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 a

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.

~

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 consider

the 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, if you will send me your thoughts, I will add them to this

discussion: