Nick's Language Auto Biography

­Nick Manton

Iron Stream

Y-Band

English

            Language means many different things. It can be from what words you speak such as English, Spanish, German, etc. Language can also be the way you speak to one another. It’s not an easy thing to describe, because it is not a dialect but it is very similar. It is the wordage choice you use with different sets of people. You can have change between conversation personalities subconsciously or consciously. It can be different between friends, family, fellow employees, etc. Conversation with your friends might use a choice of words like these, “Hey man, what’s up?” While with your employees, the conversation would be much more formal.

            When I am at my dad’s house the conversations last much longer and are usually education, sports, or family related. It is a flow of words and has its serious moments, but then the conversations can be extremely funny with a word here and there while the rest of it is a foursome of cackles and heavy breaths from laughing too much. The conversations not only are educated or hilarious or serious but there is a tone that we use with each other. It seems like a very common way of talking to us but to many other people such as friends who come over to our house and listen to us talk usually are confused at what is being talked about. It can’t be put into words and can only be witnessed. Sometimes we just love to confuse a guest and we do it on purpose.

            “So when are we having dinner?” says my friend Paul.

            “What dinner?” my dad replies with believable wondering voice.

            “You know” Paul replies confused “when you ate in the evening.

            “Huh?” I say going along with my dad.

            “What the f*** Nick!?” Paul’s voice rising in frustration. “Are yous high or something?”

            “I think you’re the one that’s on something” my dad replies matter-of-factly.

            While at my mom’s house the conversations are short and usually pointless. The conversations tend to be a little awkward, not really a flow of words. If you could imagine small talk that’s big, that would describe the way talking goes on in my mom’s house. It does have moments of decent conversation but for the most part it is something like this:

            “Hey Nick.” My mom says uninterestedly “Are you finished your homework?” I could reply that I blew up the school and she wouldn’t notice. But instead I usually reply “No. Not yet.” Then there is a log pause and she either leaves or asks more pointless questions.  Sometimes there can be spurts of actual deep long conversations that really do mean something to someone in this world. The time where there are conversations like those are always over text messages or voicemails.

            Around friends conversations usually happen extremely fast. We go through subjects in matters of minutes and seconds. Using words that probably do not even exist. Sentences that are so improper that every English teacher in this world would want to line up to smack each of us. A conversation listed by subject would look something like this: Sports, Comedy, sports, comedy, video games, school work, and then we all get mad because someone had to mention school.

            We all for the most part will act differently and speak differently depending on the people who are around us. Whether it is with your parents, friend, co-workers, or even your pet. It’s not a bad thing or a good thing it is something that we automatically do. It is an interesting aspect of the brain and I wonder what part of our minds controls this reaction. I haven’t meet a person yet who hasn’t spoken differently around me than when they do with their parents.