Blog Prompt 1

Pinker comes across as a hypocrite in several ways. He has no problem saying that all languages are equal because they each have their own set of rules and grammar, but he wastes no time in pointing out the differences in each language he dissects. On page 19, Pinker says that a preschooler has a sophisticated grasp of grammar, but in the same sentence he likens the preschooler to a,”like, you know, inarticulate teenage skateboarder.” He attempts to make the point that a thick usage and style manual is less sophisticated, yet he gives readers the image of a grungy, uneducated teenager and expects them to believe that the teenager has a better usage of language than the style manual. Pinker’s style of writing suggests that he favors the Standard English, so, even though he does insert passages in other dialects or vernaculars, his point that all languages are perfectly equal becomes weaker. One must support Dalrymple’s point that, yes, the language instinct is there from the moment a person is born, but contrary to Pinker’s view, there must be some sort of mimicry involved with the development of the child’s language. This must be true, because otherwise there would be no explanation for the ability of a Chinese baby to speak English when he was born to Chinese speaking parents but raised by English speaking Americans. A child does not have a pre-programmed language in its brain when it is born or else newborn adoptions would never be successful. Obviously, Pinker is writing for an audience who speaks Standard English, so he must write in Standard English. However, his transitions into his examples show such a difference between the Standard English and whichever language he is comparing it to that the reader feels that Pinker feels superior to the language he is writing about.