Choose one of the following three question groups and respond in a post below.
1. Is DFW's "spiel" about SWE (Standard Written English) in schools "racially insensitive," as some of his colleagues/students argue? What is his response to this accusation? Do you agree?
2. Explain DFW's claim that PCE (Politically Correct English) is a form of censorship. Whom does it serve? Do you agree?
3. Explain DFW's claim that AE (Academic English) is driven by concealment and fear. What is being concealed? What is feared? Do you agree?
2) I'm probably in the middle of wether politically correct English is censorship or not. I think that parts of it are ridiculous and you can't always please everyone by using all of the 'PC' terms, however it is important to make sure everyone is okay with how you say something. There are words that are absolutely not okay to use, but there are words that are acceptable to use even if some people get a little twitchy about them. I think the most important thing about PCE is that you don't go overboard it's about being considerate to other people and respecting how they feel, but you should also be comfortable with maybe offending some people. Overall just don't be an ass, but don't be PC all the time, it pisses people off.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that people shouldn't go overboard when they are using PCE to describe others. PCE does sometimes act as a nice encouragement. On the other hand, however, it sometimes can make the situation worse, as it may sound like laughing at others. I think PCE is not always pleasing others, but paraphrasing the original languages to a more acceptable way.
DeleteIs it even possible to make sure everyone is okay with how you say something? We might never speak again...
ReplyDeleteWhat is DFW's argument for PCE as censorship?
1) I personally don't believe that DFW was even pointing at a racially insensitive argument, especially after his discussion of a a Democratic Spirit that preaches just the opposite. What David was trying to do was to show the difference between a slang form of the language and the standard written form. I think he used black people to represent how even if one is born under the influence of a slang language, in order to become successful and influential people, they need to learn SWE. When he talked about Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, he brought up the point that they had to learn SWE, because without it they might not have been heard or taken seriously. This isn't being racist I don't believe, he isn't blatantly saying that all black people won't be taken seriously, he actually states that many black people grow up in SWE speaking communities. What he is trying to say is that if you don't use SWE, you will not make it very far in this country. It will be hard to get people to listen to you and believe you if you are using a slang form of English.
ReplyDeleteIs it problematic to link dialects outside of SWE to one particular race? Don't we all have dialects or slang language that are not appropriate for classroom use? Why does he talk only and especially about SBE?
DeleteDFW calls PCE a form of censorship. He says that PCE protects or acts a buffer from the unpretentious or offensive language that is otherwise used. He also claims that because of this buffer or censorship no real political action can be achieved only symbolic political action can be achieved. In a way it really serves the public, PCE is used very often by political figures who address all forms of the public and PCE is used as away to let the public know about a tragedy in a very formal matter. Also, it is used as way to not "offend" anyone, for example describing someone as "economically disadvantaged" as opposed to "poor." I don't agree it's this at all. Some of the descriptive terms are many times offensive to the person being described. In my last example calling him economically disadvantaged is not true. But also very patronizing.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that PCE sometime does sound even more offensive to people because the people who speak the PCE is sort of in a condescending position. However, the PCE language just as its name refers can only be used in a specific circumstance, such as public speaking or political conference. In those circumstance people are aware that PCE is made to be spoken in a polite and formal manner so that they are less likely to be offended.
DeleteA lot of his collegues and students believe that his spiel is racially insensitive because he is forcing all students to learn to write in SWE in his class. Many of his students find this racially insensitive because he is not allowing people who speak other languages or dialects to express themselves in their native tongue. He argues otherwise becuase he states that in the real world it is only true that there are racist and judgemental people who determine the quality of a person just by the way they speak. He justifies his demand for SWE by saying that, if you look at our history, the only black americans that have found great success spoke/wrote in SWE. He states that if a student wants to be taken seriously in the reality of our judgemental country, then they must learn to write the way the majority of "educated" Americans write (SWE). Though I do think that the outright ban of other dialects/languages in his classroom can come across as racially insensitive, I completely agree with his justification. I think, unfortunately, our country is yet to accept the fact that multiple dialects and languages other than SWE are used by a large part of the American population. But, unfortunately the powerful and elite still only recognize those who speak like them in SWE. I support his argument that says that the onky way to prepare his students for the harshly real world is to force them to speak and write in a language that will help them find success. This languge just happens to be SWE.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and him. His job as a teacher is to prepare his students to what is expecting them in life. He can't pack them in cotton. Racism exist and they have to learn how to overcome gaps between races.
Delete3)Explain DFW's claim that AE (Academic English) is driven by concealment and fear. What is being concealed? What is feared? Do you agree?
ReplyDeleteDfw explains academics now a days, but more in previous years, was based on a standard. A standard that all teachers strictly have to follow. They are given hardly any wiggle room to do it how they like. The thing that is being concealed is the fact that there are a thousand ways to expand on a particular topic in the English language. There isn't just one way to do something. I think the thing that is being feared is the teachers job. If word was to get out that a teacher isn't teaching correctly, or in the same procedure as everyone else, it would be incredibly easy for a teacher or dean to just say there are plenty of workers that would love to be in your position and follow rules so get out of my school.
That is what I love about the ib. There is no such thing as a standard procedure. Of course there are topics we have to follow, but the way teachers teach is all up to them. I believe that it is this freedom that allows so many ib graduates to succeed later in life.
I believe that if a teacher can teach students all of the English language, that teacher is a good one. There shouldn't be a "rule to go by" when teaching their students. English is such a vast subject. If a teacher can teach English from the Shakespearian ERA, and can also teach about 21st century English, that teacher should be rewarded, not fired.
Delete3) DFW sayz a actually that he thinks AE is a cancer. He cites a professor who claims that sometimes whole passages written in Academic English had absolutely no meaning. I think that what he means is that people try to hide behind complicated syntax and "SAT-words", because they actually don't really know what they want to say. They know how to impress people by their use of sophisticated language, but they are scared someone might find out that they themselves have no idea what they are talking about. I agree with this claim. It. Is senseless to write in twisted tongues if there is no meaning behind. For the average person it is difficult to recognize if there is a meaning behind the words, if the text is written in Academic language, or they might believe whatever claims the author makes, just because it sounds so smart and academic.
ReplyDeleteI agree that sometimes academic language is quite daunting and can often come across as very unfair to the majority of readers. But do you think that it is truly their intention to come across this way? If they are truly not being genuine in their writing then why are they writing?
Delete2. Political Correct English (PCE) functions primarily to signal and congratulate certain virtues in speakers, serving the selfish interests of the group of people who are somehow disabled. It renamed a group of people, for example, a "failing student" now is becoming a "highly potential student", a "poor person" is described as "pre-prosperous". The PCE corrects the way that people used to describe others. It may be very nice because no bad words are used and the listeners will not fell bad. For instance, it is very common that failing students will be happy once they hear they are described as highly potential, because it is like a praise and saying that they are smart and capable. However, if they are described as failing student and even the distractors in the class, they may loss the confidence or motivation in study. PCE serves as a censorship to people who don't have the abilities in some ways. I agree it is a censorship because PCE conceals the real language that people want to use, but say it in a different and nicer way instead.
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ReplyDelete3. AE languages
ReplyDeleteIt mentions in the reading that the real purpose of AE is concealment and its real motivation fear. One of the reason that AE serves a sense of fear is that it needs to have the sense of authority. Only the language sounds authority could the researches or whatever the language is talking about being recognized. Since no one will take a funny explanation of science or other academic seriously. There are prides among the scholars, the researches they have done are fabulous while there must be things that are not clear. I remember a Ted talk that I have watched that talked about scientific paper. The average that a scientific research paper that being read is about 8 times, and it includes the author’s mom...
1. This may be taken as racially insensitive because he says that all influential African Americans throughout history tend to speak in Standard Written English rather than Standard Black English. This could be offensive to African Americans who speak SBE as it sort of make their dialect seem worthless. That no one chooses to speak it, and that to be 'someone' you have to not speak it. He argues to criticism that he speaks the truth and doesn't try to hide from it. Sometimes the truth can be a bit harsh.
ReplyDeleteI don't think DFE's spiel itself is racially insensitive" because the comments he made of SWE is all in reality. The society had made SWE the formal language to climb the social ladder.I agree with his statement that SWE is the only formal dialect that is accepted for the society.we have to accept the reality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in that SWE had sort of made itself known as the acceptable form of written English because it has climbed the social ladder. People who would use this dialect would be, generally, higher up in the social ladder. This means that they expect others to speak like them and thus SWE has become an almost 'exclusive' language.
DeleteI, too, agree that what dfe's saying is not racially insensitive. I think that, like what rob said, the language becomes so formal, that it naturally climbs up to the top of the social latter, where only the intelligent fully speak it. While the bottom of the social ladder will continue to use slag and abbreviated terms that we would never see in the swe.
ReplyDelete