Language and identity have a strong connection. Identity refers to characteristics distinctive to a certain individual, and it is constantly in flux. After all, it is more of an accomplishment than a thing.
But identity can be revealed and changed through certain contextual uses of language. Aspects of language, such as accents, can vary based on ones conversational partner.
One obvious example would be the natural alteration in an individuals relational or interactional identity between school and the comfort of his/her own home.
I am one of many whom I know alter their accent, form of language or even the language itself depending on who is at the receiving end of the conversation, whether it is a huge crowd of eager listeners, or your own mother.
In the essay (with the pun-intended title) "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, she reveals that she experienced this change in identity when conversing with her mother in her "limited" and "broken" form of English and a different accent. Amy Tan alters her relational identity in order to connect with her mother and use the language she felt to be more simple and meaningful.
When given the talk to a larger group of people, however, her accent and form of English, and therefore her interactional identity, completely changed, even with her mother in the midst. "I was saying things like, “The intersection of memory upon imagination” and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates to thus-and-thus’–a speech filled with carefully wrought grammatical phrases...the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother."
I too change my accent depending on who I converse with. At school, I tend to use a much different accent than at home with my parents. It's a natural tendency in my case.
Accents can attract a lot of judgemental and prejudice people. Far too often are native speakers from many nations judged harshly by non-native speakers. Having lived in this country for many years, I have never experienced such prejudice. (Thankfully) But Tans mother experienced plenty unfair judgements based solely on her accent.
The hospital didn't apologise for losing the CAT scan nor show any good service considering what had happened. They saw her English as a way to look down upon her. She said "did not seem to have any sympathy" towards her.
But identity can be revealed and changed through certain contextual uses of language. Aspects of language, such as accents, can vary based on ones conversational partner.
One obvious example would be the natural alteration in an individuals relational or interactional identity between school and the comfort of his/her own home.
I am one of many whom I know alter their accent, form of language or even the language itself depending on who is at the receiving end of the conversation, whether it is a huge crowd of eager listeners, or your own mother.
In the essay (with the pun-intended title) "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, she reveals that she experienced this change in identity when conversing with her mother in her "limited" and "broken" form of English and a different accent. Amy Tan alters her relational identity in order to connect with her mother and use the language she felt to be more simple and meaningful.
When given the talk to a larger group of people, however, her accent and form of English, and therefore her interactional identity, completely changed, even with her mother in the midst. "I was saying things like, “The intersection of memory upon imagination” and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates to thus-and-thus’–a speech filled with carefully wrought grammatical phrases...the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother."
I too change my accent depending on who I converse with. At school, I tend to use a much different accent than at home with my parents. It's a natural tendency in my case.
Accents can attract a lot of judgemental and prejudice people. Far too often are native speakers from many nations judged harshly by non-native speakers. Having lived in this country for many years, I have never experienced such prejudice. (Thankfully) But Tans mother experienced plenty unfair judgements based solely on her accent.
The hospital didn't apologise for losing the CAT scan nor show any good service considering what had happened. They saw her English as a way to look down upon her. She said "did not seem to have any sympathy" towards her.
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