Do you speak Amurican?

The past couple days we have been watching the documentary "Do You Speak American?" The host traveled all around the country talking with different people about where "correct" English is spoken. Many people surveyed on a train believed that the most correct English is spoken in the Midwest. Our accent is believed to be the most neutral. When new culture is introduced, the native tongue begins to adapt to the changes in dialect. One example of this is Chicano English vs. Spanglish. Spanglish is a mixture of Spanish and English. The Spanish words used do have a meaning in the sentence whereas in Chicano English, the Spanish words thrown in are usually slang and don't add much meaning to the sentence. Chicano English is mainly slang.

Warning: contains language unsuitable for young children.

This weeks article was all about how language shapes how we think. Research has revealed that when we are taught our native language, we acquire habits of thought that shape our experiences. Some common mistakes people make are assuming that if a language doesn't have a word for something, those people don't understand the concept. This is not true. There is no evidence that proves this. What a language must convey and what it may convey are two different things.

In English, we don't have to specify if the person we are talking about is a man or a woman. In other languages such as French or German, it is necessary to specify the gender of the person or even object of which you are speaking. Though in English, it is necessary to specify the time events occur. In languages such as Chinese, time doesn't really matter because the verb tense does not change from present to past or future. These differences in language force us to consider what information or details are really important.

Language has many influences on society. The big one in America is whether or not Spanish will someday become our second or even first language. Are the Spaniards taking over? Tune in next time to find out. (Or just wait a couple years)