The Why Standard English Page
Good Grammar or Standard English?
A living language such as English is a dynamic flow of spoken and
written terms, eternally evolving. Each time a new person is born into
language, each time a person who speaks that language dies, the
language becomes something different. Whenever people use the
language they cause it to flow in and around itself, creating new
meanings, new ways to express, new ways to think about that very
language.
~
Non Standard English reflects that process of language becoming. This
"English" is really a collection of "English's" comprised of dialects,
slang, technical jargon and slogans we learn from TV, movies and
politicians. There are rules of grammar found in each of them, some of
those rules are common to all, many of them are different. Whether
you are a hip teenager growing up in Harlem or a cultured patriarch of
the Deep South or a Louisiana native singing some Zydeco blues, there
are rules, certain grammatical structures unique to each way of
speaking English. These rules are there, but they are not the rules
spoken of in grammar books or in handbooks or in manuals of style.
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Grammar books commonly describe one of the many dialects spoken in
America, "Standard English." When people use terms such as "good"
grammar; or when they describe a different dialect as "bad" English,
they usually mean good or bad (correct or incorrect) in "Standard
English". In any of the forms of English "good" or "bad," however, is
more a quality of whether or not your words convey the meaning you
intend, rather than any particular combination of the language. There
is nothing "naughty" about the word "ain't." But, as there are times
when "ain't" carries meaning better than any other word, there are
also times when "ain't" will get in the way of good communication.
~
Sometimes Standard English is what will most convey our intended
meaning. Just as the use of some slang words could get you in trouble
with your mother, using a dialect different from Standard English can
get you in trouble with your boss, your teacher, or any other audience
that expects to communicate with you on a more formal level than,
perhaps, your friends and family expect when you are all just hanging
out. The meaning of "I ain't got no money." is perfectly clear, and you
would not expect someone saying that to bankroll your next trip to the
movies. Nor should you expect your teacher to respond to that phrase
with anything but a lower grade. You have good instincts, and can
already tell when and where to use a more formal way of speaking
than your everyday style. You will also need to know how.
~
You already know 99% of how to use Standard English. It is that nasty,
little 1% that can get us all in trouble. Lower grades on your essays,
failing to get a job because of how you filled out the application, being
rejected by your college of choice, or not winning an election are a few
of the ways not knowing that final 1% could make a difference.
Speaking of someone's language patterns as "bad" or "good" is not only
poor logic, it is cruel and unusual punishment, because the judgment
tends to flow onto the person using that pattern, and he becomes
branded as "bad" or "ignorant" . However, when we unthinkingly use
language without considering our audience's expectations, we are
indeed unthinking. In America, at this point of time, you have the
freedom to speak aloud any of our more colorful expressions that are
most often used when we strike our thumb with a hammer. But if we
should rise in church and use the same colorful language we ought not
be surprised if the congregation becomes angry with us. Nor should
any of us considerthe constitutional right to free speech challenged
because an essay grade is lowered when he carelessly peppered the
essay with comma splices.
~
In writing audience is everything. We need to tailor our language usage
to be appropriate to our intended audience. Because we already use
many informal dialects perfectly, this program focuses on "Standard
English". Learn and use Standard English not because it is "good"
grammar or better grammar than you now use, but because it can be
the dialect most appropriate for a particular audience, the one most
often expected in school.
~
There are people out there who honestly disagree with this. If you are
one of them, or just have a question or idea, please add your thoughts
in the "comments" section below.
