"Becoming a Linguist"

The first Chapter of Bastard Tongues titled Becoming a Linguist begins with the author explaining how it was teaching English Literature to West Africans. The author made a statement which connects to my current honors Cultural Anthropology class and my prior Sociology class.

The author disagreed on the western African way of life. The dispute was based on how is the correct way to hold a baby. In western Africa Ghanaians to be precise, mothers carry their baby on their back. On the other hand, the author explains that is the “wrong” way to hold a baby. While the “right” way is in her arms (BT4). This shows that culture determines the way of life. What may seem right for one culture may show wrong for the next. This is described as the sociology term deviance. For instance, the author who is the teacher explains what he think is the right way, while a student responded “What a stupid way to carry a baby” ( BT4). This is a prime example of ethnocentrism. An ethnocentric person who behave in this way tends to judge others culture with theirs to try to justify their way of life.

I admire how the author questions “how could you ever get over cultural barriers like these”. (BT5). From my perspective I think it is impossible to get over cultural barriers because every culture has different norms that the people in that culture must obey. To add, if they do not it would be a symbol as taboo. Besides all culture has a different view of life and how it should be lived.

This event was the turning point for the author to start studying linguistics, scientific study of language (5). Becoming a linguist brought the author to my homeland, Guyana. When the author went to Guyana he met with a guy named Bill Murray. The uncanny aspect of this is I am Guyanese and my last name is Murray.

autobiographical reflection

    From the title of this book Bastard Tongue, I questioned what can this book possibly be about? As I browsed the table of content i came a cross a chapter called "Grappling Guyana". I was pretty much excited because I was born in Guyana and I was curious to see what information this chapter enclosed. Lastly, as I read the first paragraph I realized the speaker was describing himself in the story beginning with I. I really look forward to receiving this book in the mail.

Language is More Than Just Words

            Language is an interaction with words, which we explore the many areas of speech and writing. The language that I verbalize fluently through writing, reading and understanding is English. The way I speak English may vary from school to work, from friends to family. Do know I still speak English differently, whether if it is broken down, professional or in a suitable form that my peers will comprehend more. I learned English at a young age through my parents, grandparents and community.

                        Language is complex; it is difficult to understand how language happens or more so how it is form. Language is like a sea, it just flows upward or the opposite. My proposition in terms of language is straightforward; language is the mother of communication. Language benefits everyone, even if their mentally ill. There are many forms of communication through language, for example sign language. According to “Does Your Language Shape How You Think?” an August 26, 2010 article by Guy Deutscher, ‘Language differ essentially in what they must convey and not in what they may convey’ (DYLSHYT 2). This quote is saying language is different because some direct answers for a question are necessary to express in some languages while in other language it is inappropriate. This article gives a very good example of my explanation, to paraphrase if someone explained how their spent yesterday evening with a neighbor, you may wonder if it is male or female. If you are speaking French or German, you obligated by grammar to put across the sex of your neighbor. However, in English you have the authority to tell that person to mind their business in a friendly way (DYLSHYT 2-3).

              I most commend Deutscher he was able to show how different languages use the same words in different ways. For instance, the Spanish and French languages use masculinity and femininity to name inanimate objects. In addition, one object would be feminine in the Spanish language and masculine in the French. Deutscher shows how different language are but yet so similar because it use to converse. Deutscher forgot to explain to me how we measure the impact of language. For that fact since I believe language is the mother of communication why not show the impact it has made to society.

Clevelyn Murray