Vernacula Franca
Feb. 2nd, 2011 05:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
barking_iguanaWhy I disagree with: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/02/02/standard-english-and-social-power/
There’s nothing wrong with a variety of communities speaking different vernaculars. But having a common standard that everyone is expected to learn and that changes more slowly than vernaculars often do is what allows everyone from diverse sub-cultures to work together.
Yes, I’m advantaged in that the English I learned at home and from young childhood peers is very close to what is considered standard. Very close, but not identical. I think everyone has at least some idiosyncrasies in their childhood speech, about which they must make a conscious effort to learn when such usage is appropriate and when it is not. At least they must make some effort if they wish to participate in the full society as much as they can.
It is indeed unfortunate that in most any country and with most any language, those who are already otherwise disadvantaged are usually the ones whose childhood speech differs most from the standard. But that does not remove the value of a, for want of a better term, vernacula franca.
There’s nothing wrong with a variety of communities speaking different vernaculars. But having a common standard that everyone is expected to learn and that changes more slowly than vernaculars often do is what allows everyone from diverse sub-cultures to work together.
Yes, I’m advantaged in that the English I learned at home and from young childhood peers is very close to what is considered standard. Very close, but not identical. I think everyone has at least some idiosyncrasies in their childhood speech, about which they must make a conscious effort to learn when such usage is appropriate and when it is not. At least they must make some effort if they wish to participate in the full society as much as they can.
It is indeed unfortunate that in most any country and with most any language, those who are already otherwise disadvantaged are usually the ones whose childhood speech differs most from the standard. But that does not remove the value of a, for want of a better term, vernacula franca.
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no subject
Date: 2011-02-03 04:21 am (UTC)