Thursday, September 24, 2009

Should There be an Authority on Language in America?

The United States of America does not have an official language, therefore there is no need of an authority to govern one.  It would be unfair to have an authority because it would force people to conform, possibly losing their culture, it would make America look hypocritical as she calls herself a melting pot of nations, and it would take away from the diversity of the nation.


“Today, english is governed by a loose network of “language authorities,”; English teachers, editors, journalists, columnists on language, and authors/editors of dictionaries, grammar and usage books, and style guides.” 

This could be a useful quote because it gives examples of the current “authorities” of language.  Though they’re not official, we give them the authority they have.


"I remember coming home and my grandma asked me to talk Indian to her and I said, 'Grandma, I don't understand you,' " Wright says. "She said, 'Then who are you?' "- Bill Wright                         This is useful because it shows first hand the negative experiences of trying to embrace an authority of language, such is the case in the mid 20th century when Americans tried to force Native Americans to learn English and lose their culture.

“...however, he seems to have realized that English would change despite efforts to keep it stable.”       This quote would be useful as in introductory to discussing the melting pot of cultures.  It helps explain the effects of such a large diversity of culture, leading to a constant changing of the English language.  This would mean an authority would be useless if the language is changing that often.

No comments:

Post a Comment