LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 22.JUL.2000 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 22.JUL.2000 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 From: john feather [johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk]
 Subject: Language politics

 Some time ago we discussed the use of the multiple negative in English. In

the "meg@" section of today's London Times the Spider-Man strip contains
the
following dialogue:

Criminal: I ain't done nothin'! You can't do nothin' to me nohow!

Policeman: Then we'll book you for mangling the language.

I couldn't help noticing that the Times, as you might expect from an organ
of the imperialist hegemony, is by this means reinforcing in the minds of
young readers the idea that only standard forms of English are permissible.

I can't decide whether the fact that the last sentence is put into the
mouth
(or speech-bubble) of a black (using that term in the English liberal
sense)
policeman is positive in not reinforcing stereotypes of Black speech or
negative in implying that people from ethnic minorities must suppress their

natural language in order to succeed in the oppressive world of the
majority.

John Feather johnfeather at sceptic1.freeserve.co.uk
"If you don't learn to laugh at yourself, someone else will do it for you."

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From: Henry Pijffers [hpijffers at home.nl]
Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 21.JUL.2000 (09) [E]

Ron Feather hef schreven:
>
> Sandy observed that people often choose (when they can) for their
children
> to speak a "prestige" language and wondered whether limiting their right
to
> do so would be morally justified. Henry "extrapolated" this to the idea
of
> "making" English the global language. This, of course, is a completely
> different idea - imposing something rather than letting people choose it
> freely - but a similar confusion seems to permeate a lot of linguistic
> discussions.
>
Well, just to be sure nobody got me wrong, I was just jesting.
Of course it would be a ridiculous idea to make English the global
language.
I just use it when (Dutch) people tell me that the idea of the whole
country
speaking ONLY Dutch is we all understand eachother. I then extrapolate that

a little by saying that we might as well start speaking German then,
because
many of the people who say that, dislike German. Or if they really don't
get it,
I tell 'm to continue in English, so the whole world can understand what
the
two of us are saying to eachother.

regards,
Henry

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