The social development of English

People worldwide face similar challenges, and English has become a tool for sharing these experiences. Whether for job opportunities, relationships, internet memes, or immigration, English connects people globally. For decades, its language evolved, adding more definitions from the inspiration of comedy, poems, and stumbling across new languages with unique words. As far as media goes, it started with scraps to newspapers, to bright light boxes that are handheld on a day-to-day basis, screens on every shelf, and media free for use. Language can be as controlled as the human mind limits itself to certain content and algorithms shaped by surroundings and or promotion, and vice versa, of media controlling language through dopamine of the human mind. 

Because English is used globally, people must navigate differences in tone, speech, definitions, and accents, making communication quite a challenge, yet also enriching. Even though there may be barriers to communication even within the English language, a person will be able to appreciate the different variants and flavors that come with English.

Media can shape English to its style, with different friend groups having certain ways of addressing each other and what’s considered feminine and masculine through a perspective. Words used for cursing others end up becoming romantic gestures or friendly gestures. 

One aspect of language is how different accents and forms of informal speech transform into memes or common slang.  Growing up in NYC, I was surrounded by a mix of cultures and accents on every block. I remember the first time I heard someone from the South say ‘y’all’ in a “funny” and “strange” way. At the time I was only familiar with phrases like “you all”, or “you guys” so this seemed new to me. This was one of my first realizations that the English school taught me isn’t the way people normally speak it. Or when my cousin from Long Island visited, and their slightly Southern twang surprised me. Even within my own city, English sounded so different depending on where you were. High-tone and slow sounding can infer that someone is from California. Sluggish-sounding English can be backed up by people finding certain tones and words more fun to express. 

While English has many variations, it also faces limits through censorship, which influences how people speak in different regions. I didn’t realize how much language was shaped by what was considered ‘appropriate’ in different settings. I’d have a different way of speaking depending on the environment I’m in. For example, I use slang words and say almost whatever I want freely at home or with my friends. But in professional environments such as work or school, I have to switch to more ‘proper’ English. It’s not just the way I speak, but also what I say becomes influenced. In some spaces, my opinions might make me look like a devil, rather than the way I feel about certain things. I believe this is how the media can push certain things. This constant code-switching became second nature to me, and it made me more aware of how language is judged depending on who is speaking. I remember the first time I heard someone call their home a ‘crib.’ At first, I thought they meant an actual baby’s crib. But in NYC, ‘crib’ is just slang for home. Meanwhile, in the UK, they say ‘flat’ instead of ‘apartment.’ It’s fascinating how the same language can mean different things depending on where you’re from. These are all words considered English and accepted, yet the word home for this instance is translated to the same thing or differently due to context. A crib can be similar to an area a baby sleeps in, or a home. 

It’s not the English dictionary’s official definition of those words that stumbled across media and groups, but it’s the human perspective of what they stumble across in the media and what words they can resort to. These words end up expressing themselves in America, whereas you can find similar words in the United Kingdom as they call their apartment flats. These words can travel so far into what it means to use an international language that is evolving as more people pitch in their expressions and identity of the way they find it more entertaining to hear them or others talk more frequently. 

One of the primary ways I got my current form of normal speech is through the influence of the media, especially through hip hop culture. They use a lot of normal words to refer to something completely different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VWZsGrjm1s&pp=ygUKZHJpcCBtaWdvcw%3D%3D
This song for example, is called “Drip”. From the apparent meaning through standard english, we can understand drip to refer to liquid falling. However for whatever reason it is, in many contexets, drip can be referred to as clothing.  This phenomena can be seen with many other words, some words having multiple meanings depending on the context.

Censorship can come with these words whereas it goes hand in hand with social hierarchies. International language is being taught to many races around the world, this can come with social class wealth and what certain races and statuses can be allowed to say in public. Oftentimes we find African Americans refer to “cribs” as their home, and for some people, this can come off as uneducated and informal. Some can refer to their homes being small as a crib and some can refer to their homes being their comfort. On the other hand, it can be someone with a lighter complexion referring to their home as a crib, and it can be interpreted as someone entertaining and comedic. Depending on how you refer to certain places or people words you can use, while actions do speak louder than words, but what’s even louder is the perspective of other people of their perspective and opinions of you expressing yourself in some way or some form. 

Finding my identity in the general language I use English is from environments I was personally exposed to. I didn’t have much social media growing up, censorship didn’t come directly to me through a screen but through the parents who raised me, and if they had access to media, then it was through the shape of their algorithm if that wasn’t the case than the people they surround them self with and those people algorithms. Environmentally developing a sense of identity with language is important to develop a sense of speech and community to people who express themselves like you and or opposite to you. People you don’t understand and do understand, while my form of identity will be basic to me, it isn’t to others from different parts of the world using English. 

If you spoke English outside of the West, nobody would understand the phrase “ion mind” used in a sentence. One response could be “Who is Ion and why do they mind?” It does really tell a story of where we come from. Going into further details, my friends being all over parts of New York can sound different yet similar. People from Long Island can develop a southern accent which still throws me off sometimes, meanwhile, people who live in the city would order a  “baconeggandcheese”, and this style sounds second nature to me.  The significance of English evolving in different places deepened my understanding of my identity on what I find to be the best way of expressing myself. I can be boring to most, yet I can be simply spoken and easily understood by others. I could be so bland yet so simple personally, while others can sound ambitious, poetic, rhythmic, and symbolic. All these forms of English exposed me to a more open-minded approach on how to interact with people, understanding and appreciating where they come from and their perspective and understanding of life, leaving a wholesome taste and a wonderful experience.