No such thing as correct English | Kellam Barta | TEDxFargo

Most English speakers who notice differences in pronunciation, grammatical structure, or word choice believe that some of these variants are "correct" and others are not. Differences in spoken English (and other languages) often encode local or social identity, and ideas about correctness create groups of people who are "othered" because they "say it wrong." This phenomenon is highlighted in Fargo, ND, by local speakers' unique pronunciation of North Dakota State University's athletic moniker, the Bison, with a [z] sound in the middle. They insist that people outside the region don't "say it right." While this is a fairly innocuous example of linguistic subordination - using attitudes about language to marginalize entire demographics - Barta explains how African Americans, women, and young people can be marginalized based on their speech, though the pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary used are intricate, systematic, and communicative. There is nothing "incorrect" about them.

Kellam has an MA in Sociolinguistics from North Carolina State University, where he led the Diversity Ambassadors, an outreach program aimed at spreading awareness of language variation and promoting celebration, instead of subordination, of different ways of speaking English. Kellam is currently a Lecturer in the NDSU English Department and the founder of the NDSU Language Diversity Ambassadors, a fledgling group cast in the mold of NC State's program. Kellam's goal is to carry the message of the Ambassadors well beyond the boundaries of college campuses, so that those in positions of relative power may recognize the privilege that comes with speaking prestige varieties of English and so that we all may take care to respect mere differences - and not deficits - in English pronunciations, grammar, and word choice.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

So, that's correct.

I'm here today to tell you that there is
no such thing as correct English.

But first, I want to hear
a bit from you all.

So, how many of you are from Fargo
or within fifty miles or so ?

(Audience cheers)

Ok. Now, who among you can name

the mascot of North Dakota State
university sports ?

Audience: The Bison!

Ok, excellent.

I'm going to ask you another question,
and I want you to be honest with me.

How many of you have ever tried
to tell someone how to say it right?

(Laughter)

Yeah?

So, you're probably aware

that there are at least two ways
to say this word.

And that locals tend to have a very strong
allegiance toward one of them.

(Laughter)

So strong in fact

that outsiders have been known
to be bullied into saying "bi-zon"

with the z sound in the middle
instead of the s sound in the middle,

which is how virtually everyone else
in the country says it.

(Laughter)

It turns out
that a difference in pronunciation

often serves as a local
or social identifier,

and that failure to say it right
can have real social consequences.

The same goes for grammar.

Consider the case of habitual be.

This is a grammatical feature

used in some varieties
of African American dialects

to indicate ongoing behavior
or habitual behavior.

Many English speakers consider
this usage to be non standard.

A failed attempt
at producing proper English.

As though these be's
are just dropped in there,

haphazardly at random.

But research reveals that habitual be

is intricate, systematic
and communicative,

as much as any verb
in mainstream varieties of English.

In dialects that use this feature,

habitual be consistently expresses
ongoing action.

And yet, using habitual be

and other features
of African American English

has consequences in mainstream America.

Recall the Trayvon Martin case,
in which key witness Rachel Jeantel,

a young African American woman,
was widely misunderstood, and discredited

for the way she spoke English,

using systematically features of
African American varieties of English.

George Zimmerman was acquitted,

and Rachel Jeantel was viciously attacked
on social media,

as highlighted by these tweets,

and reflected in one juror's attitude,

that her speech patterns
were non communicative

In the view of the mainstream public,

Rachel Jeantel just didn't "say it right".

Young women in general
have often come under fire

for failure to "say it right".

Take a look at this quick video clip

from Faith Salie on cbsnews.com.

Faith Salie: America's young women
are running out of oxygen.

What esle could explain
why so many of them sound like thiiiiis?

Girl 1: Sooo cuuute!

Girl 2: Hiii!

Girl 3: It's just kind of, like,
you know, moootto.

Girl 4: Chloe just dooon't get iiiit!

Faith Salie: believe it or not,

there's a scientific term
for the way a Kardashian speaks:

and it's "vocal fryyyy".

(Laughter)

So, vocal fry is a kind
of pronunciation difference

affected in the vocal cords.

And mainstream media
tends to vilify vocal fry,

pinning it to young women,

and blaming the Kardashians
for instituting its use.

Our own Fargo forum even noted
that vocal fry is often found annoying,

and the Atlantic advises that
young women who wish to get a job

ought not to vocal fry
during their job interview.

(Laughter)

And yet, there is insufficient
scientific evidence to show

a) that vocal fry is anything new

and b) that it's young women,
who are predominantly doing it.

Men are actually vocal frying too.

It's just we find it annoying,
when young women are doing it.

(Laughter)

Another group
that just can't catch a break

when it's comes to saying things right
is young people.

Whether it be changing
the meaning of words completely,

changing nouns into verbs, or vice versa,

young speakers are always innovating,

and the language isn't continually influx.

Whereas "epic" used to mean
something like broad in scope,

as in "an epic poem by Homer",

we know live in a world where epic
can refer to a really good cheeseburger.

(Laughter)

Lebron James can be "literally on fire"
when shooting a high percentage.

"Google" is a verb and "invite" a noun.

Language changes.

That's why Harry Potter
doesn't sound like Shakespeare

and that's why older generations
will always accuse younger generations

of destroying the language.

Barry Sanders
of the Raleigh News Observer,

often lament the morbid state
of the English language.

I wonder if he realizes

that older generations were saying
the same thing to his generation

when he was a kid

and that young speakers
communicate successfully,

and we will continue to do so.

So, if you're buying what I'm saying,

you maybe sitting there
thinking right now:

"Sure! There is no such thing
as correct English.

But, couldn't people who come
to Fargo from the outside

just learn to say "bison"?"

(Laughter)

Shouldn't Rachel Jeantel just have learned
to speak a little whiter for court?

Can't young women stop vocal frying

long enough to get
through a job interview?

And shouldn't young speakers just speak
formal academic English all the time?

Well, it would be very easy for me
to answer yes to all those questions,

because I'm a white male, college-educated
English teacher from Fargo.

(Laughter)

In other words,

I belong to all
of the privilege demographics

who gets to decide what it means
to say it right in these cases.

What I wish to impress upon you all today

is that it is us,
members of privilege demographics,

who need to change.

We need to stop using language variation,

as a reason to exclude people.

When language variation
represents a difference not a deficit,

that should be celebrated,
and not subordinated.

So, please know,

that the next time someone comes up to you
and tells you say it right,

they are talking utter nonsense.

Thank you.

(Applause)