Popular Culture for Learning English and Leisure - Essay Example

Popular culture for learning English and leisure Popular culture for learning English and leisure Popular culture refers to the wide range of cultural products such as music, fashion, dances and films that are usually famous among the non-elites, that is, the lower class (Danesi, 2012). For example, the western culture is a popular culture among the Africans where people use it to entertain themselves during their spare time. Popular culture is developed as people conduct their everyday activities, for example, wearing decent clothes, falling in love, listening music and more. Since the popular culture is liked by lots of people, many people, therefore, end up utilizing it for leisure, for example, listening to the popular music and dressing as well. Popular culture is associated with mass production, for example, in the music and film making industry, songs and movies are produced in each and every day (Danesi, 2012). Those who design the modern fashioned clothes usually do that for commercial purposes and, therefore, the popular culture facilitates the growth of commercial culture around the world. Popular culture facilitates the spread of English across the world. The most spread English includes American English (AmE), British English (BrE) and Aussie English. Global spreading of English has occurred over the past years and even the present days. In the 16-17th centuries, William Shakespeare used popular culture in his writings to spread English. He used original language in writing stories and plays that were then used to teach English. Additionally, his plays distinguished themselves from other plays and that is why they are preserved up to date for learning purposes (Freccero, 2001). During this era, plays were very popular for entertainment and research has shown that they promoted the spread of the American English. Shakespeare wrote popular legends and tales that up to date are very important in learning English. For example, Shakespeare wrote plays such as the Merchant of Venice that is used in teaching students in literature. Shakespeare wrote his plays for entertainment purposes, as well as, utilization of the American English. Popular plays were produced in the media that made the plays to spread to many people (Freccero, 2001). Later, in the 19th to 20th century, musicians, writers, film-makers and advertisers used the so called traditional media. The traditional media includes television, pop music, films, magazines, newspapers and more. The media promoted the global spread of English and most people during that period learnt English (Noor, 2012). The modern media involves mass production of songs and movies that are essentially meant for entertaining the people. The film-making industry has facilitated the spread English all around the world, and Africa in particular. Movies created in the Hollywood utilize the American English, in which the Africans use them for learning English. The fact that films today are not translated to vernacular African languages illustrates how the popular culture is utilized for learning English. Today, music is mostly meant for meant for entertainment, for example, the hip hop songs. However, the fact that everybody has the love for music has facilitated the global spread of English. People get entertained when listening to the latest songs, but, at the same time they improve their mental ability to understand English (Danesi, 2012). In the twenty first century, the social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube has also promoted the growth of popular culture. These networks allow people to learn English as the tweet with their friends. Since most people are up to share their views via Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter, they end incorporating English while communicating in their real lives. The social media networks have attracted many people because these networks offer access to advertisements, latest songs and videos, as well as, the stories of famous singers (Noor, 2012). In the modern times, people seem to utilize the popular culture mostly for leisure. As stated earlier the popular culture incorporates mass production of songs, films and clothes. Many people are up to practice the popular culture (Danesi, 2012). However, some people still preserve their cultures, for example, the Chinese with their dragon boat racing. In China, they spend their holidays in unique ways and this has been identified as a form of popular culture in that region. The popular culture is based on universal themes aimed at involving everybody in the world. For example, the New World Order is a theme originally developed in the United States. The theme has lots of meanings, which are spread through the social media, movies and music. Using the popular culture for leisure should be considered seriously because people can acquire some behaviors that are not consistent with their cultural values (Danesi, 2012). For example, in Africa, many people are adopting the western cultures, that is, dressing codes, religions and behaviors. Music and films can help us understand the world. For example, today, following the legalization of homosexuality practice in United States, many artists have produced songs that influence the fans to practice the same. Popular culture can be used to influence the fans’ beliefs and moral values (Danesi, 2012). The famous hip hop singers, today, compose songs aimed at sending messages about the New World Order. Their intentions are to control the world whereby a common religion would be established for all people across the world. With the increasing popularity of pop music, people are up to listen to these songs without bearing in mind their intended meanings. The moderate men and women of today’s world listen to such songs because the songs use simple language, repetitions and phrases linked with beats and sweet melodies. Studies reveal that the songs and videos usually have hidden meanings that explain how the world is changing, for example, the birth of a new race in the existing human race . The western cultures have spread out to the whole world the same way the American English did over the past years. Africa in particular, has been invaded with all sorts of cultures and languages. The popular cultures revolving around music, films, social networks have facilitated the spread of western cultures in Africa (Noor, 2012). These cultures have got positive impacts to the Africans, for example, improved understanding of the English language. Also, Africans benefit from the food cultures and dressing codes of the Americans. However, some western behaviors have eroded the African moral values leading to the breakdown of society set-ups. The availability of movies and songs via the social media networks has adjusted the African way of spending their leisure time (Noor, 2012). They no longer go to swim in rivers and streams, spend their nights in the dark or hold their traditional dances. They have adopted the western culture because they also have the love for the fashionable clothes, famous songs, as well as, films. Also, the fact that they want to appear more civilized make them adopt the western cultures in their home grown cultures. In the civilized Africa today, the popular culture is mainly for spreading the English language and diversification of leisure activities. The western culture incorporates art and literature that is used for entertaining and learning English. Back in 17th century, William Shakespeare produced the play “Romeo and Juliet.” At that time, people utilized the play for entertainment purposes and for learning English. The play which involved love matters was indeed very popular at that time as compared to other plays. Writing plays is a form of literally works that constitutes to a culture. The popular literal works of Shakespeare were mostly used for leisure (Freccero, 2001). In today’s world such ancient plays and new plays are utilized in theatres for entertainment and learning English. The modern writers such as Sam Shepherd with “Heartless” in 2012 are very similar with William Shakespeare in developing characters that makes the plays very interesting. William Shakespeare and Sam Shepherd are both American writers and, therefore, they contribute to the spread of the English language and leisure since the American culture is one the most popular culture in this world. Although popular cultures have negative aspects within them, they still promote people’s learning of the English language. Think of the pornographic and extreme horror movies produced in Hollywood. These films are very popular in the world despite the negative impacts they have in people’s lives. Some people watch the movies during their leisure time, whether in private places or in public. Pornographic films are usually common among the youth. These fans are usually associated with bad moral values at school and home. The same young people can be better in speaking English than the children who are morally upright. Debates have been held to discuss how the films can be abolished especially among the young people. So far, efforts towards eradicating the pornographic films have not been successful (Danesi, 2012). In the world today, many young people cannot go a day without watching a horror film. Watching such movies forms the part of their entertainment among the youths. Most young people are up to view the newly released episodes of the horror series just because of the influence of the popular culture. According to research and studies, those students who are movies’ fans are usually good in speaking English, as well as, writing. Therefore, popular cultures in this case, are illustrated to be beneficial to the people (Noor, 2012). Popular culture has impacts in people’s lives including children. Take the case of the video games and children in America back in the 1970’s. Most children spent their leisure time in rooms playing video games. This behavior spread to other countries that even parents complained about it. They would address on how the video games have affected their children’s moral values and school performance. The introduction of the video games was targeted at creating a form of entertainment for the children (Brooks, 2008). Other than sports, film makers and designers found an alternative form of entertainment for the children, that is, video games. As a result many children in the world liked this popular culture that emanated from America (Brooks, 2008). Although the video games created aggressive behaviors for those who played them, they enhanced children’s critical thinking. In particular, they enhanced the children’s English language skills since the video games were directed using the English language. Today, most children would not spend their weekend because they love the video games and television programs. In many entertainment centers today, there are places specified for children’s entertainment. In most African countries, they have adopted the western culture even in offering entertainment for the children (Brooks, 2008). The television programs that were very popular during the nineteenth and twentieth century should also be taken seriously as forms of spreading the English language. By then, many countries around the world adopted the popular programs that appeared on every TV set. These programs were created to entertain people but more so enabled people to learn the English language (Freccero, 2001). In the twenty first century, the modern media have integrated the television programs making lots of people to like them. Today, the modern media have further spread the English language. Any form of media in the past or today has certain aspects of entertainment that attracts large masses of people. Conclusively, the popular culture among people seems to be mostly used in spending their leisure time, as well as, for learning the English language. Popular cultures are usually associated with mass production of songs and films. Most people like the popular cultures, which comes with unique dressing codes, music, films, television programs and video games (Danesi, 2012). The western culture has been identified as one of the most popular cultures in the world. Most African countries adore the western cultures that they even adapt to it. In the 16-17th centuries, the works of famous writers such as William Shakespeare has been identified as the part of the western popular cultures back in the days. The spread of the popular western cultures in Africa has promoted the spread of the English language. Popular cultures are usually spread over the modern media such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. The fact that popular culture is used for leisure ought to be taken more seriously because these forms of entertainment can change people’s beliefs and moral values such as the hip hop songs. Horror and pornographic films are parts of the popular culture. In addition the video games that were created to entertain children were part of the popular cultures. In summary all forms of entertainment in a popular culture also plays part in spreading the English language. References Brooks, K. (2008). Consuming innocence: Popular culture and our children. St Lucia, Queensland, Australia: University of Queensland Press. Danesi, M. (2012). Popular culture: Introductory perspectives. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Freccero, C. (2001). Popular culture: An introduction. New York: New York Univ. Press. Noor, A.-D. H. S., & Hendricks, J. A. (2012). Social media: Usage and impact. Lanham, Md: Lexington Books. Read More