Language as a badge of identity Essay Example for Free

Language as a badge of identity Essay Language is used every day to communicate with one another but beneath that conversation lies another message. The speaker’s use of language gives listeners insight as to who they are, like a badge of identity on their chest. Australian English’s unique phonology and lexicon is recognised globally and distinguishes it from other accents, giving the speaker a clear national identity. Ethno-lects are spoken by a specific group of people who have the same cultural background. These â€Å"ethno-lects† not only help express an individual’s identity and separate themselves from the rest, but also assist in bringing together speakers from similar backgrounds; much like a football jersey. Text speak is constantly evolving as lexemes are taking on new changes. Many teenagers and younger children have begun to adopt this in an attempt to identify with others and fit in. Through language, we can get a glimpse of a person’s identity but they can use the same medium to change that identity as well. Australian English is unlike other Englishes in many different aspects, especially phonetically morphologically and semantically. Phonology plays a great role in national identity as it is what creates different accents. The broad, ocker Australian accent with its trademark nasal, flattened vowels is one of the key elements of Australian linguistics that sets it apart from the rest of the world. Diphthongs in lexemes like â€Å"high† are more rounded, resulting in /hoÉ ª/. Phonetic features such as these are easily identified as Australian. Slang is another feature of Australian English that sets it apart from others. Replacing suffixes with vowels is a good example of this. â€Å"Afternoon† becomes â€Å"arvo†, names like â€Å"Barry† becomes â€Å"Bazza† and by replacing the last element with an ‘-o’, the adjective â€Å"povo† has undergone a word class shift from the noun â€Å"poverty†. Popular culture has also influe nced Australian English, with ABC television series J’amie, Private School girl introducing a semantic and word class shift of ‘quiche’ (a noun meaning a savoury open-faced pastry) to an adjective to describe an attractive individual. Australia’s linguistic innovation displays individuality and opposes claims that slang is borrowed from America.  Australian English shows both national pride and identity. Teenagers are at the age when they are starting to establish their identity. Neologisms are created by teenagers to claim a different identity from that of children or adults. As adults become more familiar with these lexemes and their use, teenagers abandon them or alter the semantics and use to maintain a linguistic barrier. A good example of this is the well-known acronym â€Å"lol† which stands for Laugh Out Loud. As more adults become aware of this lexical item and start to include it in their daily texts, teenagers have brought it into speech as an exclamatory and discourse particle. The case of the letters now also alters the semantics; when typed in lower-case, â€Å"lol† is sarcastic whilst â€Å"LOL† in capital letters shows true amusement. It is evident that this constant changing of terms by teenagers is a sign of rebellion and an effort to keep a linguistic barrier between themselves and adults, thus maintaining a separate identity. The malleability of the lexicon is taken advantage of by teenagers to form a linguistic barrier between themselves and unwanted people such as adults and other teenagers who don’t belong in their group. Thus, a unique identity is maintained. While teenagers are constantly seeking to separate themselves from children and adults, they are also pressured to conform to the teenage group. Acronyms such as â€Å"idek† (I don’t even know) and â€Å"tbh† (to be honest) are now frequently used lexicon in a teenager’s text vocabulary due to connotations of â€Å"cool† and â€Å"modern† being associated with them. Similarly, whatever was once popular amongst a teenager’s discourse. In time, it was shortened to â€Å"whatevs† and this trend spread quickly amongst them as a result of peer pressure and the need to be fashionable. Professor Steven Pinker suggests the reason for this is because â€Å"the coolest kids decide to talk that way and it spreads like wildfire†. Individuals who wish to associate with others who sit higher on the â€Å"social pyramid† will pick up their speech habits and wear it as a new badge of identity. Having their own exclusive vocabulary allows teenagers to relate to each other and share the same identity, giving them a sense of belonging to a group. Language can be worn as a badge of identity, giving speakers national,  interpersonal and intrapersonal identity. The phonology of Australian English gives the speaker a distinct accent and, paired along with its unique slang, makes it identifiable across the globe. In order to separate themselves from adults and children, teenagers build a linguistic barrier by creating neologisms and maintaining that barrier by constantly altering lexicon to avoid adults becoming too familiar with them. On the other hand, inside the teenage group is a drive to conform and use similar language in an attempt to fit in with peers and to have a sense of belonging. Language is used as a badge of identity regardless of what that identity is. Bibliography Das, S, 2005. Struth! Someones nicked me Strine. The Age, 29 January. 34. Seaton, M, 2001. Word Up. Guardian, 21 September. 46.

Prophet and Tecumseh Essay -- essays research papers

It is believed that Tecumseh was born in 1768 in central Ohio. He was the second son of a Shawnee warrior who was killed at the Battle of Point Pleasant. In his dying breaths, his father commanded his eldest son Cheesuaka, to train Tecumseh as a warrior and to never make peace with the whites. Cheesuaka was good to his word and became an excellent warrior and a teacher. He grew close with his younger brother, and after their mother moved to Missouri he acted as a foster parent as well. Tecumseh was a model child, and although it is claimed that he ran in terror from his first battle, his courage never faltered from then on. Tall, muscular, intelligent, and highly charismatic, Tecumseh proved to be a master battle tactics and an excellent speaker. (Edmunds) Prophet was one of a set of triplets born just a few years after Tecumseh. Tenskwatawa, as he was first known was the only one of the three believed to have survived into adulthood. Part of this could be because, unlike Tecumseh, Tenskwatawa was a clumsy child who was unskilled in hunting and would never become a warrior. This was a serious faux paux for a young man in Shawnee society. Tenskwatawa lost his right eye in a hunting accident when he was young. As he grew older, developed a taste for whiskey and quickly degenerated into severe alcoholism. Despite his flaws, Tenskwatawa was devoted to Tecumseh, and the older brother acted as his protector. (Edmunds) Tenskwatawa’s life was filled with alcohol and despair when, he...

Communication Studies: Examples of preface Essay

A poem was chosen to portray this piece because readers seem to be more appreciative of poems. This genre allowed the opportunity to create the perfect setting in which a young girl is enticed into prostitution. I was inspired to do this piece because I wanted to help some of my friends and hope that this genre of the poem will reach them. The intended audience is adolescent girls as they are at high risk of being lured into this practice via media influences that make it seem ‘acceptable’ to indulge in vulgar behaviour and promiscuous acts. An appropriate place for this reflective piece would be in a school newspaper/class notice board, as well as in a school library for easy accessibility. This piece was written in an attempt to sensitize the public of this ever growing epidemic among the young girls of the Caribbean. Example B A dialogue was chosen for this reflective piece because it was the most effective genre to express my thought and feelings about the topic of discussion. It gave the opportunity for my ideas to flow freely. This piece entitled â€Å"Last Resort† discusses one prostitute’s situation and the reasons for her current lifestyle. A dialogue was also chosen to portray this piece as I wished to present at real life scenario that one can easily relate to and understand. The intended audience for this piece is young girls, particularly in their teenage years as they are most susceptible to becoming prostitutes due to poverty and sexual abuse at home. The best place for this piece would be in a teen magazine or newspaper, posted on notice boards at various schools and in the public libraries for wide accessibility. â€Å"Last Resort† intends to sensitize young females in the Caribbean in a dramatic way on the circumstances that may lead to prostitution in an attempt to avoid this lifestyle as much as possible , and hopefully lead to action where precautionary measures may be taken into curb this prevalence.

Profile of Panama for Spanish Students

Introduction: Panama historically has had closer ties with the United States than any country in Latin America other than Mexico. The country is known best, of course, for the Panama Canal, which the United States built for both military and trade purposes at the start of the 20th century. The United States maintained sovereignty over parts of Panama until 1999. Vital Statistics: Panama covers an area of 78,200 square kilometers. It had a population of 3 million at the end of 2003 and a growth rate of 1.36 percent (July 2003 estimate). The life expectancy at birth is 72 years. The literacy rate is about 93 percent. The countrys gross domestic product is about $6,000 per person, and a little more than a third of the people live in poverty. The unemployment rate was 16 percent in 2002. Main industries are the Panama Canal and international banking. Linguistic Highlights: Spanish is the official language. About 14 percent speak a creole form of English, and many residents are bilingual in Spanish and English. About 7 percent speak indigenous languages, the largest of them being Ngà ¤berre. There are also pockets of Arabic and Chinese speakers. Studying Spanish in Panama: Panama has several small language schools, most of them in Panama City. Most of the schools offer home stays, and costs tend to be low. Tourist Attractions: The Panama Canal is on most visitors must-see list, but those coming for extended stays can find a wide variety of destinations. They include beaches on both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Darien National Park and cosmopolitan Panama City. Trivia: Panama was the first Latin American country to adopt the U.S. currency as its own. Technically, the balboa is the official currency, but U.S. bills are used for paper money. Panamanian coins are used, however. History: Before the Spanish arrived, what is now Panama was populated by 500,000 or more people from dozens of groups. The largest group was the Cuna, whose earliest origins are unknown. Other major groups included the Guaymà ­ and the Chocà ³. The first Spaniard in the area was Rodrigo de Bastidas, who explored the Atlantic coast in 1501. Christopher Columbus visited in 1502. Both conquest and disease reduced the indigenous population. In 1821 the area was a province of Colombia when Colombia declared its independence from Spain. Building a canal across Panama had been considered as early as the mid 16th century, and in 1880 the French tried — but the attempt ended in the death of some 22,000 workers from yellow fever and malaria. Panamanian revolutionaries secured Panamas independence from Colombia in 1903 with military support from the United States, which quickly negotiated the rights to build a canal and exercise sovereignty over land on both sides. The U.S. started construction of the canal in 1904 and finished the greatest engineering achievement of its time  in 10 years. Relations between the U.S. and Panama in coming decades were strained, largely due to popular Panamanian bitterness over the prominent role of the U.S. In 1977, despite controversies and political snags in both the U.S. and Panama, the countries negotiated an agreement turning over the canal to Panama at the end of the 20th century. In 1989, U.S. President George H.W. Bush sent U.S. troops to Panama to oust and capture Panamanian President Manuel Noriega. He was forcefully brought to the United States, put on trial for drug trafficking and other crimes, and imprisoned.   The treaty turning over the canal was not fully accepted by many political conservatives in the United States. When a ceremony was held in Panama in 1999 to formally turn over the canal, no senior U.S. officials attended.