Argumentative Essay on Banning Slang Language
Argumentative Essay on Banning Slang Language
Introduction
What is slang language? Does it have any negative influence to the users? Should teachers and lecturers allow slang language in schools both in writing and speaking? These are some of the questions many people ask on the issues to do with slang language. Slang is a language that use informal phrases and word either in writing or speaking (Bucher & Schorling, 2002). Dr. Rob Drummond is a senior Lecturer in Linguistic at Manchester Metropolitan University and argued that instead of banning slang language, it should be celebrated (2016). However, his line of expressing the use of slang language was not endorsed by other lecturers, because they do not like when students use it. In a similar way, students have varying perceptions when it comes to the use of slang language, and therefore, people are not sure whether it is wise to use slang language or not.
Argument explaining why slang language should not be banned
Banning slang language will create an anxiety to pupils as to why it should not be used whereas it is a language used for communication. In most cases where something is banned without solid evidence, people tend to use it and see what it can do once used. Most of the students tend to use it both in speaking and writing, and this affects their overall performance especially during communication. Banning the slang language only increases the anxiety to use it, hence making many people addicted to it and use it even where they are not supposed to. The result of using slang language is the violation of formal language which poses a threat to the society. Therefore, students should first be introduced to formal language and the slang language should not be banned, because once the students have the basics to formal language, they will know when to use formal and when to use informal, and they will not have the desire to apply slang language either in writing and in communication.
There is no need to ban slang language because it enhances communication. Communication is the most basic thing with people, and it understanding each other seconds. People use the most efficient language to communicate provided the other party understands the intended meaning. In most cases, young people especially use the slang language when communicating with their peers, as it is socially best language to use. This is because, one does not have to use various commands used needed in formal English when communicating, thereby making it easy and recommendable to the young peers. Besides, young people using slang language understand each other well because they already know the meaning of slang phrases they use, and this enhances socialization in great extents (Lawton, 2006).
Slang language eliminates the boredom of using the formal language. Generally, formal language has rules that must be followed either during writing, speaking or both. Failure to follow those rules is termed as violation of English. However, when slang language is used, there are no rules to follow and this breaks the boredom of following some rules which many people view as unhelpful. Again, slang language breaks the monotonous of using the same formal language with the same phrases, words and vocabularies, thereby introducing other sets of words and phrases that are different from what people are used to. Besides, slang language is the only best way to enrich the language due to introduction of other phrases and vocabularies that looks more pleasing, such as ‘well jel’ for ‘very jealous’.
Slang language is part of the curriculum that needs to b endorsed. Every person starts somewhere as far as language is concerned. Pupils must start from somewhere and must have a definite starting point in speaking and in writing. A teacher, for instance, should listen to a student speaking slang language so as to know where to focus on while explaining how languages change the message as well as its meaning. In other words, diversity in language should be embraced as it gives the starting point on teaching the formal language because learning is simply about accent, language learning as well as dialects (Lawson, 2009).
The use of slang language is a respect to the freedom of speech that everyone should be entitled to. Freedom of speech allows everyone to speak anywhere they want to, as well as speaking their minds. It allows people to express themselves, and the only way for successful expression is by the use of slang language that everybody understands. Slang language also plays a crucial part in defining where a person has come from. It is through the use of slang that people realize other people whom they have come from the same place. It therefore increases socialization as well as the sense of belonging, and makes it easier to make friends with those people one feels that they come from a similar place. In schools, for instance, the use of slang language will differentiate people of different backgrounds, meaning that a single student will be in a position to distinguish who belongs to his or her place and who does not. Obviously, people of the same community or place interact better, and this creates a sense of belonging that brings a notion that the student is not alone, hence, learning without fear.
The use of slang language is the best tool to keep secrets. In most cases, people especially student fear to talk things in public because they fear that the secrets they talk about will be exposed. Hence, after visualizing that most people understand the formal language, they create their own time to speak in private. However, it is not easy to get extra time to students, but slang language helps to curb the problem people have about their secrets being exposed. Only rare people understand the slang language, meaning that people can publicly speak their secrets without other people understanding what they actually mean. Besides, many people understand the right time to use the slang language, as well as the right time to use the formal language, something that gives an assurance that slang language cannot interfere with the way they speak or write. Therefore, people understand the best time for introducing slang language to keep others away from their discussion, hence appropriate to use (Lamanna, Skene & Emmerich, (2003).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be deduced that as much as people have varying perception on the use of slang language especially in school, slang language is a very effective means of communication. Slang language provides a sense of belonging, it helps people to realize where they come from, as well as identifying their own among a multitude. Slang language also ties communities together, conveys messages in a more complicated manner, and expresses intended status in shorthand. Besides, slang language is the best tool for conveying emotional messages to people. In fact, people should that bad language does not exist, because language depends on its context of use. Banning the use of slang language is another way of creating a society with people who are not confident, and those that are not confident communicators. The basic thing to do is to encourage students to embrace the ever changing language, and apply it appropriately, and therefore, slang language should not be banned, but rather, it should be appreciated.
References
Bucher, C., & Schorling, Y. (2002). SLang-The Structural Language. Institute of Structural Mechanics, Bauhaus-University of Weimar, Germany, 5.
De Angelis, G., & Selinker, L. (2001). Interlanguage Transfer and Competing Linguistic Systems in the Multilingual Mind. Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 42-58.
Fairclough, N. (2014). Critical Language Awareness. Routledge.
Lamanna, D. D., Skene, J., & Emmerich, W. (2003). SLAng: A Language for Service Level Agreements.
Language, Linguistics and TESOL: News retrieved from https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/languages/about-us/news/detail/index.php?id=4339
Lawson, R. (2009). Perspective of Learning Together. Language Arts Journal of Michigan, 24(2), 5.
Lawton, D. (2006). Social Class Language and Education. Routledge.
