Language and Power - Scaffolding and Language Development - Essay Example

section/# Language and Power Introduction: Thus far within this semester, a representation of the power of language has been provided in the form of a any of different articles and readings. From these readings, it has come to be clear that the power of language and linguistics spans far beyond the conventions of naming or the individual meaning that words or groups of words help to convey. As such, the following analysis will provide something of a brief highlight and summary for the different and impactful interpretations that have thus far been denoted during the course of the year. Through such an exploratory analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will not only come to a more full and complete comprehension of the material; but will identify with it in a more macro sense – realizing the broader implications that language has on the way that individuals relate with one another and define the world around them. Scaffolding and Language Development: Just as with the process of construction and building, language development and scaffolding is a necessary component in a content area classroom due to the fact that it encourages the individual student to reach beyond themselves and beyond their own comfort levels and integrate with language, idioms, expressions, tasks, and approaches that could be beneficial in helping them to integrate with language and understanding to a more full and complete degree. Through such an approach, the individual is able to develop their own language and communication skills alongside the altered communication style or pattern of the educator/instructor. Many have wrongly asserted that this merely “dumbs down” the process; however, the fact of the matter is that a variety of different studies have proven the effectiveness upon language development that scaffolding is able to afford. As such, other authors that have been studied have indicated that scaffolding and language development are highly useful tools in the toolbox of those that seek to craft deeper levels of understanding with respect to how language is understood. With that being said, like any tool, authors warn against the fact that instructors must be mindful of the fact that even though scaffolding is useful in helping to develop language skills, it must not be overused and must be utilized alongside other time tested and effective techniques. In such a way, the educator will have the greatest likelihood of experience a positive outcome from using a nuanced approach to education; rather than merely utilizing the same tool to an inappropriate level and being too reliant upon a single approach towards disseminating knowledge. Likewise, several of the readings focused upon the need to understand the tacit and innate power that language represents; both in terms of its ability to change minds and its ability to define situations and positions that may come to develop. In such a manner it should be noted that Dr. Susan Rutherford once stated, “If you can control a people’s language – you control the people” (Rutherford, 1993). Although this particular quotation might seem as somewhat simplistic, the fact of the matter is that there is a much deeper meaning and larger understanding that can be had with respect to this specific quote. The rationale behind this has to do with the fact that language is oftentimes misunderstood as merely nothing more than a collection of words that help to define themselves in terms of a particular region, dialect, or language group itself. Yet, the reality of the fact is that language has an imminent level of importance. This is with respect to shaping dialogue, informing culture, creating means of engagement, providing for focus on issues, and developing and differentiating levels of importance with respect to certain issues. The Development of Dialogue: Firstly, with reference to the development of the dialogue, this is an essential component of the way in which language can help to define and “control” a given people group. For instance, in a situation in which the dialogue is focused upon a specific aspect of behavior or another issue of societal importance, the impact of language is profound in that it connects a litany of different meanings, cultural obligations, understandings, and other corollaries. In the case of working with the deaf, an individual that shapes the language and is responsible for informing the discussion has a primal level of importance with respect to the way that information is understood. As such, by “controlling” the language, a group of individuals is able to develop the mechanisms through which understanding and definition will take place. Definition and Impact of Culture and Identity: Another relevant issue that must be considered is with respect to the cultural attributes of language and the means by which this can help to “control” the way in which understanding is created. Taking the situation of sign language as a case in point, the reader can note that sign language has developed through a cumulative effort of many educators and stakeholders that have helped to incorporate deaf communication towards the mainstream of society. Furthermore, instead of merely engaging with language based upon an incomplete and faulty definition, the stakeholder should engage with language in terms of the way in which it can provide a unique level of focus and prioritize specific meanings. As has been noted above, the power and ability of language to perform such a task within distinct groups is ultimately what helped it to provide a level of power and uniformity that is otherwise been complex and indiscernible too many anthropologists and linguistic analysts (Janks, 2010). Linguistics as a locus of control is aptly represented within Xavier Barker’s piece entitled, “English Language as Bully in the Republic of Nauru”. As culture, language, religion, geographic place, and other attributes help to define a people’s identity, the power of language to undermine this identity is strong (Rapatahana & Bruce, 2012). Accordingly, keeping in line with the argument represented above, Barker’s piece illustrates the fact that the colonial, and post colonial world, has leveraged English to the extent that it has begun to undermine the identities of many people’s around the globe. As a more globalized world is represented to a further and further degree, the extent to which natural identity associated with traditional forms of linguistics can be expressed is limited. Moreover, institutions and norms of education or behavior coalesce to further punish the extent to which individuals that attempt to hold on to some component of their native language might otherwise experience. Evidence of this is of course denoted time and time again throughout history. Likewise, Diana Eades, within her article entitled “Lexical Struggle in Court – Aboriginal Australians versus the State” indicates the fact that the system of languages that are established in many regions around the globe, specifically those of the English speaking world, serve as more of a form of slavery as compared to linguistic freedom. As business, legal affairs, and education, not to mention law enforcement, are generally carried out with the English language, aboriginal peoples, or those that otherwise are not familiar with the norms of linguistic patterns of a host region are at a measurable disadvantage; thereby decreasing their freedom and limiting their potential (Brinton & Arnovick, 2011). Language as a Locus of Control: Similar analysis into this issue by Athalie Crawford indicates that the use of English as a predominant language amongst colonized peoples is tantamount to a form of tacit racism. Whereas it is true that the pervasion of the representation of English around the globe now spans far beyond racial lines, the initial system that was imposed was one that was white-dominated; thereby lending the analyst to understand much of the reason behind why separate offshoots of English have come to be represented and why a perennial struggle to “make English” uniform and universal is seen by many as another form of both physical and literal subjugation (Crawford, 1999). In terms of the way that individual offshoots of English have spawned as an answer to this tacit form of repression and racism, Velma Pollard, in her piece entitled “Sound and Power: The Language of the Rastarfari”, illustrates the fact that even though ebonics might be viewed as a fairly recent manifestation of the way in which certain communities seek to take power and control of their own unique language, the Jamaican dialects of English are perhaps some of the better exemplifications of this particular process (Pollard, 2003) Conclusion: From the information that has been provided, the power and scope of linguistics and language can at least partially be understood. Whereas a litany of approaches to how this process is conducted exist, a baseline of understanding is concentric upon the fact that language has an innate power to form, coerce, and ultimately change the identity, culture, and outlook of individuals around the globe. For this very purpose, scholars, such as the ones that have been discussed within this paper, have sought to measure this impact and determine how it can be improved for the integration of diverse populations around the globe. Nevertheless, understanding these impacts and seeking to address them remains a fundamental goal for anthropologists and sociologists alike. References Crawford, A. (1999). We can’t all understand the white’s language: An analysis of monolingual health services in a multilingual society, International Journal of Sociology of Lanuage, vol. 136, pp. 27-45. Brinton, L. J., & Arnovick, L. K. (2011). The English language: A linguistic history. Don Mills: OUP Canada. Eades, D. (2006). Lexical struggle in court: Aboriginal Australians versus the state. Journal Of Sociolinguistics, 10(2), 153-180. doi:10.1111/j.1360-6441.2006.00323.x Janks, H. (2010).Literacy and Power, Routledge, N.Y., pp. 35-60. Pollard, V. (2003). Sound and Power: the Language of the Rastafari. Black Linguistics: Language, Society and Politics in Africa and the Americas. Rapatahana, V, & Bruce, P. (eds) (2012). English language as hydra: its impacts on non-English cultures, Multilingual Matters, Bristol, pp. 18-36 Rutherford, S. (1993). A study of American deaf folklore. Burtonsville, Md: Linstok Press. Read More