Language and Identity

Name ______________________

We judge, evaluate and categorize people based on many things: appearance, where we meet them or see them, who their friends are, how they speak or write, etc.

• Language use (how people speak or write) is more important in some cultures than others!
• We need to remember that stereotyping is dangerous, but, on the other hand, categorizing people and things is normal human behavior.
  • Stereotyping is thinking about a group of people in an overly-simple, often incorrect way. Often stereotypes are negative, but they can also be positive. An example of a stereotype is: "Japanese people are rich. Another example of a stereotype is: "Americans only eat fast food."
  • Generalizations, on the other hand, are often useful when discussing something or making comparisons. Be sure you have correct information and begin your sentences with "Sometimes", "Generally", "Many", etc., because all people in a group of county do not behave or think alike!

Have a conversation with a Willamette student or other "native" English speaker. Discuss these questions:

1. What English grammar "mistakes" do you identify with people who have little education?

2. What English "accent" do you identify with people from lower social or economic classes? (This is hard to write down, but try to get some examples.)

3. What vocabulary or pronunciation of certain words do you associate with people who are rich?

4. Do you think you or other "Americans" discriminate against people based on their language (accent, choice of words, grammar, etc.)?

5. How do you feel about "Black English" or "Chicano English"?

6. Are there certain regional varieties of English that you think other "Americans" consider "good" or "bad".

7. How do most "Americans" feel about people with a foreign accent?