Having attended West High School I was familiar with different language and slangs and

or dialect of various groups. Being possibly the most diverse high school in the state of Utah, I
was exposed to many different cultures and the way in which they spoke to one another. This
ranged from: Tongans, Africans, Hispanics, and even how other Caucasians talk to one another.
At first glance these differences may not be noticeable, they certainly werent for me, on closer
inspection however there are many and varying differences. Zadie smith in Speaking in
Tongues brought back memories of this and causes me to revisit the different languages along
with my perspective about language usage. Throughout this article Smith uses her own vivid
perspective coupled with specific use of diction which sets a tone and establishes a genuine
didactic opportunity should the reader avail themselves to it.
Smith brings her own perspective of the varying ways in which language is used into the
essay. In the beginning of the essay Smiths says, This is not the voice of my child hood which
lets the audience know that her voice and the way she communicates has changed over the
course of her lifetime. Smiths also states that she picked up this voice in college and the belief
that if she did not pick up this collegiate way of speaking she would never truly be lettered.
This suggestion that the way in which one speaks has a direct correlation to how one is viewed is
not an old thought, but it is an eye opening one. It is not always a conscious, but people are
expected to talk in certain ways as Smith talks about later.
Growing up in England, it was expected that Zadie speak in a singular voice i.e. the voice
in which she is speaking in the essay. Smith talks about how the voice she spoke with when she
was growing up vastly differed from the voice she picked up in college. The town in which
Smith grew up in, Willesden, is described as big, colorful, working class sea which differs
greatly from the smaller, posher pond description given of Cambridge. Over time the way in

which she grew ups speaking gave way to the way she was expected to speak in college. Instead
of keeping this duplicity of voice over time it deserted me for a single voice and left Smith
with only one voice instead of two. This British way of speaking, however, differs greatly from
the way in which America and its multiplicity of voice are described.
Unlike the British way of speaking America uses more than one way of speaking
according to Smith. When talking about this Smith uses the example of Obama and how he
would talk to different groups of people. Man, Im not going to any more of the bullshit
Punahou parties. and Just cause a girl dont go out with you doesnt make her a racist are two
examples of how Obama can not only speak for his people but he can speak to them. Being
able to switch from one voice to another is very useful, especially in politics. It is this use of
different types of diction in language that Smith uses to convey her message.
The diction that Smith uses is very different from the diction that was anticipated. Smith
states in the very beginning of the essay that this voice that she is using is not the same as the
voice of her childhood. The voice that she picked up was that of Cambridge was a very "posh"
voice. The idea that she is British and has Cambridge schooling provides the assumption of a
British way of speaking in the essay. However that "posh" British voice is not present in the
essay. Without any previous knowledge of Smiths background, the audience would have no idea
that Smith is English.
The adaption of using an American voice seems very deliberate on Smith's part. The lack
of an English gives the idea that this essay is aimed at an American audience. British and
American English have slight differences whether that be in spelling or in how they use certian
words in certain words in certain areas. The lack of oddly spelled words even though the author

is English and no clear use of English slang terms makes this essay appear to be in American
English. This very specific use of diction helps provide the tone for the essay as well.
The tone of the essay changes throughout the essay. In the beginning of the essay Smith
has a regretful and or sad tone due to the loss of her "old voice". The voice that Smith used to
have over time became a singular voice, and that voice was the one that she picked up in college.
She is regretful because she did not have the idea that she would lose that voice, she thought
instead of losing one voice for another both of the voices would be added on to each other. There
was no room to have more than one voice, so the voice that she had growing up was eventually
lost. However, the tone changes later on in the essay to one that is hopeful.
Smith's tone changes when she introduces the idea of Obama and his use of more than
one kind of voice. Instead of losing all the different kinds of voices that, Obama, has he can use
them interchangeably. This is very different from the experience that Smith had when she was
growing up, and she admires that fact that he can switch his voice when he feels it is appropriate.
This hopeful tone suggests that she believes there can be more than one voice, and this is evident
in her didactic message.
Smith uses the essay as a means to promote a didactic message to the audience. The
message that Smith is sending is that one should not have to choose or be an outcast because of
the language that one uses. Certain ways of talking are looked down upon, especially in England
where there is considered only one way of talking. Smith uses the cockney accent as a means to
explain how the British look down upon certain ways of speaking. Smith describes that the
British joke that the cockney way is called "mockney" because it is very different from the other

ways of speaking. Smith wants to get away from this and promote the idea that there is no one
way of talking.
Smith wants to promote the way in which Obama speaks to his audience as the way that
everyone should talk. The ability to "speak to audience" is something that everyone should adopt
because it promotes a genuine connection with the audience. If Obama talked to an African
American audience the same way that he would talk to a Caucasian audience there would be
massive confusion on each side. There would also be a lack of trust because each side wouldn't
know which Obama is real the African American way of speaking Obama is the real Obama or is
the Caucasian way of speaking is real.
This essay is about language and how it can be changed over time. Over the course of
one's lifetime one will come across various ways of speaking the same language, and if exposed
to one certain way of speaking long enough that will become your voice. Smith says that she lost
her original way of speaking while attending Cambridge, which proves that when exposed to
something long enough it becomes a part of you. However certain people, like Obama, can
change the way they speak on a whim and for the benefit of the audience he is trying to address.
Smith wants this to be the way that everyone should approach language as it does not
discriminate how one speaks and allows for people to embrace the multiculturalism that is
language.