Dont be ashamed of your languages. We stay innovating and breathing life into everything. On Code-Switching: [Transcript] Today, a baffled lady observed the show where my soul dwells, announced, that Im articulate, which means that when it comes to enunciation and diction, I dont even think of it cause Im articulate. So, when my professor asks a question and my answer is tainted with the connotation of urban my suggestion is no misdirected intention, pay attention cause, Im articulate. So, when my father asks What kind of ting is this? My articulate answer never goes amiss. I say, Father, this is the impending problem at hand and when Im on the block I switch it up just because I can. So, when my boy says Whats good with you son? I say I just follow to dem people but I done. And sometimes in class I might pause the intellectual sound and flow to ask Yo, why dese books never be about my peoples? Yes, I have decided to treat all three of my languages as equal because, Im articulate. But who controls articulation? Because the English language is a multifaceted oration, subject to indefinite transformation. Now, you may think that it is ignorant to speak broken English but I am here to tell you that even articulate Americans sound foolish to the British. So, when my professor comes on the block and says, Hello, I stop him and say NO, youre being inarticulate. The proper way is to say Whats good. Now, you may think thats too hood, thats not cool but Im here to tell you that even our language has rules. So, when mommy mocks me and says Yao be mad go into the store I say Mommy, no! that sentence is not following the law. Never does the word mad go before present participle. Thats simply the principle of this English. If I had the vocal capacity I would sing this from every mountaintop, every suburbia and every hood cause the only God of language is the one recorded in the Genesis of this world saying It is good. So I may not always come before you with excellency of speech but do not judge me by my language and assume that Im too ignorant to teach cause I speak three tongues. One for each, home, school and friends. Im a tri-lingual orator, sometimes Im consistent with my language now and I switch it up so I dont bore later. Sometimes I fight back two tongues while I use the other one in the classroom and when I mistakenly mix them up I feel crazy like Im cooking in the bathroom. I know. That I had to borrow your language because mines was stolen but you cant expect me to speak your history wholly while mines is broken. These words are spoken by someone who is simply fed up with the Euro-centric abdeals of the season and the reason I speak a composite version of your language is because mines was ripped away along with my history. I speak broken English, so the profusing gashes can remind us that our current state is not a mystery. Im so tired of the negative images that are driving my people mad. So unless you seen it rob a bank, stop calling my hair bad. Im so sick of this nonsensical racial disparity, so dont call it good unless your hair is known for donating to charity. As much, as has been raped away from our people, how can you expect me to treat their imprint on your language as anything less than equal? Let there be no confusion, let there be no hesitation, this is not a a promotion of ignorance. This, is a linguistic celebration. Thats why, I put tri-lingual on my last job application. I can help to diversify your consumer market is all I wanted them to know. When they call me for the interview Ill be more than happy to show I can say Whats good? What a gwaan? and of course Hello, because Im articulate. Thank you. ~~~Jamila Lyiscott, 3 Ways To Speak English
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 20:37:23 +0000
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