Rabon 1 Christopher Rabon Alicia Bolton English 101 September 11,2013 My Tongue Although language is one of the most

basic forms of communication, we have still created thousands of ways of approaching it. Beyond just different languages like Chinese or English we have created even more in-depth ways to express a specific language. My native language is English, but what dialect of English I choose to speak depends solely on my audience. We all do this whether we realize it or not. Sometimes we speak slang while talking to our friends, other times we speak simplistically while addressing children, and lastly we all speak respectfully when addressing authoritative figures. I often find myself speaking a slang form of English while with my closest friends and family. Most people would refer to the jargon spewing from my mouth as slang. Slang describes this shorthand informal speech perfectly. While hanging out with my friends anything from, bro or dude, to wassup might be said. For instance, take this conversation that happens almost every day between my roommate and I around lunchtime: Yo Bro! Lets go grab some grubbage I say. For sure ma dude. Whats on the menu? Cody energetically replies. Those wings we got a couple days ago were some fire. What do ya think? I answer.

Rabon 2 No man lets grab more of those dank burgers from that one place! he offers. To my roommate and I that is a totally normal and natural conversation; however, if someone else were to hear they may have a different perception. Without background knowledge of us other people may assume that we were vastly under educated or a little crazy. When it comes to talking to friends, we simply wouldnt know how to respond to each other properly without some slang. Even if you do speak grammatically sound dialogue with friends instead of dropping some slang, typically everyone addresses children with dialogue specifically catered to them. Interactions using language with children are so vastly different than any other use of language with another audience. This is partly because children can not understand some of the words spoken in formal language but mostly I feel I speak more simplistic to protect their emotions. A typical conversation between my nephew Alexx and I illustrates this form of English perfectly. It goes as follows: Uncle Chris, can you pretty please play the Xbox game with me? Alexx pleads. No buddy, I cant play right now. Uncle Chris is busy I say lightly. Using words like buddy ensures his feelings are not hurt when I reject his offer to play due to my busy schedule. Also, repeating my name reinforces my title as his uncle and ultimately lets him know who is in charge. His sister, Kamdyn, also serves as a great example of my simplistic English. Gimme some candy Uncle Kwis. Kamdyn sweetly asks.

Rabon 3 No honey, you are too sweet already. What do you need all that candy for? I reply with a smile. You a stinkhead! Kamdyn says slyly. Those are mean words! You dont call people that! I scold. While addressing my niece and her brother I try to use happy tones in my voice even when scolding them. No matter how you talk to others, everyone always changes their approach and tries to lighten their mood when talking to children. While speaking informally with colloquial dialogue is socially acceptable, there are many times I find the need to speak more respectfully when addressing authoritative figures. Authoritative figures can include any of the following: police officers, professors, and possibly even grandparent depending on your background. The persons upbringing along with their personal beliefs and ethics determine what they consider to be an authoritative figure and therefore dictates their language use. Personally, Ive always viewed my teachers and professors as key authoritative figures that deserve the utmost respect. Often times throughout high school I would raise my hand, a universal display of respect, and wait patiently for my teacher to notice and respond so that we may share this elegant conversation: Mr. Thomas, may I please be excused to use the restroom? I say. Yes Christopher, you may indeed Mr. Thomas replies quickly. Thank you, sir I politely reply on my way out. In the South the majority of the population views grandparents as huge authoritative figures who deserve respect. I happen to agree with those people and always make sure to be as respectful and polite as possible while around my

Rabon 4 grandparents. Thanksgiving at my grandmothers is tradition, and an excellent example of my reverence. Thank you for all the delicious food grandma! I say. Would you like another helping son? My grandmother replies generously. No maam, I appreciate it though I decline. Her extensive years of experience present her with an unrivaled wisdom and the generation in which she was raised affords her values much different than ours. Both circumstances contribute greatly to her expectation and demand for respect. I, being a loving grandson, uphold that level of respect and fulfill her demands. Whether it is your grandma or the cop that is writing you a ticket, everyone can find someone who deserves a respectful tone when being addressed. Language is a vast and constantly changing form of communication, and is essential to nearly every aspect of our lives; however, it also creates various barriers. Though two people may speak the same base language of say English, that doesnt necessarily mean they will be able to flawlessly communicate and understand each other. The culprits here are dialect and colloquialism. Different people speak different ways and command different variations of a language. Changing dialogue to fit a situation aids in effectively communicating with other people and is essential in interaction. Friends accept slang words which grammatically make little sense, children require an ease and more simplistic view on language for understanding, and others demand respect when being addresses and require grammatically sound English fit for a teacher.