Having previously taken an English language history course, I have come to understand that the road to modern English as we know it is paved with violence, passion, deceit, and political strife. From the roots of the European countryside to the Western frontiers, English has become a language coveted by some today. In her article, Carmen Bugan describes English as a comfort language to people like her – immigrants from countries with brutal governments. Bugan describes how to her, and people like her, English represents a safe space because it is the language of free expression. While free speech is nothing new to a born American, it is a luxury that people will, quite literally, die for in their motherlands.
As an English major, I do my best to admire English with a certain reverence. While I am still just a student of the language even after 24 years of life, I will continue to fall in love with the fact that there are many ways to say the same thing. English is a Frankenstein’s monster of a language and yet, it somehow works. Grammar police like Kyle Wiens feel the same. In his own piece, Wiens writes about how he employs a mandatory grammar test for all hopeful applicants who wish to work at his two companies. His argument for this practice is that despite years of schooling, there are too many people who still have a weak command of the English language. From they’re/there/their blunders to not knowing how to use a semicolon, Wiens believes that it is those who respect English enough to learn it that will show that same respect to other tasks.
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