Multicultural Communication:Language

and PoliticsMulticultural Communication Comm 172

Department of Communication Studies

San Jose State University

Instructor: Dr. Marquita Byrd

Marquita Byrd©2012

Language and Politics in a Multilingual Society

Eurowestern traditional story about how we came to have different

languages

Babel, Babbling, Babbler

Words that come from this story

Tower of BabelBible Genesis 11:

1 Now the whole world had one language and a

common

speech. 4 Then they said, "Come, let us build

ourselves a

city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that

we

may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered

over the face of the whole earth." 7 (The Lord said),

Come, let us go down and confuse their language so

they will not understand each other 9

That is why it was called Babel--because there the

LORD confused the language of the whole world.

The appropriateness of language depends on who you

are talking to, when, where why.

No better or worse languages

Language Spoken

Who has the guns Who has the money

Language is Central to Identity

Native Americans Americans

O Can you be part of

the tribe if you don’t

speak the

language?

O Can you be a

trusted U.S. citizen

if you don’t speak

English?

English

Regional

New YorkNew

Orleans

Racial

Spanglish

Differences in dialectsPhonology, Semantics, and grammar

Other terms:

Code switching

Register

Voice

Darling, did you hear them talking? And they say they speak English!

Attitudes towards dialects and be negative or positive.

Language Snob Chinese Americans

Misconceptions about dialects

Incorrect grammar

Should use mainstream English at all times

Only people of colour and poor people use dialects

Changing is easy

Dialect users have low intellect

Two Language Models

Reduction Additive

Three styles

Two styles

One style

One Style

Two Styles

Several styles

Understand the need for language flexibility

Language use determined by several context

Foster constructive attitudes about linguistic variations

All People Should have Equal Linguistic Rights

Every language and dialect is equally valid based on

the speaker, listener(s), occasion, topic, place, and

purpose of the communication.

DON’T COUNT PEOPLE OUT BECAUSE THEY

DON’T SOUND LIKE YOU!