THE POLITICS OF LINGUISTIC IDENTITY: 3 VIEWS ( I ) I wanna master deh language ah opportunity wid deh most prestige & speak deh language ah power 'n technology Show me how ta talk like movie stars do powerfully in wayz dat influenz whad millions ah udders do. My language iz small 'n insubstantial - Yahs Is Powerful, Modern, 'n Big. If I master Yah Expressions . . . will yah actually listen ta me? ( II ) Each year the world is shrinking as more foreign ideaz appear. If we value our culture, shouldn't we preserve it & not let it disappear? At first glance, foreign words seem harmless - but each is a Trojan Horse: Every word is tied to a larger world view shaping what we value and do. So before venturing into any verbal exchange be sure to wear "linguistic armor" otherwise who's ta blame when your mother tongue iz vanquished & slain? ( III ) In the world of business, English is a useful tool - At home, however, things are different - our native tongue is kool. Our heritage equals any - why fear being foreignized? We can absorb new expressions without losing our integrity or pride. Linguistic xenophobia is a sign of the weak - our language is strong enough to absorb any foreign stream without loosing our being. Melissa: O.K. We have three views. Which does the author believe in? Tim: None. Melissa: How can that be? Tim: The whole notion of 'view' concerns what's supposed to be. Only if you have no view can you see what is. Melissa: Gawd dang! If dat ain't bull sheeet, I'm am a real cow girl. Liao: (laughing) Gitty up, gal! ===================================================================================== from _Crassroom Voices - Poetry, Art, & Dialogs about Education_ by T Newfields SUMMARY: A pictorial poem and conversation about linguistic identity and different ways of viewing English. KEYWORDS: linguistic identities, lingualism, linguistic imperialism, English as a global language Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955) Begun: 1996 in Shizuoka, Japan / Finished: 2017 in Yokohama, Japan Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted < LAST http://www.tnewfields.info/CrassroomVoices/textsyn.htm TOC http://www.tnewfields.info/CrassroomVoices/index.html NEXT > http://www.tnewfields.info/CrassroomVoices/better.htm