Speak “Right” English: The Unconstitutional Standard English Language Ideology
In this essay, I question the validity of Standard English Language Ideology. Moreover, I employ the research done by Nelson Flores and Jonathan Rosa, Samy Alim and other authors to support my argument that the enforcement of Standard English Language violates the rights of American citizens, especially those minorities whose first language is not English. This includes the right of free speech and the right of equality. By revealing such an unjustification, I emphasize there is a problem caused by monoglossic language ideology produced by educational institutions (Rosa and Burdick, 111), resulting in undermining citizens’ racial identities (Alim, 4) and erasing…show more content… Educational institutions developed Standard English Language ideology and enforce it nationwide. However, Rosa and Burdick, in their book The Oxford Book of Language and Society, point out the ideology itself is similar to the religious rituals, which are public beliefs based on nothing (111). Rosa and Burdick reveal the project provided by white speaking people makes other feel their home accent language is deviant, and take advantage over them (150). If SELI is a fabricated belief to undermining the use of languages of minorities, it is unjustified to force everyone to accept it, otherwise their right of freedom is violated. Additionally, In their article Paraphrasing Abstract of Undoing Appropriateness: Racial linguistic Ideologies and Language Diversity in Education, Rosa and Burdick say the other “non-standard language” such as African American English, in fact has a well-built system instead of being flawed compared to standard English (149). Therefore, it is biased to argue standard English is superior than the other forms of English Languages and can replace them for good. As the other languages have their own values compared to the “flawless” standard English, replacing them with a monoglossic language is tyranny. Furthermore, it erases the diversity of languages. As an illustration of that, Native News Online…show more content… However, the discrimination against minorities still exists. Alim, in his essay “Raciolinguistics: How Language Shapes Our Ideas About Race”, reports that economists argue America is not post racial society (3). This is illustrated by the fact that people speak standard English have more privilege compared to who do not. Martin Luther King Jr, a black politician who speaks a recognizable southern black accent, devoted his life to fight the discrimination created by white speaking people in the 60s. On the other hand, Obama, as one of the elites, speaks standard English. He avoids talking black unless he needs to be related to them (Alim, 2). It is reasonable to defer that Obama is utilizing the language as a method to win support, which indicates he is well educated and cut him an edge to win the election. As Alim argues, the practice of language is in favor of listeners. Obama is indulging the audience and selling SELI as a campaign weapon, like Rosa and Burdick argue that language is now interdependent with materiality (Rosa, 113). This action of indulging audience is sending the public a signal to blindly believe that SELI is an indication of elitism and success without realizing its implement is the one of the substantial factors contributing to the discrimination to minorities who do not naturally born with it. As an illustration of that, some first generation Asian immigrants forbid their children