Challenges of Non-Standard English Speakers within US Culture - Research Paper Example

 Speaking English can be an enormous challenge for most people, and more so for those who are not native English speakers. The Standard English language is the accepted and popular manner of speech in the United States and it is a standard which many non-Standard English speakers are seeking to be adept in. This process is proving to be a difficult and complicated for non-Standard English speakers as they are phonetically and culturally challenged in their effort to become more standardized in their English-speaking ability. And the stereotypes attributed to non-Standard English speakers are only one among the many obstacles which they face in the process of learning and improving on their English speaking skills. This paper shall now discuss the biggest challenges that non-English speakers face within the US culture. This paper shall also discuss the appropriateness and usefulness of the English curriculum in American schools. It shall discuss whether or not the English curriculum is biased against minority students and if it is, how it can be changed or improved and whether or not it should be changed. Finally, this paper shall also discuss whether or not English should be made the official language of the United States. Challenges for non-Standard English speakers One of the biggest challenges that non-Standard English speakers face within US culture is that they are often thought of as not smart enough when they speak with an accent or with a ‘fractured’ or ‘broken’ English (Tan, 1990). Amy Tan (1990) discusses how her mother, who does not speak straight and American Standard English, is not given as much credit for intelligence or even common sense by the Standard English speakers. Tan also explains how her mother is actually a well-read person – familiar with many English literature works – but is not very much adept in the Standard English language and pronunciation (Tan, 1990). She also narrates how she (in behalf of her mother) often carries out transactions over the phone because if her mother would be the one to talk to stock brokers, bank managers, or even hospital administrators, her mother is not given as much attention and care (Tan, 1990). Worse, her mother is even thought of as unintelligent due to her ‘broken’ English (Tan, 1990). Non-native English speakers who worked as teachers were also often graded by students as ‘poor’ and ineffective teachers (Lippi-Green, 1997). This is an unhealthy bias and stereotypical attitude against non-Native English speakers. Moreover, non-native speakers or accented speakers also seem to have a decreased believability or credibility in their statements (Lev-Ari & Keysar, 2010). In the United States, speaking with an accent is often a source of discrimination. Accented English speakers are thought of as ‘slow’. This notion is even applied to White American Southerners who speak with a Southern drawl; they are labeled as dumb or stupid because of the way they speak the English language (Nevaer & Ekstein, 2007). This notion dates back to the Civil War when all things southern were cause for disparagement and contempt (Nevaer & Ekstein, 2007). In stark contrast to the Southern accent, the British accent was often regarded as a ‘smart’ accent – encouraged in formal and intelligent circles – with businessmen taking advantage of this cultural bias by using British-English accented speakers in their advertisements and promotional activities (Nevaer & Ekstein, 2007). For non-Standard English speakers, their accent seems to be a major source of discrimination. Just like the Southern-accented English speakers, they too are discriminated against and thought of as being dumb or stupid. English which is spoken with say, a Spanish accent, is not treated in the same way as its Standard English counterpart. This discrimination is similar “to the kind of prejudice that youngsters who stutter or have another speech impediment endure” (Nevaer & Ekstein, 2007, p. 39). These stuttering and accented speakers are often ridiculed and laughed at. These stereotypes have been seen in our mainstream television shows like ‘I Love Lucy’ where Ricky Ricardo’s Spanish accent is often a source of humor for the show (Nevaer & Ekstein, 2007). Non-native English speaking Asian-Americans often face greater discrimination for their English speaking skills as compared to non-native English speaking Americans. They are plagued by the color of their skin and the way they look and speak (Finegan & Rickford, 2004). In applying for work, their accents and skin color does not seem to work in the favor of non-native English speakers. They sometimes find themselves not given priority when they apply for teaching posts. Usually, these teachers are first given part-time posts to assess how well they perform and then, later, are given more permanent posts after they are deemed competent (Vance, 2008). An article by Hough (2010) discusses how foreign accents of non-native English speakers can make it difficult to establish credibility. Hough (2010) cites a psychology experiment where researchers asked native speakers, mildly accented speakers, and heavily-accented speakers to read English trivia statements and to grade the truthfulness of each speaker (Hough, 2010). The study revealed that speakers with accents were less believable than native speakers. In a second experiment, the participants were told that the experiment was being carried out in order to examine the link between accents and credibility. Even with this knowledge, however, the bias against non-native and accented speakers was not diminished. They were still rated as less believable (Hough, 2010). This article made a crucial point for job-seekers – that the fact that they speak with accents matters very much in the process of seeking employment. Other cases of language-based discrimination were seen in different parts of the United States and an evaluation of involved parties revealed that 11 out of the 25 cases from 1972 to 1994 involved Asians (from the Philippines, India, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Korea); none of these cases involved Western European English speakers (Finegan & Rickford, 2004). Other instances of discrimination based on accents and language have been seen in the United States, and many of these cases involved Asian-Americans. In the academic scene, Asian-American students have also experienced difficulties in relation to their accents and their English-speaking skills. What often makes it worse for these students and professionals is the fact that in the grammatical sense, they speak even better English than the Americans and the Europeans (Burke, 1998). They rarely engage in slang and colloquial English language because they have not been exposed to it in their native countries. Their English is actually sometimes in better conformity to the proper English usage, however, their Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Japanese accents render them to be non-Standard English speakers, and therefore subject to greater discrimination and scrutiny as compared to their American and European counterparts (Burke, 1998). In order to help meet these challenges for the Asian non-Standard English speakers, these Asians can seek to improve their pronunciations towards the more Standard English pronunciation. By seeking to perfect the Standard English pronunciation, grammar, and spelling they can minimize the prejudice and the stereotypical notions against them. However, since discriminating against another person by reason of his language is against the basic laws of our country, legal remedies can be sought by the Asian non-English speaker who is discriminated upon based on his language. In the meantime, the non-Native English speaker should seek to drive towards the more standard form of English because it will ultimately improve his opportunities and career options. This solution should be sought however not in an attempt to be accepted by proper society, but in an attempt to remain true to the principles and standards of the English language. Bias against minority students The traditional school English curriculum seems to be biased against minority students. First of all, most of the textbooks in the American schools are authored by white Americans or by British authors. There would not have been any problem with this; however, the way minorities are often portrayed in these books are not always accurate. The viewpoint of history or the English language is written based on the point of view of the majority whites, and this point of view is not always accurate. These school books are biased against minority students because of their inauthentic portrayal of ethnic and racial minorities (Hani, 2009). Some of these books also do not portray women as a gender equal to men. The foundation of education starts during the child’s primary years and their tolerance for people different from them can also develop during these school-age years. When the literature to which they are exposed portray inaccurate and biased depictions of the minorities, then, unless corrected, they are likely to carry these misconceptions throughout their adolescent and adult years. The gender bias which was mentioned earlier was seen in Caldecott-winning books used by school children from 1972 to 1997 which portrayed 811 male appearances as compared to 508 female appearances (Hani, 2009). Moreover, the women featured are often portrayed as submissive and dependent characters. “This type of portrayal is stereotypical and not likely to be an accurate representation of many women today” (Hani, 2009). Minority races and ethnic groupings are also not favorably and accurately portrayed in these textbooks. More than any other ethnic minority, Native Americans may have endured more prejudice than any other racial group (Roberts, Dean, and Holland, as cited by Hani, 2009). They may be highly educated, but they are portrayed otherwise. Their culture is not accurately described – only that they wear feathers and animal clothing. In textbooks and even television shows, “the most common image of Native Americans has remained that of the nineteenth century pony-riding, arrow-shooting enemies of European and American settlers…” (Olson & Wilson, 1994, p. 187). Moreover, the Native American authors who describe and accurately discuss their culture are often not used in the schools (Hani, 2009). Consequently, not only is the wrong knowledge about Native Americans taught to these schoolchildren, but the right knowledge is also not imparted to them. African-Americans are also not described accurately in these textbooks. African-American literature is often not even included in school textbooks; and they are not included in the sanctioned lists of school books endorsed for the students to use (Hani, 2009). African-Americans are sometimes portrayed as dim-witted and worse, their experiences with slavery are often not portrayed in these books (Harris, 1990). Woysher, Watras, and Crocco (2004, p. 136) discuss how some textbooks often “excluded the struggle of Blacks during the period of Reconstruction, which essentially served as the genesis of the civil rights movement”. Also, while these textbooks emphasized the struggles of democracy in other countries, not much attention was paid to those issues in some American textbooks (Woysher, Watras, & Crocco, 2004). In recent years, changes in these textbooks have been made – to make the portrayal of African-Americans more accurate. However, some biases are still seen in the way they are portrayed – and they are often portrayed as primitive, malnourished, and poor people. Moreover, depictions of romantic involvements with the White Americans are hardly shown in these books. Other ethnic and minority races are also victims of stereotypes in English curriculum books. For example, Hispanics are often pictured as ghetto dwellers (Hani, 2009). Moreover, not enough Hispanic-authored books are published for use by these school children. Asian-Americans are also inaccurately portrayed in American textbooks. They are mostly depicted as experts in martial arts and for being overly polite (Pang, 1990). They are also depicted or drawn garbed in traditional kimonos and fans – items which are actually worn in special occasions only and not even by all Asians. They are also depicted in textbooks as “foreigners who all look alike and choose to live together in quaint communities in the midst of large cities and cling to outworn, alien customs…” (Wei, 1993, p. 49). Asian men are also depicted as retarded and buck-toothed and women as exotic sex objects who have a fondness for European or American Men (Wei, 1993). These are just some of the many misconceptions and inaccurate depictions seen in American-authored textbooks. These misconceptions should be changed because they are teaching the wrong and inaccurate depictions to the young learners. Based on these prejudices, when these young learners would think about Native Americans, they would see them as feather-wearing uneducated people; they would see Asians as martial artists and chopstick-wielding people; and they would see Hispanics as unprogressive ghetto-dwelling people. They would not see these minorities beyond what they already perceive them to be and they would not see these minorities for who they really are. These inaccurate depictions should be changed by making the reading materials of students more diverse and more encompassing of the minorities. These ethnic minorities in the classrooms can be invited to choose books which portray their traditions. These books can then be shared with other students. The curriculum should be open to diversity and to change. More importantly, it should be open to ethnic diversity. Books which depict stereotypes must not be used and teachers must be keen enough to recognize these stereotypes. Lessons on Asians should make use of Asian-authored books, the same with Hispanics and other racial minorities. Accounts of history, as much as possible, should be based on accurate and unbiased portrayals. These adjustments can help ensure racial tolerance and diminished prejudice among the younger generation of learners. English as an official language for the United States English should not be made the official language in the United States. Making English the official language in the United States can open the doors to the limitations of language diversity within American shores. Most countries have an official language. An official language is usually seen and used in government documents and communications. In the United States, many citizens and politicians have clamored to make English their official language. Many believe that speaking English is a sure way for new immigrants to be successful in school and in their career (Inhofe & Munoz, 2006). For those wanting to be American citizens, speaking English is one of the fundamental requirements and there is nothing wrong with this requirement considering that English is the most commonly spoken language in the United States. The ability to read and write English, in this case, is an advantage for the immigrant in terms of educational and career opportunities. Many politicians and citizens support the move towards making English the official language because they believe that it can unite the nation and can save the government millions of dollars (Inhofe & Munoz, 2006). However, inasmuch as it can unite the country under one language, it can also narrow down the identity of the United States into one generic language. Uniting the country under one generic language can open up greater prejudice against other non-official languages. Even as English is the most common language in the United States, it is far from the only language being spoken in the country (Inhofe & Munoz, 2006). Some non-profit organizations like the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), who have assisted immigrants in learning English – helping them to successfully integrate into mainstream society, support the move towards teaching English to as many immigrants as possible. However, they believe that a law should not be passed to declare English as the official language. They claim that “making English our national language hampers the government’s ability to reach out, communicate, and warn people in the event of a natural or man-made disaster such as hurricane, pandemic, or, God forbid, another terrorist attack. That puts everyone’s health and safety in jeopardy” (Inhofe & Munoz, 2006). Making English the official language of the United States would likely send an unwelcoming message to non-English speakers around the world (Alexander, 2009). It sends the message to them that unless they learn English, they are not welcome in the country. This makes the United States of America not so eclectic in its culture and its liberal dealings. Having an official language for the United States would be akin to having an official race. Although many nations do have official languages, no nation is as diverse in its racial composition as the United States. China has an official language and a large majority of its people are Chinese natives; and so with Japan, Australia, Germany, and even Russia. Most of these nations already speak their official language. For the United States however, from its early days, it has always been a melting pot of races – from the White Americans, to the African-Americans, Native Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and even the Europeans. They speak different languages; some of them do not speak English or if they do, they speak in the non-Standard English language. Most immigrants do make an effort to learn English since they already choose to make their new home in the United States, but it is often a long process for them (Alexander, 2009). They already feel disadvantaged by their awkward position. It would only prove discriminatory against them to push the English learning process in an official capacity. In the end, trying to push an official language for the United States would not likely accomplish anything. Making English an official language would not even magically make immigrants speak English (Alexander, 2009). It would also not stop other races and other languages from being seen or heard in the United States. Many businesses would also likely cater to a bilingual crowd – providing English and Spanish (or other languages) translation for their products. The measures which cater adequately to the current multilingual United States are already accepted and set in place, it would not accomplish anything for the businesses and for America in general to be mandated an official language. By being multilingual, the free market economy thrives and profits well. The move towards mandating an official language for the United States should instead be considered for each state. Each state is considered ethnically diverse on its own, but their diversity is also different from other states. Some states have already adopted official languages; others have chosen not to because of their ethnically diverse population. In New Mexico, 30% of their population speaks Spanish; it would not make any sense to make English an official language there. Puerto Rico is predominantly Spanish speaking. If it becomes a state, it would not make sense also to declare English the official language there. At this point, declaring English as an official language for the United States is counterproductive. The intention may indeed be advantageous for the country as an official authority over the people; however, the effect may only serve to negate its diversity as a melting pot of races and languages. Works Cited Alexander, S. (2009) Why English Should Not Be The Official Language of the U.S. Xamuel.com. Retrieved 04 August 2010 from http://www.xamuel.com/dont-officialize-english/ Burke, D. (1998) Without Slang and Idioms, Students are in the Dark! ESL Magazine, volume 1(5), pp. 20-23 Finegan, E. & Rickford, J. (2004) Language in the USA: themes for the twenty-first century. New York: Cambridge University Press Hani, M. (2009) Gender, racial, and ethnic misrepresentation in children's books: a comparative look. Childhood Education. Retrieved 04 August 2010 from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Gender,+racial,+and+ethnic+misrepresentation+in+children%27s+books%3A+a...-a0194700832 Harris, V. 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