Conner Snow Prof. Cecelia Mussleman SWE Essay 09/20/13 MLA Word Coun !

1"#$$ %escri& i'e %ialec s Con'olu e Con'en ion Lan(ua(e e'ol'ed o answer )e need for communica ion1. * o ally and une+ui'ocally came in o e,is ence so )a one )umanoid could (run -run. or -fi() . or -fire. o ano )er. /)e &ur&ose 0e)ind i was no elo+uence or 0eau y. /)e (oal of lan(ua(e was muc) more 0asic in na ure and easily reac)ed 0y coo&era ion 0e ween oral mo'emen and 'ocal cord 'i0ra ion. 1nfor una ely" )e 'ery fac )a * am wri in( )is &assa(e down and cons ruc in( com&le, sen ences means )a )e na ure of communica ion )as c)an(ed. 2o lon(er is i sim&ly s&o3en 0u i is wri en. And" also unfor una ely" i )as e'ol'ed in o )ousands of lan(ua(es" eac) wi ) )undreds of dialec s )a )a'e an(led )e we0 of communica ion and muddled &re'iously uniform lan(ua(e. And" i is now a ma4or &oin in )e &oli ics of wri in( o de ermine w)a is correc and w)a is incorrec . S andard Wri en En(lis) 5 SWE for s)or 5 is a s yle of wri in( com&rised of many a rule and re(ula ion. * is a sin(le dialec ne'er s&o3en and 3nown com&le ely only 0y )ose few w)o la0el )emsel'es as S266/S2 7Wallace #98. /)is form of )e En(lis) lan(ua(e was crea ed and is &er&e ua ed 0y &rescri& i'is au )ori ies. /o )em i is En(lis) in i s &erfec form. /)e form in

1 Though this truth can not be known for sure, it is certainly the most reasonable assumption to make. There would be no need for language to have evolved if it was not for communication. To tell stories? that is a communication of ideas. To write songs? Still just a message being sent. 2 SNOOTS are the scholars of SWE.

w)ic) all informa ion can 0e con'eyed wi )ou any miscommunica ion. /)e form )a all &eo&le s)ould 0e au() and all &eo&le s)ould res&ec . Muc) o )e dismay of &rescri& i'is s )e En(lis) Lan(ua(e is a con(lomera e of coun less dialec s. Wallace addresses )is as&ec of American En(lis) s&ecifically" in )is re'iew of 9ryan :arner;s A Dictionary of Modern American Usage. <e 0rin(s u& )e e,is ence of cul ural as well as (eo(ra&)ical dialec s suc) as 9lac3 En(lis)" La ino En(lis)" Maine =an3ee" and Eas 5/e,as 9ayou. <is lis of dialec s is &unc ua ed wi ) )e idiom -on and on. su((es in( )a )is lis " if made com&le e" would s re c) for +ui e a lon( w)ile 7Wallace 9>8. %ialec s? )owe'er" were na ural de'elo&men s of socie al (rou&s. A uni+ue lan(ua(e affords i s users )e mindse of a i() er53ni communi y. 9ein( form wes ern Mass my &ersonal lan(ua(e usa(e )as demons ra ed )is &)enomenon. 1s -wic3ed. sayers and -mad. users )a'e an undenia0ly an(i0le 0ond )a is none,is en 0e ween us and o )er (rou&s. * is im&or an for a (rou&;s co)esion and 0ols ers )e confidence 0e ween i s mem0ers o )a'e i s own dis inc form of communica ion. =e " )owe'er ins rumen al )e self con ained con'eyance of ideas wi )in a (rou& is" i is fully im&ossi0le o educa e someone in a -forei(n. dialec . Educa ion in e'en one dialec would 0e e, remely difficul and should not 0e a em& ed3. A dialec (enera ed 0y a s&ecific cul ural or (eo(ra&)ic se&ara ion can only (enuinely and effec i'ely 0e learned 0y someone w)o is" in fac " a -na i'e s&ea3er". or 0y someone w)o is com&le ely immersed in a dialec for years and years. /o fully unders and a (rou&s 4ar(on and fi snu((ly in o is uni+ue communica ion one mus 0e 0orn a &ar of i or s&ea3 only i 7for +ui e a lon(
3 Some here would argue that no one is born into speaking SWE and that SWE is itself a dialect. They are, of course, correct. However, I believe that SWE is not just a dialect, but The dialect. This dialect can be learned unlike most others because as I said before NO ONE is born speaking it. There is no group that uses it specifically as their colloquial jargon. It did not come into existence for a certain group to differentiate its members from anothers. The reason it has the reputation of elitism is not because the elite use it colloquially but because only the elite have the extreme schooling required to master The dialect, because the elite unlike most others understand earlier than most others that SWE is The language of communication in the adult world.

ime8. @ur )ermore )e eac)er of )is dialec mus also 0e a na i'e s&ea3er. * is unna ural for someone from a differen 0ac3(round o assimila e in o a dialec al (rou&A. E'en now as &eo&le from around )e world )a'e con'er(ed in 9ean /own suc) aw3ward a em& s o re&lica e i s collo+uial 4ar(on are &ainfully o0'ious. /)e amoun of imes * &ersonally )a'e )eard a 0o c)ed ry a usin( -wic3ed. in )e 2ew En(land manner is as oundin(. * also su0mi )a ryin( o s&ea3 a differen dialec canno only 0e funny or mildly irri a in(" 0u dan(erous as well. Wallace 0rin(s u& )e idea )a a em& in( o imi a e a (rou&;s dialec 7in )is re'iew )e s&ea3s s&ecifically a0ou -=oun( 1r0ane 9lac3 En(lis). s&ea3ers Wallace 1028 can cause offense. 6ffendin( )e wron( &erson can lead o dire conse+uences. Accordin( o Wallace a (rou& of -)ard5core academics. 7Wallace >08 desi(na ed -%escri& i'is s. )a'e )e wan o c)ronicle )e en(lis) lan(ua(e scien ifically. *n )is re'iew Wallace +uo es :arner in sayin( -%escri& i'is s wan o record lan(ua(e as i is ac ually used. 7Wallace >1.8 Wallace ou lines )e descri& i'is s; (oals as -me )odolo(ical. and -academic". and (oes so far as o insul )eir -o04ec i'e. inclina ion. <ere is )e &lace )a * mos s ron(ly disa(ree wi ) Wallace. W)en )e firs addresses o04ec i'i y in descri& i'ism )e s&ells i always wi ) a ca&i al -6. and insis s )a )is scien ific 604ec i'i y is im&ossi0le w)en i comes o lan(ua(e. /)is is ou ra(eous" and 0orderline moronic. * is rue )a i would 0e +ui e im&ossi0le o sla& o(e )er e'ery usa(e of e'ery word in e'ery dialec 0u i is com&le ely un rue )e i is nai'e o 0elie'e in scien ific 604ec i'i y w)en i comes o lan(ua(e. =es )e &resence of an o0ser'er may c)an(e a (rou&s na ural dialec " and yes )a would s3ew )e science" 0u )is does no des roy all c)ance of 604ec i'i y. @or ins ance if a na ural s&ea3er of said dialec were o record )is 3nowled(e of i " )a would 0e o04ec i'e would i no B <e would )a'e no reason o 0e
4 Yes attempts at assimilation are natural, and yes almost everyone attempts assimilation. However, one who is born an outsider will almost always be known as an outsider (with the exception of those immersed in a dialect.

un5o04ec i'e in recordin( i . @ur )ermore" if )e 604ec i'i y Wallace is descri0in( surrounds w)a forms of usa(e would 0e considered correc " and no )e idea )a dialec s )emsel'es could 0e recorded o04ec i'ely" )is 'iew would s ill 0e incorrec . %ecidin( w)ic) is correc 0e ween wo forms can 0e o04ec i'eC /)e form )a mos sim&ly and &recisely con'eys i s messa(e can 0e considered )e correc form. * is rue )a one;s dialec al &ersuasion may influence )eir decision as o w)ic) form is" in fac " more clear 0u )is can 0e se led o04ec i'ely 0y ma4ori y. * a(ree wi ) Wallace )a i is o ally )einous o wan o cons ruc a dic ionary )a records lan(ua(e" wi ) all of i s incon(rui ies" as i is used" 0u * do disa(ree wi ) )im s ron(ly on )e &oin of o04ec i'i y. As i were" since * do a(ree wi ) Wallace;s idea )a lan(ua(e s)ould no 0e c)ronicled 0y )ow i is used" * am of )e &ersuasion )a SWE is re+uired. %ic ionaries com&osed of SWE words and ec)ni+ues allow users o 0y&ass )e am0i(ui y )a many dialec s )a'e come o use. Some would say )a SWE is sim&ly )e remains of arc)aic radi ion" 0u i is s ill crucial in odays socie y. * is )e form used in e'ery &rofession" and all formal documen a ion. /)e rules and re(ula ions of s andard wri en en(lis) )a'e 0een a(reed u&on o'er cen uries 0y )i()ly educa ed indi'iduals$. Per)a&s * am sim&ly a radi ionalis " 0u )is fac alone is enou() o (e me on )e 0andwa(on. * 0elie'e )a an o'er5arc)in( dialec one )a s)ould 0e au() o all mem0ers of e'ery o )er dialec al (rou& is en irely necessary. =es i is &ossi0le o communica e ideas from one dialec o ano )er" and yes mos &eo&le can e'en s&ea3 &assa0ly in more )an one dialec 0u * 0elie'e )a a cen ral dialec is needed. A cen ral dialec allows for )e s andardiDa ion of communica ion? a way o forma all formal documen s so )a )ey are uniform.
5 The fact that maybe some dialects were not created by the educated; however, does not disqualify them as effective forms of communication. However, it does disqualify them as a means for intelligent communication among and between professionals in a professional settings.

/)e rules of SWE form a dialec )a )as li le am0i(ui y. Mis&laced modifiers )a'e no &lace in s andard wri en en(lis). SWE mus 0e au() in sc)ools 0ecause i is )e mos eac)a0le of any dialec and )e mos mana(ea0le in erms of meanin(. /)ere are no )undreds of 0oo3s wri en a0ou =oun( 9lac3 1r0an and Maine5=an3ee" 0u )ere are )ousands wri en a0ou SWE. * )as 0een cons ruc ed and recons ruc ed 0y coun less au )ors and au )ori ies. * is )e only dialec wi ) ome af er ome of (rammar and syn a," i is )e only dialec )a is no &redis&osed on i s s&ea3ers 0ased on w)ere or wi ) w)om )ey (row u&" i is )e only dialec )a can 0e and s)ould 0e au() o e'eryone" 0ecause i is )e only dialec )a i is &ossi0le o eac) and 0e au() wi )ou s e&&in( on any cul ures oes or ruinin( decidedly e,clusi'e &)rases. SWE is no 0iased" i )as no connec ion o )e self.

Wor3s Si ed

Wallace" %a'id @os er. -Au )ori y and American 1sa(e.. Consider the Lobster. 2ew =or3 Ci y! Li le" 9rown and Com&any. 200$. #E512A.

Ac3nowled(emen s Amanda" for su&&or i'e su((es ion %ean" for cons ruc i'e cri icism <o&e" for comedic cri icism Cameron" for sim&le su((es ion

All A" for )el&in( me (e my ideas in order.