The pitfalls of code-switching

By Chanelle Schneider

“i kno u not comin at meh! u shud kno better den dat”

“ain tryna splurge on no real **** so it is wat it is…dey say da cheap **** getchu rt”

“The Widow Douglas she took me for her son, and allowed she would sivilize me…”

“Yo’ ole father doan’ know yit what he’s a-gwyne to do. Sometimes he spec he’ll go ‘way, en den agin he spec he’ll stay…”

There is a difference of 125 years between the statements offered above. The first group of examples is from users on the social networking site: Twitter. The second is from the characters Huckleberry Finn and Jim in Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Published in 1885, this dialect was used to add authenticity to the story.

During the time when its use was prevalent there were not many opportunities for black people to educate themselves. Each dialect was also used as a method of geographic identification. As the saying goes, “You can tell by the way I talk I’m not from ‘round here.”

In the story, however, mostly everyone spoke in a form of broken English because, regardless of race, education was out of reach. In contemporary society this is not the case, as education is more widely available.

This begs the question: Why do so many people who have had the benefit of education still choose to speak in this manner?

Whether in a professional or casual setting people are judged based on how they communicate with others. Occasional slips into colloquialisms are, generally, acceptable.

Repeated use, however, is seen as an indication of lack of a developed vocabulary. In a professional setting an underdeveloped vocabulary can be detrimental to future success.

As we move into an increasingly digital age where everything we say can be stored and indexed, regardless of the medium used to deliver the message, the necessity for professional branding is evident, but people don’t like to be critiqued based on what they say in nonprofessional settings.

They often feel misjudged by someone who does not know them, their character, or their potential for intellectual, professional discourse. Who is to blame, though? Is it the fault of the person judged for misrepresenting themselves? Or, is it the fault of the other person for passing judgment based on snippets of conversation?

When former President George W. Bush left office, many exclaimed in relief for multiple reasons, one being that we would have a well-spoken head of state representing the United States. It is no secret that “Dubya”, as he was dubbed, was infamous for his many linguistic missteps:

“One of the very difficult parts of the decision I made on the financial crisis was to use hardworking people’s money to help prevent there to be a crisis.” –George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Jan. 12, 2009

“The United States and Russia are in the midst of transformationed relationship that will yield peace and progress.” -George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Nov, 13, 2001

The fact is that he was judged for not meeting the professional expectations of his position. When he was a senator running for office, President Barack Obama was branded an articulate and eloquent speaker, which became a benefit and a detriment concurrently.

He’s not white enough for white people and not black enough for black people. Barack Obama represents the dilemma many people face in regards to assimilation, multilingualism, and race representation.

He may be part white but his skin color reflects a need to represent his varied racial heritage. In every community there are people who choose not to speak proper English because to suggest that there is a “proper” form of English is to rob each culture of the individual idiosyncrasies of their dialect that make Americans unique.

Why should we all speak the same? Can’t we just talk the way we want? No. Unfortunately, we cannot.

If you have ever worked in a customer service environment and tried to help someone who does not speak the same language as you, you know how difficult it is to communicate in such a situation. We don’t have to speak in exactly the same fashion, but we can agree on what will make everyone come across as the intelligent, capable person they know themselves to be in order to avoid the negative character judgments that are often made too quickly.

Have you ever walked up to a cashier and judged them as incompetent based on one interaction with them, lacking knowledge of their entire portfolio of competency? Is this not the same thing?

In social networking especially, we are judged in a vacuum where we have a few moments to leave a lasting impression. Do you really want the last thing a person remembers you by to be, “iFeel ya 0n dat . iAm tryin tew Get ready fuh dhs…?”

I doubt it.