The Evolution of the English Language

The English language has been around for over 1400 years. During that period of time it has had many twists and turns. It has been manipulated so much to the point where we wouldn’t be able to recognise/understand a piece of text that was written 1000 years ago. 

Let me ask you this my fellow reader, we have seen how the language has evolved in the past, why does it have to stop here? With the world evolving and many expats going all around the world, the language is easily going to be influenced by different cultures and customs.  When expats come into new countries they have to try and adapt to a whole new life. So, learning the language and perfecting it is not going to be top priority on their list. Yes, learning the language is crucial, but as long as they are able to hold a conversation where both sides are able to understand each other, it is appropriate. Growing up in an immigrant family, you are bound to speak 2 types of English. One that you speak inside the house, and one that you use when your in school, or out in public. So who is to say which one is right or wrong? To some that is the only English that they know. Even to them their dialect of english has its rules and conventions. 

While reading Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” I noticed that she made a very powerful statement, and I quote, “`But to me, my mother’s english is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. Its my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. That was the language that helped me shape the way I see things, expressed things, made sense of the world.” 

Amy is trying to represent how to her, her mother’s english is the one that she is used to, one that she will never let go of, and that to her (even as a writer) finds completely correct. 

See, it is not as if they are completely butchering the English language, the language stays the same, it is just modified to fit the needs of bilingual speakers, making it easier for them to communicate their ideas and notions to the English speaking world. 

Wake up society! Let me take you on a trip around the world. We are in Britain. The land of the British where people say words like: Gormless, Knackered, and Gobby. A different variation of English. We are in Scotland, where people say: neeps, breeks, and shoogle. Another different variation. We are in Ireland, where you hear: bowsie, ganky, and jacks. 

Accents and dialects have been around for a very long time. It seems as though only English speaking countries are allowed to speak in a different “English”, without being critiqued and called, “broken.” Go on social media, and you’ll witness a completely different language using an array abbreviations and slang. I think you get the point I’m trying to make here. 

English is different in every part of the world, and thats what makes every country and culture so unique. So why should the different variations stop at immigrants? For most, speaking is the way you express yourself. So why should we stand in the middle of that? Why should we be the barrier that is stop people from being their true, authentic self? That is something that should be celebrated instead of looked down upon. 

Imagine a world where everyone spoke the same way, with the same dialect, quite the boring world it would be eh?