C&T 598 RR3 Hazara Leon

Dr. Cho
6/8/17

native speakers may feel that the English language belongs to them, but, in fact, those
who speak English as a second or foreign language will determine the future of English
(Hyejeong Ahn 195)
This quote stood out among the rest of the text and really had me thinking about the
fluidity of languages. As an L2 learner of English, my parents always told me about the
benefits of being able to speak more than one language. They always advised that I
remember my roots and to never forget my native language. From an early age, the idea
that English was my tool for success was instilled in me. I was brought up to believe that
English would make it possible for me to achieve bigger things in life while Spanish
would only bring me down. However, being able to speak two languages proved to be
useful not only for my family and I, but also for strangers I met on the streets. The older I
got, the more I embraced my roots and strived to learn more about both languages.
Although English was the primary language I used at school, it was my choice to speak
Spanish with my family and friends as well as at work. Being able to say that I was a
bilingual speaker at interviews really made me a much more valuable addition to all the
jobs I had. Nevertheless, that wasnt the case for both of my siblings. As English took
over most of their surrounding lives, the disregarded their native tongue and never
decided to continue studying it. The problem now is that they have lost a lot of their
native language and find it difficult to communicate with even my parents. Just seeing the
differences between my siblings and I reminds me of this quote. It is people like us who
will determine the future of English. When we are young we are taught that knowing
English will help determine our future, but this quote brings forth the idea that it is
actually us who will create our future and the future of the language. Both of my brothers
decided to make Spanish the lesser language and have adopted English as the language
they have become more proficient in. This has resulted in them using Spanglish with my
parents in order to communicate with them. Although my father has taken formal English
classes and is able to understanding both languages, my mother had to adapt to the
changes. To communicate with her own sons she has to use context information, body
language or even guessing games just to understand what they are trying to say.
Therefore, native speakers who claim the English language belongs to them cannot deny
that language is constantly changing and is no longer just their language. There are
people like my family who have adopted English as their own language and molded it to
work for them. Our use of Spanglish may not be seen as proper or may be looked down
upon, but for us it is a useful tool for communication. Through linguistics I was exposed
to the idea that language is constantly changing and its exposure to various audiences is
what makes it develop outside of the Inner Circle Englishes.
Question: How is KoE considered a language variety? What aspects of it make it a
variety?