European accent. The man was rude to his customers, the parlor was filthy, and the pizzas' were carelessly made. In the other parlor was a respectful man who was nicely groomed and clean shaven. He spoke American English with simple clarity. He was respectful to his customers, the parlor was spotless, and the pizzas' were impeccably made. Of course the second pizza parlor was the company who was advertising the thirty-second commercial. The social implication of this commercial, whether intended or not, is that someone who hasn't been personally exposed to someone with an Eastern European accent will associate Eastern Europeans with lazy incompetence. In another commercial, a well known telecom company ran a radio ad which stated that their customer support staff are Americans and their competition uses overseas staff to cut costs. The message of this ad is that you won't have to put up with the frustration of trying to understand someone who's speaking a different language than you.
In this day of age given the current issues of job outsourcing and nationalistic fervor, those who speak with a foreign accent is associated with taking away American jobs and of being "outsiders," which are age old prejudices. But the media doesn't blanket all foreign speaking people with negative associations. For example, the British and to a certain extent the German speaking peoples are given affluent positions, intellectual strength, emotional stability, and economic wealth in commercials and films.
How many times have you seen a Latino of Filipino-speaking person given such personal and social attributes in a film or commercial? Those who aren't often exposed to different speaking people will use such informational cues to create a world view which artificially compartmentalizes different speaking people into separate and simplistic categories. This leads to another problem, the lack of repeated exposure to foreign speaking people.

The problem is that many Americans are still not familiar with foreign speaking people due to the lack of repeated exposure. To fill this void many Americans rely on media interpretations and on public supposition to educate themselves on the state of human affairs.
It can be pretty compelling when listening to a college educated radio talk show host, who decrees to understand better than anyone else that Blacks and Whites are more separate than they are similar, for example. Usually with this kind discourse, language is given as evidence to support such claims. Listening to claims such as: "White Americans speak proper English and African Americans speak Ebonics, shows that Blacks and Whites don't share common interests," is a faulty extension of logic because it lacks a cause and effect relationship. In Christine Marin's essay, "Spanish Lessons," she explains how when she was in High School, a fellow classmate ostracized her for singing "La Bamba," by ordering her and her classmates to stop singing in Spanish because: this is America and not Mexico! It's likely that the classmate hadn't been exposed to many people who speak a foreign tongue. Hearing the other kids sing "La Bamba" probably would have isolated her identity as an American because she couldn't connect with what she didn't understand. And since we have a tendency to fear what we don't understand, the classmate's fear manifested into anger in response to feelings of rejection. Do you think the classmate would have been so angry if she had prior exposure to people who speak differently than her?

It has been my aim throughout this work to expose a social malaise which is rarely addressed in America: that foreign speaking people who speak broken English are more times than not the targets of social condemnation. Much of the problem stems from social conditioning, media distortions, and a lack of repeated exposure. Though this issue has many more causes which produce the same effects, I've illustrated a few of them for the sake of simplicity. Given that the problem is far reaching it is not futile. We can all help reduce this problem by allowing ourselves the freedom to get to know someone who's primary language is different than ours, and to contact media organizations who over generalize diverse groups of people. When we marginalize others we defeat ourselves by not participating in the richness that humanity has to offer.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

How To Tame A Wild Tongue Analysis

...America. In both essays, language is one of the themes that both authors focus on. Tan and Anzaldua are struggling with speaking their language. Amy Tan is struggling with her mom’s broken English, while Gloria...

Words: 1149 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

The God of Small Things Chapter 18

...Chapter 18: The GoST! ! SUMMARY/ANALYSIS:! ! Back to 1969, 6 policemen walking towards it: dramatic effect with this long build up.! Violence in their heart. Hunting of an animal. Long detailed description of the small things with many pauses (line breaks), a feeling of something coming, suspense.! The policemen carry batons but are thinking of machine guns.! When they arrive they have the feeling of being responsible for “Touchable futur”.! They wake Velutha with their heavy boots by kicking him.! The children wake up by: ”to the shout of sleep surprised by shattered kneecaps”. They don’t know that Velutha was there. There are paralysed by fear and disbelief.! The police beat V= extreme violence, skull cracking, broken ribs puncturing his lungs, damaged spine, broken teeth, ruptured intestine…! The twins are too young to understand. The policemen are “history’s henchmen” acting out the inevitable.! Estha and Rahel learn that blood smells "sicksweet. Like roses on a breeze”! Rahel tells Estha that she can tell that it isn't Velutha – she says it's Urumban, his "twin" who was at the march. Estha says nothing because he is "unwilling to seek refuge in fiction”. Rahel retreats into fantasy and ignorance.! The six policemen take all of Estha and Rahel's toys for their kids. The only thing they leave behind is Rahel's watch, which has the fake time painted on it. they wonder if Velutha really kidnapped them.! Climatic tragedy, violence unlike Sophie Mol’s death...

Words: 1005 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

African American Body Issues

...English 130 Final Draft of English Term paper African American Body issues. There are a lot of pictures showing mothers, their sons, and relationship structures in families. I obtained this image by searching for ‘juvenile delinquent families’ on GOOGLE. The picture itself was a still from EBONY magazine, published in 2005, showing the inevitable consequence of the youth having children, and the alarming rate at which this happens in the US. Since EBONY magazine focuses on the current events of African American celebrities and the culture as a whole, it would make sense that the audience is predominantly African American, but also frequent readers of the magazine. The picture actually has 2 parts to the overall image. The first part is set in the Bronx, and has three members of an African American family (a father, son and mother), standing aloof from each other. The other image tied to this picture shows the boy a few years older, but behind bars. The caption highlights single mom homes as a leading cause for juvenile delinquents. This image negatively predicts that broken African-American families lead to criminal children. What initially captured my attention was the facial expression of the father in the image. His head is turned to the side and he has a look of disgust as if to say: “I want nothing more to do with my wife or my son”. His facial expression also highlights a stern young adult, which gives the picture more of a “thuggish outlook”. His...

Words: 1412 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Important Paper

...and Umuofia. “If ever a man deserved his success, that man was Okonkwo. At an early age he had achieved fame as the greatest wrestler in all the land. That was not luck. At the most one could say that his chi or personal god was good. But the Ibo people have a proverb that when a man say yes his chi says yes also. Okonkwo said yes very strongly; so his chi agreed. And not only his chi but his clan too, because it judged a man by the work of his hands.” Overview of missionaries entering Thesis statement describing the elements of each culture, their clash, and how the English destroyed the spirit of an entire culture by imposing theirs. This collapsing culture and broken spirit of the clans led to the suicide of Okondwo. Body Paragraph 1 – Okondwo’s Culture Perception of Masculinity (Gender Roles) “Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness.” “To show affection was a sign of weakness; the only thing worth demonstrating was strength.” “No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man.” Traditions & Societal Status Taking titles and marrying multiple wives is the ultimate goal. “Having spoken plainly so far, Okoye said the next half a dozen sentences in proverbs. Among the Ibo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.” Spirituality ...

Words: 656 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Evolution of the Right to Petition

...plan they immediately gathered to petition our local government to stop these plans in their tracks. Soon after submitting their petition the group was met with a lawsuit from the company responsible for construction, claiming charges of defamation. Every day Americans assume they are able to enjoy and exercise the inalienable rights that were protected by our founding fathers in the Bill of Rights. However, in recent years it has come to the attention of many that our right to petition, as protected in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights, may be at risk. The source of concern is a controversial one that forces us to weigh the importance of our right to enter a plea against another citizen, against our right to petition freely without fear of redress. Over the past couple decades Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation in government, also know as SLAPPs, have become a tool used by corporations (especially those in real-estate) to silence critics who petition against their actions. The goal of delay and distraction is accomplished by forcing defendants to bear the burden of litigation costs in order to defend themselves from the impending lawsuit. Twenty-Eight states have already passed anti-SLAPP statutes, however I believe it is necessary for the national government to pass a nationwide anti-SLAPP law in order to protect what is arguably one of its citizens most fundamentally important rights. In order to support this claim however, it is imperative for us to examine...

Words: 3478 - Pages: 14

Free Essay

Spunk

...otstool—nothin’! He rides  that log down at saw­mill jus‘ like he struts ’round wid another man’s wife—jus‘ don’t give a kitty”.  Spunk embodies everything there would be to be sought after within the ideal male archetype in the  introduction, vehemently strong and easily getting his hands dirty with the woman of the town yet he is  missing something, that being a strong woman that can be by his side, which is where we see the  urgency of the character of Lena Kanty, married to the contrastingly to Spunk, timid and apprehensive  Joe Kanty. As Spunk is seen unapologetically intermingling with Joe’s wife, the townsfolk acting like a  greek tragedy chorus, although not singing but rather balking the events of the story with a use of a  broken english that is often a bit hard to follow. Once Joe is eventually enlightened of the cuckolding we  see a transformation and the appearance of one of the major themes of the piece, Courage. Courage as  it is often seen is a natural occurrence, as seen in Spunk and notably absent in Joe to with primarily seen  as unchanging but as the events unfold within the story we see that this is not quite the case and courage  becomes a matter of inspiration instead of the former. Joe, horrified by his wife’s infidelity is seen  transformed (figuratively at this stage) into gutsy and bold alpha male that takes things into his own  hands as he seeks out Spunk with a razor to get the vengeance he feel he is rightfully owed, whether it  be caked in crimson or otherwise...

Words: 753 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Textual Analysis Essay: Picking Cotton

...Brooke Hickman Mr. Miller English 111-01 18th September 2016 Textual Analysis Essay Picking Cotton was a book full of hate, love, and forgiveness, all given by Jennifer and Ronald Cotton. The book begins with Jennifer a normal young adult, attending college. Jennifer had her life planned out, dating Paul, getting a degree and starting a family with Paul. She had no idea that one night in July would change her life forever. In the summer of 1984 Jennifer experienced being rapped at knife point by an African American man who had broken into her apartment. After that night Jennifer was on a mission to find her rapist and put him away for life. Not knowing anyone by the name Ronald Cotton, she picked him as her attacker. Ronald spent eleven years...

Words: 294 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Class

...Mike Rose had no skills by the time he finished his vocational education, this was because the teachers were incompetent and most of the time unprepared. “Rose was enrolled in this school, which was a bottom level school by mistake (Rose 141).”The educational system is partially to blame, according to Mike Rose. Many learners will pass through high school having undergone negative elements such as fear, frustration and boredom. Mike Rose did not escape the sour side of the educational system. Rose hadn’t stayed in school for more than two months before getting a blow on his face and having his glasses broken by the English teacher who he referred to as being troubled. This was one way fear was instilled in the students' mind. During the Spanish class with the new tutor, Mr. Montez, he was not able to settle the dispute between Billy and Dweetz which ended up into a fight in the classroom. The physical exercise teacher also had a negative impact in his life. He would make students touch their ankles and spunk them to make men out of them. Therefore, this paper will try and prove that Anyon is right when he says that schools socio-economic class determines the type of instructions students receive. When you have a poor educational system, then the future generation will be poorly equipped with skills. The only way out is to get exceptional teachers who can teach students on how to make hypotheses which is one of the key requirement to survive in any job. On the other hand, the...

Words: 1332 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Sonnet 55 vs Ozymandias

...Sonnet 55 and Ozymandias Comparison Sonnet 55 is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed poems in the English language. It is one of a 154 series of sonnets written by Shakespeare. Though it is not confirmed who it is exactly the sonnet is directed at, we know that it is most likely a love interest or his best friend at the time. Ozymandias is another sonnet, written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This poems name, Ozymandias, was a Greek name for the Egyptian Pharaoh, Rameses II. Sonnet 55 is a poem about a great love, or best friend of Shakespeare’s. According to many critics and readers, it is about time and immortalization. The poem directly begins with some words of assurance to his lover; no other memorials, however beautiful or permanent, can outdo this sonnet, which will live longer and shine brighter. He’s saying that that the rest of the world has to deal with war and other tragedies but this sonnet will escape both these. The purpose of his writings were to express his emotions and compassion for the person he loves (“But you shall shine more bright in these contents than unswept stone besmear’d with sluttish time” Lines 3-4). He also wanted to show how immortality can be obtained through stories or poetry (“The living record of your memory. ‘Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity” Lines 8-9). This poem is 14 lines long, and follows the rhyme scheme; abab, cdcd, efef. It also has an iambic parameter; “So till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this,...

Words: 812 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Mansoon

...------------------------------------------------- Preschool Teaching Strategies * ------------------------------------------------- Toddler Activities and Ideas * Elementary School * ------------------------------------------------- Grade School Activities * ------------------------------------------------- Lesson Plans for Pre-K and K * ------------------------------------------------- Lesson Plans: Grades 1 - 2 * ------------------------------------------------- Lesson Plans: Grades 3 - 5 * ------------------------------------------------- Parenting Grade Schoolers * ------------------------------------------------- Teaching Younger Students * Middle School * ------------------------------------------------- English Lessons: Grades 6-8 * ------------------------------------------------- History Lessons: Grades 6-8 * ------------------------------------------------- Math Lessons: Grades 6-8 * ------------------------------------------------- Parenting Preteens and Tweens * ------------------------------------------------- Science Lessons: Grades 6-8 *...

Words: 2013 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Letter from Birmingham Jail

...hit someone's face? Did you feel heart-broken the moment that someone passes away? However, everyone in their life faces the ups and downs. Sorrows and pleasures are two parts of life. In fact, life is full of bad as well as good incidents. Some of them are forgotten with the passage of time while others leave an everlasting impression on the mind. We don't forget them for the whole of our life. We enjoy the moments of pleasure while the moments of sorrow plunge us into despair. We cherish the moments of pleasure throughout our life. Such a moment came to me when I took the airplane from China to United State that was the first flight in my life. It was really happy and memorable moment. I came to United State with my family. This was our first time to take an airplane. Although I was exciting when I first take the airplane, however I know I will missed all my friends in China. They are wonderful that they studied with me, they went shopping with me, they went to eat with me, they were happy when I was happy, and they were sad when I was sad. After I went to United State, I couldn't see them anymore. I felt sad because I missed my friends and I didn't have any friends in America. Also, I was sad because I spoke Chinese with my friends in China, but I didn't speak English in America. I had to learn and speak English in America. Otherwise, I didn't have friends and I couldn't find a job in America. For example, if I don't speak English, nobody will know that what I want or what...

Words: 1058 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Salem Witch Trail Research Paper

...The Salem Witch Trails were a time in which people believed in the supernatural. This belief began in Europe during the 14th century. It would eventually spread throughout colonial New England; due to increase fears of outsiders and resentment of fellow townspeople which were fueled by the smallpox epidemic and fears of Native American attacks, as well as a rival with the community of Salem Town. In January of 1692, two girls by the name of Betty Williams and Abigail Williams began to have fits. These fits consisted of violent contortions and uncontrollable outbursts of screaming and yelling. William Griggs, a local doctor, diagnosed the girls with bewitchment. As time passed other girls- Ann Putnam Mercy Lewis, Elizabeth Hubbard, Mary Walcott,...

Words: 474 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Robots Apa

...a too farfetched argument. “For many years the work of engineers and sci-fi writers have forecast a time when autonomous machines would become enough like living creatures to share our homes and work spaces.” The statement in this article is a good capture to draw the attention of the readers, drawing them into what they have seen on TV and in the media. Robots for many years have been the focus in movies and sci-fi, this is what we are expecting in the future of our world. This has brought the fears to the people to think that robots will take over the world and do harm on to them, which was a great way to understand that society will have a hard time adjusting or accepting that robots will be used in everyday life. As of right now there already is a little robot called the Roomba helping out in many households with the chore of vacuuming. This robot has been welcomed into many homes due to its practicality and cost, which was kept low for marketing. This is just to show that the fear of robots in the home or work place can slowly be overcome. The day when most jobs and daily lives will be changed by robot interaction is coming according to this article. The technology of robots has been advancing at a much...

Words: 900 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Disgrace

...and blacks when Davis Luries arrived in Salem. Disgrace can be interpreted in many ways regarding racial perception, but there is no doubt that Coetzee’s purpose is to raise the question about the new South Africa and the white people within it. The book portrays a brutal picture of life in post-apartheid South Africa, the fate of the two white characters (David and Lucy) on the land, lost with dignity and freedom. Disgrace depicts a white father and daughter’s journey though life while losing everything under the racist black rule. Disgrace is written in a direct, unique style using clever word choices. An example of the racial nature of this book is when David Luries stated, “English is an unfit medium for the truth of South Africa,” (Coetzee, P.117). It is as if David was referring that English is not the type of language for Africans. David Luries lives in a dark world with dark desires. His frequent demand of sex leads him to his downfall. Melanie is a prefect example of David’s desire. “She is wearing black tights and a black sweater. Her hips are as slim as a twelve-year-old’s”(Coetzee P.19). Melanie has become a black and white image in his mind; he can only see his sex fantasies in her. David’s fantasies are clouded with painful consequences because of his obsession for her. Rape was addressed and David is faced with shame although he does not recognize this, his shameful act continues to fill his life with his obsession. After resigning from the University...

Words: 1093 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Angels and Demon

...Industry Brief RJDM: Angels & Demons Research Report Yasir Hassan P12199795 |Table Content | Pages | |Abstract | | |Introduction | | |Demons Research | | |Demons In Islam | | |Jinn’s (Demon) Abilities | | |Adam VS Iblees | | |Demons In Christianity | | |What Does Christianity Say about good and evil | | |Demons In Art | | |Demons In Films & TV ...

Words: 2617 - Pages: 11