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Analysis Of If Black English Isn T A Language Then Tell Me What Is By James Baldwin

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Author James Baldwin wrote a short story named, “If Black English Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is?” In the story Baldwin argues that Black English is a language not a dialect or improper English. Baldwin talks about how some languages have different variations and are actually different languages. Baldwin also talks about how language is a political instrument and is the most crucial key to identity. Is it true that one’s language and/or dialect can actually identify them as a person? Well Baldwin believes so. In the story Baldwin also states that he believes that if there was not any black people in the United States white people would not sound the same; English is just a purified version of Black English. I believe that people from different areas have different struggles, which would ultimately affect their variation of that language. …show more content…

People from different countries that share the same language cannot understand each other not because they do not understand the language but because their dialect and the way they pronounce certain words effect their interpretation of what is being said. In the text Baldwin states “A Frenchman living in Paris speaks a subtly and crucially different language from that a man living in Marseilles. . .” When using a translator they do not have multiple variations of French there is only one version of French but the difference is not the language but the way they pronounce words (dialect). If a Frenchman in Paris and in Marseilles are not speaking the same language you should be able to specify which type of French you are actually trying to translate. Since you cannot specify a type of French the two men would actually be speaking the same

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