Brianna O'Donnell
English 1100
September 21, 2016
Prof. Young

Students' Right to Their Language of Choice With Boundaries

From the day we are born to the time of adolescence, we learn how to speak the language that is accepted by our society. From the vocal sounds that we make at seven months old to the proper and formal sentences that we use when communicating with authority, we absorb and learn standard English. Although though we are taught that standard english is proper for speaking with authority and in public, over the years of adolescence we pick up on certain slang terms that we use when speaking with our friends or family. For example, when it comes to texting we use certain terms such as "lol" or "wyd" or "ttyl" etc. Now, we may use these slang terms when texting or speaking with friends or family but when it comes to speaking with a professor or a person with authority we use standard English or proper English. 

Do you think students should have a right to their own language? Some people may say yes, because after all according to the first amendment of the constitution we are permitted freedom of speech. However, there are certain boundaries when it comes to expressing yourself. For example, if you were a student it would not be acceptable to email your professor and say "What up bro" or "I got the meanest hangover so I won't make it to class lol." I believe that students should have a right to their own language but only when speaking with friends or family. I also believe students should keep it "clean" and standardized when speaking with people of authority, such as professors, bosses, unfamiliar elders, leaders etc. When speaking with people of authority, a student will sound more intelligent when expressing themselves with reasons, examples, names, numbers and sensory details. Using all of these things when speaking will only help a student's voice sound more brilliant and improve their identity because it will make them seem as if they are immensely intelligent, as well as experts in their language. Therefore, the authority that is being spoken to, may take the students words more seriously, rather than with a grain of salt.

When it comes to others such as artists and football figures a lot of people may say that they should have the right to freely express themselves, but should they? Should they be able to express themselves freely with their own language on public television and radio stations? I think artists and football figures should have the right to express themselves because they are people too, but only to a certain extent. For example, most mothers would not want their children watching postgame interviews with players that may say things such as "I do this for my niggas," or "Finna get my mother a new crib," or "them players are buggin dog!" Football players and artists all breathe and speak and preform the same daily activities that every other human being does , therefore they should be able to express themselves freely, but only with their friends and family. Since football figures play football for a living and artists make art, music or theatre for a living they should not have the ability to use slang or their own language in the workplace or when speaking publicly.