Language as an Identity

Language As Identification

Since about the age of five years old you have been taught how to speak, how to pronounce and enunciate your words. Grammar, Literature, Creative Writing, all these are classes offered to help you develop and nurture you speaking/ writing skills. You’ve had English classes all your life, so why is it that when around your peers and not in a formal situation it is so easy to slip back into the slang and none grammar usage language that you have been taught to avoid? Actually this happens so often it affects how others think of young people as a whole, and the sad thing about it is they are almost right. What is the purpose of taking classes that teaches you how to speak and sound at least slightly intelligent if you’re not going to appreciate it and use it. The answer is simple, to be taken seriously. Take corporate America for example, a position has opened at a distinguished law firm. Two people are selected to be interviewed, one because of an outstanding resume and the other for an exceptionally smaller but interesting resume. The person with the smaller resume is interviewed first. They spoke with intelligence and with an air about them that made the company manager want to know more and more about this person. Then the second person is interviewed, and although their resume was outstanding and filled with a lot of accomplishments, they way they spoke were as if they were speaking to an old friend and not a potential employee. The interview was over much faster than planned and it was clear who would be hired and who wouldn’t. It is essential that you speak with clearly, write intelligently, and try to refrain from using slang with those of importance. If not you will not make it very far in this world. What can you as a person do to hone your language skills and broaden your perception on literature? For one, read a BOOK, they are an amazing source of information believe it or not. They hold the information and knowledge that is useful in succeeding in life. Another is use branch out, learn a new language, and expand your personality. Become bilingual! Being bilingual is not as rare as it used to be and is extremely important in the world today. With so many people of different languages living in America, many offices need bilingual employees. Not only does it expand your knowledge but it also gives you an upper hand in the professional world. Personality, professionalism, these come from within but you only have both of these if you are familiar with language. If you know next to nothing about languages and literature, you’re probably not going to have much to talk about. Plus, because of your limited vocabulary, not very many people are going to be able to understand you, let alone want to hear what you have to say. Take some advice and go for the gold, learn as much as you can about speaking and literature, you will go farther than you ever thought possible.

Books are knowledge; almost everything you learn comes from a book. If it’s not written in a book, it most likely will be soon. You want to be known as someone who is knowledgeable, intelligent, someone who is on the ball.

Personality, the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity, makes you who you are.(Dictionary.com) It sets you apart from the other 50 billion humans on this earth. Why have a bland personality, when you can be one of a kind? Dare to be different than the rest, use grammar and proper English.