Language Auto _ Massey-Campbell

Language Autobiography

“What is language?” This question may seem incomplex, but it is all but simple. The common person when asked this question would most likely answer that language is “the way people communicate” or “language is the words you say to divulge your thoughts to someone.” Although this is true, I do not simply see language as being simple. Language is displayed as being something compounded of simple characteristics, but under the basic basis of what language is, language is more complicated than being just the way we communicate.

There are an approximated 6800 different types of languages different groups of people speak in the world. Yes, there are the different human classified languages like English, German and Spanish. But there are sub-languages.  There are of as many sub-languages as there are people. Many will define language as the way you speak, or what you speak or how you communicate with others. So if this is true, does anyone communicate the same? Do any of us speak the same way? I believe we are all unique in the way we speak. If we spoke the same way, if we had the same vocabulary, we would not be able to distinct ourselves verbally. A verbal conversation is simply blind communication. Although it is everything but simple. If we all communicated using the same language it would be like talking to ourselves in a full body-mirror. We all have something that makes our voice unique, whether it be the tone in which we speak, how deep our voice is, if we speak straight or if we sometimes sta-sta-stutter when we speak.

At Germantown Friends School you were instantly judged and classified by the way you presented yourself through your appearance, the way you dress and the way you speak. Once you were judged you were put in a social class. These social classes most times excluded African Americans although not putting them at the bottom of the social hierarchy. African Americans were expected to speak in slang, to have a lazy tongue and to be stupid.  Although this was the ideal, it was in a way admired by the majority and African Americans to speak a language they do not necessarily speak. Many of my black friends spoke street slang to impress, and also because it felt expected in that community. A caucasian girl, who all of the boys eyed. Many would do anything to go with her. An advantage that we had was that she had a huge adoration for the “black male” who lived the street life. This was one of the reasons many of them would act the way they did. I did not allow myself to fall into the pre-labeling stereotypes of the black male. My time at GFS did not allow me to feel that I could truly express or speak in a way that was natural. I found myself not trying to fall into the black male stereotypes around the caucasian students, and when I was around my black friends I would speak more slang to be accepted.  A rapper that I listen to had a verse that I believe describe my situation nicely. Thebe Neruda Kgositsile aka Earl Sweatshirt said in his song Chum “Too Black for the White kids and too White for the Blacks.” Earl was describing to us how his behavior was never completely acceptable for the white or black kids that he knew. Earl as well as I felt like outcast. We never truly fit in with regular crowds. I never had a group of friends that I would regularly hang out with. I was either tired of speaking in slang or tired of trying to impress a group of people that I didn’t need to.