The Issue of Standard Language Use in Education - Paper Example

Introduction

A standard language is a tongue that is used by a society for communicating especially in areas concerning public matters. For instance, we have a certain language that is used in the business world which people not in the same profession would not understand since they do not come from such worlds. Also, we have a government dialect that is used by people in politics. In addition, the way language is used in the written press and when addressing a crowd. The most important thing about a standard language is that the society must have already accepted it. This is why the definition of the standard dialect includes the term 'used by a population'. This widely used dialect is also codified when they are written in dictionaries in order to know the correct grammar and way of pronunciations of this language. This is the main principle behind a standard language. Standard dialects are often adjusted to artificially to some extent.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

There are several ways in which a group in a society can create a standard language. The most used way in establishing a standard dialect is by a group furthering their own tongue to this position. This is usually the mother tongue of the controlling group in the area like in the city or in the manner the dialect is used by people of a high socioeconomic status. Though the majority uses it, it is still not the chosen language but it tries to incorporate different dialect styles into it. The second way of coming up with a standard dialect is by intermixing different tongues and the resultant product is the birth of a standard language. This form of dialect is not anyone's native tongue and is aimed to be used in various areas especially writing. In this scenario, the boundary between the regional language and the standard dialect is very distinct because the regional dialect is normally used in the day-to-day lives.

In the United States of America, the society is very diverse and has many regional, race and societal languages. With all these diversity their state papers, academic writings, books and the official state language is the standard American English. The disadvantage of having a standardized language in the classroom is it will make students not to be proud of their culture and heritage. Students will be proud of in their younger years are taught in their mother tongue. The second disadvantage is that students learning outcomes will stagnate. Scholars have stated that students who are educated with their mother tongues during their formative years have a good understanding of education better than students who were taught using a standard dialect. Students tend to grasp things if it is taught in their own dialect. The standardized language also has the effect of making a student experience the inferiority complex by lowering their self-esteem and confidence.

There are many positive things about communicating using a standard language for the students, teachers and all the stakeholders involved in it. Firstly since most employment requirements need a prospective employee to be well vast in the official language of communication which is normally the standard language. Hence, being taught by a standard language increases your chance of getting employed in the modern world. Another advantage is that the trouble of having to learn the standard language at a later stage will not be there since it has been there from the beginning. The most significant advantage of having a standard language in our classrooms is that the costs of translating books into other dialects will not be incurred hence saving money and time. Lastly, education impacted by the use of a standard language helps a diverse society like the United States to integrate and become one.

Conclusion

Education by use of a standard language may benefit some people and disadvantage others. Firstly students will experience both the negative side of it and the positivity impact it brings. Students with a native language as their first speech will be disadvantaged in a school offering learning in a standard language because of the language barrier. Before the student finally leaners to communicate in the standard language expressing him would be hard. This may result in some form of ridicule by the fellow students. But when this student finally grasps the standard language he would be in a much better position to grasp matters education. Teachers tend to benefit from teaching in a standard language since all the assignments are given will be done using one language and communication is made much easier. The communities will also benefit from this since they will be more integrated by the fact that their children are taught using one language which makes them understand each other.

References

Viriot-Goeldel, C., & Crinon, J. (2016). The use of complex reading materials in first grade. L1 Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 16, Open Issue (Open Issue), 1-21. Doi: 10.17239/l1esll-2016.16.01.02

Smakman, D. (2012). The definition of the standard language: a survey in seven countries. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2012(218). Doi: 10.1515/ijsl-2012-0058