In writing, we’re often taught that language and grammar are essentially the same things. At least, I was. If my grammar was wrong, how I was speaking was wrong. My grasp on language revolved around my ability to have proper grammar. As an adult, I’ve slowly but surely started unlearning this mindset.
Lavenda Oluoch’s “Official American English Is A Choice” echoes what I’ve started to learn, whereas “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.” by Kyle Wiens feels like looking into a warped window to the past.
Wiens
Wiens states proudly of his applicants that “I just think they deserve to be passed over for a job — even if they are otherwise qualified for the position.” and I immediately dislike him. He’s making assumptions about the average person and their level of schooling. In this day and age, assumptions like that are detrimental and caustic. Schooling is not equal, nor is grammar easy to grasp. That he thinks so highly of his own abilities and those of his workers allows me to make an assumption of my own: this man is a nightmare to work for.
He’s not, as he self-proclaims, a “grammar “stickler.”” Wiens is a grammar snob. Yes, he works in coding and writing, but it seems there’s something that Wiens forgets: Editors exist. There is also the fact that written language and grammar have different rules depending on what you’re writing. An APA published paper will have different standards than a poem. In fact, published poetry is known for breaking grammar rules to make a point.
Oluoch
On the other side of the spectrum, Oluoch is very clear that bilingualism and multilingualism need to be considered essential. While they have an effect on how a person grasps English, the fact remains that bilinguals have an edge in terms of communication. “they can also translate and interpret languages at a higher intellectual level.” Oluoch proclaims, and she’s right. Even for myself, my ability to speak and translate multiple languages allows me a competence I otherwise lack. The idea that English language and grammar must be the standard is glaringly out of place in an ever diversifying world.
It’s a very real truth that immigrants lose a part of themselves when they come to different countries. There is more to language than English, more to attention to detail than a comma in English grammar rules, and expecting hundreds of thousands of people to fall in line is rude and pompous. Oluoch faces this head on. “The idea of One Language is a slippery slope” she heavily implies, and her exhaustion is palpable. It’s like talking to a brick wall made of stubborn Americans and their sense of entitlement.
Enough is Enough
Grammar and language do not belong only to English. There are other English based languages with their own grammatical and linguistic rules. I, for one, absolutely support integrating other languages and relaxing the strict rules we’re all taught. As an aside – those rules have roots in classism and racism. Rules designed to make life harder for whole groups of people do not deserve the time of day. They don’t have a place in our modern world.
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