Rhetorical Analysis Essay
“In the land of the ‘free,’ language and speaking do not feel so free. It feels confined and restrictive due to the pervasive grammar policy and rigid pronunciation standards enforced by academic institutions and social norms. These standards for English are simply another way to prioritize the so-called “white way of speaking,” which many disguise as “proper English, further stigmatizing certain dialects and different cultural backgrounds and reinforcing harmful power dynamics in our society that can lead to further economic and social disparity. However, language should be fluid, allowed to evolve and change over time, and able to celebrate the diversity of cultures and languages in our society.

Jamila Lyiscott, professor of social justice education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, argues in her spoken word essay, “3 Ways to Speak English Correctly,” that there is not one way to speak English correctly, but rather many ways we communicate based on our setting and who we are with. Lyiscott highlights how the use of code switching was utilized in her everyday life, and despite her efforts to cater her language and way of speaking based on the setting , the perspective of what was” articulate” was

different. “So when my professor asks a question and my answer is tainted with a connotation or urbanized suggestion, it’s because I’m articulate,” In this quote, Lyiscott highlights the idea that the way she presents herself and speaks in an academic setting is seen as articulate, but then she draws back on a personal experience of being at home with her father when he asks “Wha kind of ting is dis” (0:45) to show the differentiation in the ways of speaking English that are spoken at home and in the academic setting, and when she is out with her friends “on the block” she “switch it up just because I can.” (0:56) Lyiscott utilizes these personal experiences and anecdotes with her language and culture to show that she is not only articulate in one way of speaking but also in three ways as well, which helps her build a strong connection with her audience, who may have had a similar experience to her.

Lyiscott brings up a strong point about how language is fluid, and that a large part of how language is interpreted is based on a personal perspective. Lyiscott asks, “But who controls articulation?” (1:22) Because the English language is a multifaceted oration, subject to indefinite transformation,” this brings the audience to question and think about how there is truly no basis for our language and that language is constantly evolving and changing with time, and articulation is perceived differently by everyone. Thus, although there may be many rules for the English language and other languages, language is truly a fluid concept, and what is truly important is that we get our points across to the people we are communicating with.

I find that I personally relate to Lyiscott’s idea of code switching because, when speaking with my relatives who may not know English as well, I speak English to them with a

more “foreign accent” and speak in a more “improper” less grammatically correct way to help them understand better as well. If I speak English with them in an American accent, they find it harder to understand me, as opposed to speaking English with a slight Russian accent and pronunciation, because there are many cognates between English and Russian, but their pronunciation may be different. Therefore, although I may not speak proper and grammatically correct English with my relatives,the most important thing to me and to them is that we understand each other’s points and communicate. Being grammatically correct and proper is what they are least concerned about in personal or family settings.

Lyiscott hints at America’s self-centered ideas and its superiority complex regarding the English language. America’s academic system is structured, strict, and lacks room for creativity. It seems that there is only one way to properly write an argumentative essay or only one way to solve a math problem; we are taught to believe that the only right way to do anything is to do it the way we are taught. Specifically, with regard to English, the American education system specifically targets minority groups such as African Americans, Latinx, Asians, and Middle Easterners, claiming that speaking English with an accent or pronouncing words differently is improper, giving minorities less opportunities for jobs because of a “language barrier,” and that the only way to be considered professional and proper is to speak English in a “white way.”

Lyiscott states, “Now you may think that it is ignorant to speak broken English, but I’m here to tell you that even “articulate” Americans sound foolish to the British.” (1:35) This

shows how while Americans may perceive their English as proper and right, the British may think they sound foolish or improper.
Many Americans may perceive “broken English” as improper, but they fail to realize how “broken English” came to be. Many cultural languages were erased from them by the English colonizers, so they were left to learn English but still wanted to keep some aspects of their culture in it. “I know that I had to borrow your language because mine was stolen. But you can’t expect me to speak your history wholly while mine is broken. These words are spoken by someone who is simply fed up with the Eurocentric ideals of the season. And that’s why I speak a composite version of your language. Is because mine was raped away along with my history. I speak broken English, so the profuse gashes can remind us.

“Our current state is not a mystery.” (3:17) With this quote, Lyiscotts points out the ongoing impact of English colonialism and that African Americans have had to “borrow” the English language because their native languages were swept away and forgotten through the era of colonialism’. Their broken English is an adaptation of English that includes aspects of her own culture in efforts to reclaim their personal culture and identity. She also points out her frustration with Eurocentric ideals in English because her own history was stolen from her, so having to adapt to the colonizers’ ideals and language causes frustration. Lastly, Lyiscott utilizes the metaphor of “perfusing gashes” to illustrate the idea that the impacts of colonialism and the erasure of her own language, culture, and identity are still hurting her and other African Americans to this day.