The Use of African American Vernacular - Research Paper Example

LANGUAGE LANGUAGE In the recent past, political leaders have used languages s which are not conventional or standard by fact or intuition. They mostly use local languages, slang or code switch so as to relate to their audiences and appeal to the greater mass of the population or people. President Obama also falls in that category of political leaders who have tried to bend their understanding and use of the conventional and standard language so as to appeal to the relevant and concerned audiences. Specifically, he has been articulate and express to have used the African American vernacular or the Black English which is in principle mostly used by the people of African America descent (Selzer, 2010). Thus, this research paper in principle and retrospect would discuss and contextualize the impact and the direct effects of the use of such language. It is important to note and mention that the paper will also explore the ways and means through which the African American vernacular language gets to spread and gain prominence in the human society. Statement of the problem It would be of key interest to gauge with utmost precision the specific or exact extent to which code switch as employed or is being used by President Barack Obama. This is to say that it would seeks to contextualize the exact step through which the President juggles between the standard language and the vernacular language. Similarly, it would be proper to contextualize the prospective effects of the code switch not only to the earning cycles but the whole society as a whole. In retrospect, it means that research process would inquire how the students and the society as a whole may be encouraged to continue to use the slang or African American vernacular language once they see the President-the symbol of highest authority use the same code of language. Methodology Type of research Given the nature and aspect of this research process, it is a cross of a qualitative and quantitative research. Thus, it is safe to assert that it would be an exploratory type of research because it would touch and focus on the numerical aspect such as the number or percentage of people in the society are likely to be encouraged to continue to use the slang. In the same line of thought, it may also touch and explain the number of people who may feel discouraged to use the same vernacular in the lives accordingly. Equally important is the fact that the study would expound on the aspect or issue of the quality of conversations relative to the use of proper English language (Rickford & Rickford, 2002). This is to say that the quality of life or the welfare of the people in the society as far as proper use of language, observing syntax rules and other rules of grammar. It goes without saying that a person who violates the stipulated rules of language and grammar by extension lowers the artistic considerations and acumen of the English language itself. In the conventional sense and aspect, an exploratory research process proceeds without any static hypothesis since the research process would seek to be free flowing and would seek to find its own end. In other words, this research would not be limited or guided by the constraints of a constant or a static hypothesis. Respondents In order to get the proper and correct inferences for this research and study I would be proper to have the research participants or the respondents who have a tinge of relevance and closeness to the study. This is to say that communication specialists and experts would form basis and part of the research. To begin with, the linguistic experts in the name of University professors who understand the value of language in the standards form would form the body of research respondents. This is so because their valued opinion would inform on whether such code switching is healthy for the development and general growth of the standards English language. The students and the young people would also be asked questions so as to give their opinion and views on the use of slang, whether they feel the version as used by President Obama is “cool” or good for them. Similarly, the political leaders such as the handlers of President Obama would explain why they thought the president’s use of African American vernacular was correct and proper. Lastly, members of the society would also explain what they thought the President’s use of code switching related to the African America population or whether it was a direct violation of linguistic codes and standards. Methods of data collection In the conventional sense and aspect, there are primary and secondary sources and ways of collecting information. To begin with, the primary sources related to the information that would be obtained firsthand such as from the interviews and watching speeches that were made by the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. It would also be critical for a prospective research to take notes and records of the television appearances that would be done by the President. This would engage the researcher to write notes on the way the president changes languages and relates to code switching. In principle, it would be a critical to use observations on how the president uses a different language when he is addressing different audiences especially the youths and the people of African American descent. Secondary sources would include magazines and websites which have been done and written by communication specialists relating to the use of proper language and effective communication skills and patterns. At the very minimum, secondary sources refers to the existing materials that have written or recorded and thus as a prospective researcher, I would obtain and take such information from the written records. It is important to note and mention that the secondary sources would be the reviews that people would write after watching the behavior of the president relative to the use of African American vernacular and language. Literature review This is the part of research which considers the opinion and input of other thinkers and researchers relative to the issue and concept of code switching and use of local language. According to (Alim, 2010), he mentions and records that a person such as a politician or an influential leader uses culturally relevant language so as to appeal to the intended audience. I would then get his opinion and view to the effect that if a person is a Jew addressing Jews, then such a person would easily and most probably use Yiddish and Jewish jargons so as to appeal and relate with the audience. I would also get the opinion and input of (Alim & Smitherman, 2012), who articulates and posits that it is the roots of a person or the heritage which overruns the conventional merits and standards I the society. This is to say that a person leans in the direction of his or her heritage or roots during any discourse because it is innate and unchangeably part of such a person. Thus, the conventional behaviors, patterns of things that a person gets to learn only come as secondary and additional in their lives. The things that a person are born to learn and appreciate from the days of being young seem to remain with such a person without ever changing despite the fact that the person may learn other things. If for instance a scientist from Africa attends Harvard University, it is unlikely that he or she would abandon his or her cultural belongings an tenets to pursue Western or foreign principles. The same argument and logic could be extended to mean that it is innately imbibed within the person of the President Obama to be a back and would therefore find it easy to relate and use the language of his own heritage. Results The linguistics experts mentioned that the president needed to show relevance by identifying with his heritage and that is why he code switches in different times. Secondly, I found that it could have been due the racial heritage of the president that he resorted to use the relevant language of his heritage by using African American vernacular. I also infer that human beings cannot shake off their innate personalities such as language and cultural dispositions despite the fact that they may grow their social ladder. Similarly, I find that he uses the languages especially in Black neighborhoods so as to appeal and resonate with the people in those localities. Methods of data analysis Given the fact that this is a cross breed of qualitative and quantitative research, it means that the analysis would be done in different fashions and aspects. The quantitative research and findings would be analyzed and examined to give graphs and figures from the research work. This is to say that the experts would justify or give meaning in the form of graphs and figures on why the linguistics standards and levels I the society have fallen in the recent past. However, it would be practically impossible and difficult for an analyst to draw inferences from the qualitative data with the aim of forming graphs. However, it would be easier to get the commonalities and then collapse the opinion of the research participants which seem to be relating. Such commonalities would then be coded and collapsed as same. Qualitative analysis Respondents affirmation in absolute terms Quantitative analysis Use of African American vernacular to appeal yes Percentage effect on the development of the standard language Use of African American vernacular to resonate with inner being and self Yes Percentage Use of African American vernacular to resonate with inner being and self Use of African American vernacular to appear fashionable and trendy yes Percentage Use of African American vernacular to appear fashionable and trendy Negative effects on the continued use of African American vernacular on standard English no Approximate percentage on the damage effected by use of African American vernacular on standard English In research work, it is common for a person such as a researcher to have erroneous variables, mishaps and have made mistakes during the research process. At this stage, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) technique would be used to correct the anomalies and the mistakes or variations which might have occurred in previous stages of the research process. Methods of data presentation Once appropriate commonalities and findings would have been made, the information would then be presented in a proper method and aspect. These methods include figures, graphs and tables according to the research findings. For instance, the quantitative research inferences would point to the direction that the number of people who use the African American vernacular would increase due to the fact that the president himself uses the same slang. Accordingly, it would be practical and easy to postulate and find the percentage changes either in increase or a reduction of the number of users of African American vernacular. It is important to note and mention that it is at this time and stage that the report and findings of the researcher would be written and complied at this stage. If there are other recommendations and other prospective lines of actions and reasoning they would be effected and written in the report at this particular stage and point in time. Conclusion The above essay has articulated and expounded on the fact that the president has continued to use slang and easy or skewed language in the recent past. Thus, the research paper has also strived and articulated to mention and explain the reason as to why most people especially the African Americans are not offended by such actions of the presidents. On the contrary, they feel appreciative and are able to identify with the happenings of the code switching. In principle, when the president holds interviews or gives speech to a younger generation of audience, it has been noted and recorded in most cases that he would skew and code switch to the African American Vernacular occasionally. References Alim, H. S. (2010). Critical language awareness. Sociolinguistics and language education, 205-231. Alim, H. S., & Smitherman, G. (2012). Articulate while Black: Barack Obama, language, and race in the US. Oxford University Press. Rickford, J. R., & Rickford, R. J. (2002). Spoken soul: The story of black English. John Wiley & Sons. Selzer, L. F. (2010). Barack Obama, the 2008 Presidential Election, and the New Cosmopolitanism: Figuring the Black Body. MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the US, 35(4), 15-37. Read More