David Troutt's Essay Defining Who We Are In Society

Societies are defined by many of their aspects, but perhaps one of the most distinguishable characteristics of any given society is the language spoken there. This fact carries over even to the United States of America. The United States is a vastly multicultural country. That being said, English is the dominant language of the land, and should be officially declared its national language. While I one hundred percent accept and even flat out encourage multilingualism, there is surely a time and place for these feats of lingual flexibility. America is a nation of immigrants, and at some point, all immigrants must learn English out of sheer necessity and functionality. English is simply the most common and standard language used in America, and being unable to speak it makes simple day to day interactions difficult and frustrating for all parties involved. For example, in a rant by Ray Magliozzi, he displays

In David Troutt’s essay “Defining Who We Are in Society”, Troutt argues that language directly displays to others our level of intelligence, and that “as a culture, the greatest benefits go to those who write and speak in standard English, ways identified by most of us as “white,” specifically middle-class white” (Troutt 718). He argues that condemning the use of Ebonics by blacks opens up opportunities for discrimination and even racism. In specific contexts, people may talk however they please, but to discourage the mainstreaming of proper, Standard English for all Americans, regardless of race, puts groups such as the black community at a disadvantage from the start. Most colleges or well-paying jobs are not going to hire someone that does not speak what society has deemed professional Standard English. As tough as that is, it requires us as a whole to teach and educate at a higher level, and hold all students, no matter their color or creed, at the same