The reading summary is done by: Alisha Robinson (ENGL300-1) and Derek Campbell (ENGL300-2)
Due by class time on: Friday, Feb. 25th, 2011
The responses by the whole class are due by class time on: Mon., Feb. 28th, 2011
The text you need to read is here.
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Alisha Robinson (300-01)
In the article entitled, "Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition", author A. Bess Cook distinguishes the differences between language and slang. A teacher gives her group questions to reveal why slang exists but does not last. She begins her lesson by simply asking, "What does language exist for?" The children respond that language exists so we can make clear thoughts, have and express our thoughts. To further explore language she asks if slang exists for the same purpose. The children struggle to answer this and the teacher proceeds with her lesson. She gives an example of Lincoln's Gettysburg address, it is simple enough for anyone and everyone to understand. After this she reads Sir Walter Scott's "The Heart of Midlothan" from the talk of thieves, none of the students can understand this. To make her point she says that slang was the language of the thieves in Shakespeare's day. Slang was used to conceal a thought from most people. The word "kid" was once slang formerly used as "kidnab" which is "kidnap" today. Slang was a language for thieves and only amongst thieves. They decide that slang "isn't good taste according to our standard of usage." The teacher concludes her lesson by stating that 99 percent of slang passes away. In order for words and slang to maintain existence it must clearly express a thought, not be offensive, and be recognized by many people.
By: Derek Campbell
The article "Slang a Lesson in Composition" by A. Bess Clark is about learning what slang means to the English language. The article begins with a teacher asking the students What language exists for. One student answers that "To make your thoughts clear, and to have thoughts, and to express thoughts" (Clark 2). The teacher then asks if language expresses thoughts then does slang express thoughts as well? The student responds that most people speak correctly when they stop to think about what they say; however when people don't stop to think they use slang even if they don't mean to. The teacher then responds that the student didn't quite get the question. How many people use slang exist to express thought? The teacher then gives two examples from The Heart of Midlothian. The use of slang is italicized "She has got a jark from Jim Ratcliffe, and Frank here won't hear of putting her through the mill."(3) The students have no idea what this means so the teacher explains that a jark is a piece of paper that criminals give to others that protect the carrier from other criminals.
The teacher then explains that being put through a mill means robbing someone or at least making an attempt to rob them. The teacher then gives a second example this example is from American Magazine from a detective: "St-t-t. Put your duke under your tog so the harness dick won't know you're on the racket" (4). One of the students knows what these bits of slang actually mean. Dukes is slang for fists, a tog is a coat, a harness dick is a detective, and on the racket means on the job. The teacher then goes on to explain that "Slang was the language of thieves in Shakespeare's day. Thieves' slang existed and still exists for the purpose of concealing thought from most people" (4). The teacher then says the a great many of the thieves words work their way into our language constantly; such as the words "dame", "skirt", or "chicken" which is slang to describe a woman. The teacher then says that slang used to be a thieves only language all across Europe at one time. Another example the teacher gives is that the word "kid" to describe children came from the word "kidnab" which is now known as "kidnap". The teacher then tells a story of two American officers during the war. They were sitting in a barber shop and one man had to relay an important message to the other, however there was a spy also present and they knew it. So these two men used baseball slang that the spy could not figure out in order to relay the message. The teacher then asks the class what was wrong with their definition of language. If people use slang and people understand what it means, why isn't it real language? One student answers that it is not respectable and when asked what respectable meant the student answered that it meant well bred. The student went on to say that "It is not used by people who are supposed to know what good language is" (5). Which means language does not exist if it is offensive the teacher asks.
The teacher later asks what two things must a word do to stay with people. A student responds that it must be clear and inoffensive so that it can replace a different word. The teacher then says that the word slang comes from the Scandinavian word "slenja" which means to sling the jaw or to talk abusively. The teacher ends with students coming up with some of the slang they know, one of which is "window shopping" which is a phrase we still use today.
This article was quite interesting. Though I don't agree with everything that the author (or the teacher character, whatever) is saying, she has a few interesting points, and in any case, the article's interesting by virtue of it's being old. As for its theory of slang, that it passes out of use if it is offensive, I don't think that this is the case. I can think of plenty of words and phrases, none of which I'll repeat here, that would certainly be considered vulgar or offensive by the standards of this article's day and our own, but they persist and have in fact been around for a very long time. I don't really have a theory of my own to explain which "slang" stays and which goes, but I suspect that insisting on the slang label will make it very hard. Of course any new word is going to hide meaning for most people. Following this author's definition, wouldn't a lot of academic jargon be slang? And let's not kid ourselves that a lot of it, particularly that you run across in the humanities, is intended, maybe not openly acknowledged though, to "hide" meaning from a large part of the population. Furthermore, I don't know about anyone else, but something like "post-colonial rerepressive inductive dialectics" is far more offensive than say, shit, which is what the former is a load of, if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition", by author A. Bess Cook discusses the passing trend of slang in the English language. I completely agree that no slang word or phrase is forever. Language changes a little bit with each new generation of speakers and former slang is a mere shadow of its former phrasing. Language has and always will evolve from whatever region of earth it has originated from to keep up with the changing times.
ReplyDeleteSlang is something that is in every language. Even though there is a 'right' way to speak or write, every area has a different form of the original language. Slang is something that is going to always exist, even if it is 'the language of thieves'. There is always going to be a new or different way of saying something within many different sections of a language.
ReplyDeletethis article was interesting. i didn't think agree with everything Cook said, but she makes some good points. no form of slang can last forever. for example, the slang our parents used when they were in college aren't the same as the slang we use today. it is influenced by many factors, such as music, background, and with whom you associate.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting. In this article the author talked about slang and it has become generally popular over the years. This article deals a lot with the evolution of language and how it changes constantly from generation to generation. Though I do believe that slang is used for a different way of expressing ourselves between young people, I also agree with the author that it came hinder us from developing a better sense of speaking.
ReplyDeleteThe author of this article brought up a topic to me that I have never before considered. The article was about the difference between slang and proper English language. I thought the author's theory as to what slang stays and what slang doesn't was very interesting. I would think that the only reason slang would continue to be used is if it's a word that makes the real word easier to say or if there's not really a real word for that particular meaning, so the use of that slang word would be needed. I really don't think there's anything wrong with using slang, it can be a really cool cultural characteristic that makes our language unique, as long as you don't use it at inappropriate times.
ReplyDeleteSlang is suppose to be easy to pick and be able to stick. It is a way to identify a certain subculture or be identified with a certain subculture. Particular slang may stick with the general culture, such as ( which was mentioned), "Window Shopping". Also there was the issue of time. How certain slang is associated with a particular generation and maybe as that generation evolves and gains more authority in society then so does that generations slang. Just a theory. Interesting article though, but its hard to say why certain words may stick and others don't, I mean a lot of negative slang has become a part of our culture, which is unfortunate. All in all though I like slang, I think it is an interesting part of a persons identity.
ReplyDeleteI really like this article. I think slang is an interesting topic. Slang means different things to different people. So many factors play a role in how slang is incorporated into a language. Slang changes from generation to generation. Pop culture also contributes to what we do, say, and believe. Today, the "bad boy/girl" image is glamorized, so people tend to mimic what a typical "bad boy/girl" would do and say. I think it is fine to use slang when with your friends and family. However, using slang in a formal or professional setting is inappropriate. Knowing your audience is the key here.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting. Cook brought up points that I had never known to be true. Although I know slang has been present for many years I never knew that it was the language of thieves in Shakespearian time. Since slang is second nature in American culture you would never think that. I feel that there comes a time where we must recognize slang as a form of language, no matter how improper it is. The only difference from slang today and back then is that no everyone uses it all around the world. There is no language for thieves slang is universal. The only difference is most people know when it's appropriate to use slang and when it's not.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, Alisha Robinson and Derek Campbell have done a great job to summarize the article "Slang a Lesson in Composition" by A. Bess Clark. They can write the main important point clearly. Go through the article and their summaries, I think every slang can be count as a language. A language can be named as a language is only based on the political elements. Even in a country, there are many slangs existed but it just a few slangs can be a language of a country. I think the slang and language exist for communication. It is a way for people communicate easily.
ReplyDeleteClark's article was interesting, because I have never thought about why slang exists. I have always thought that slang is just a quicker way to say things, or a simpler way to express a complex thought. Also, I did not know that slang was used by thieves, and that is how slang started. I would agree that most slang passes away, because as the times change so does our expression of language.
ReplyDeleteI found Clarke’s article to be very interesting. I like that it was not written as a standard article, but was more of a classroom transcript. It is nice to read things in a different format every so often. The teacher started the class by asking a student why we use language. The student responded to communicate thought (or something along those lines). Really it is used as a standard form of communication. From this the teacher then begins her lesson on slag. Slag derives from thieves. It was used to criminals could communicate without other people understanding what they were saying. I found this surprising. I really enjoyed this article because of the different formatting from so many other articles. Also, the information was interesting because I myself use slag and learning where it came from is just a neat fact to know.
ReplyDeleteThis article was interesting to say the least. You can't but a difference between language but we can say that slang is a short form of language. I can understand the fact about how slang was originally the language of thieves, in which they would communicate in a short method of language. Most forms of slang will stay around and other forms won't due to the passing by of years. For example, the term "bling-bling" was commonly used in the African-American Communities as another name for jewelry with diamonds.
ReplyDeleteThe article was very interesting to read and the two students summarized the article in detail. In my opinion, everyone has a different approach to what they think slang is. So many factors contribute to how slang is used nowadays. For example, slang depends on the certain age group, whether young or old. Pop culture also plays a major role in society because of our actions. The important point of the article is that we all must know the difference between slang and using proper English when it is suppose to be used. But no matter what, slang will always be around; time changes and so does language.
ReplyDeleteThe article regarding slang was very interesting. I find the topic of slang interesting because it is frequently used throughout communities all over the world. I agree with the author that slang words or phrases are not forever. I agree because language changes overtime. I have always thought of slang as a quicker way to speak, I never realized that it was used for code among theives.
ReplyDelete"Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition", author A. Bess Cook discusses the topic of slang and how slang is being used today. The two students that summarized the article did a great job pinpointing what the author wants us to learn. While the author focuses on slang words and phrases I would have to agree upon the authors notion in which slang will not be forever in which I truly believe language does change over time in which people from different countries/ states have there own way of dialect. For example when I am with people of a different ethnic background I have a proper way of talking to them meanwhile when I am with someone of my same ethnic background or with someone I know I use slang much more. Slang is a way of getting out a message faster, but after reading this article the slang I use definitely needs to be cut down because I would not want to be labeled as a thief in which I knew nothing of.
ReplyDeleteIn author A. Bess Cook's "Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition," she defends language in all forms as acceptable. Her contention is written as a classroom discussion where the teacher is making her students think critically about the creation of things. Cook's philosophical speech and questioning of the very nature of knowledge attempts to teach the students to think about slang without prejudice (or to think objectively). She makes points about how expressions are easier to comprehend than simplistic, individual words, when conveying a thought. I definitely think this is an astute position on slang's finitude and why normal language is more likely to last longer.
ReplyDeleteSlang today is not the same as slang in Shakespeare’s day. A slang word lifespan today only last a few years in the modern culture. But slang is the language of thief’s and the only people how need to know what a word means are thieves. Because if cops start to know what a word means then the word is useless to the thief’s. But if the common public starts to use it but not by the correct meaning the word has a longer life span. Do to it take the cops longer to translate the word.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this article, and I think the summary was written very well. Slang is something that can have a different meaning to so many different people it is almost impossible to give it a definition. I agree when the author says slang has become more popular over the years. I really liked how the article also touched on evolution of language and the fact it keeps changing and changing going down generations. In my own opinion, there is a time and a place for slang language. I do not think it is appropriate to use it in school or in papers, but I think it can be okay around your friends.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this article and thought it was amusing, mainly due to the time period in which it was written. I agree with a lot of the things mentioned in the article, such as how slang changes over time like the teacher explained. Cockney rhyming slang is one of my favorite examples. A British friend of mine uses it very often, and half the time when I see things he writes on Facebook or to me in an IM chat, I have a very difficult time decoding the rhyming slang. Some of the words, like "septic tank" for "yank" (yankee, what they call all people from the USA), I have gotten used to because he says them all the time, but Cockney rhyming slang has a huge vocabulary of slang words, and I've certainly not heard them all. And like the article says, slang changes all the time, so even if I recognize a word in Cockney slang today, they might start using a different word for that meaning a week from now.
ReplyDeleteThis is an article that was written in order to explore if slang expresses thought. The article starts with a teacher challenging her class to answer the question: “Does slang express thought?” Throughout the class she explains to the kids that slang is not expressive thought because it lacks (as the kids said) respectability. Through the years, slang is changed and meanings are then dropped. To attempt to comprehend an idea based of slang is hit or miss depending on if the persons are familiar with the said slang. The creator of the article is making a point that slang doesn’t create a comprehendible structure of thought which is why slang takes meaning away from ideas.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be interesting and very informative. I am a very big user of slang myself. Although slang might not be the politically correct way to speak I do believe it is a language in itself. The way I see it, just because most people might not understand it does not mean it is not a language. As a person who speaks english, I do not understand french or german not one bit, but that does not mean that it is not a spoken language among others. Slang is just a way to communicate with others on a level that those individuals would understand you. I do agree with the teacher that as time goes on, it changes over time. Over all I did find it interesting because it is something I could relate to.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this article because it was informative and interesting. I never bother to think or understand the purpose of slang and the effect it has on society. I always thought slang was a language the youth use to communicate with each other in a "cool" way. To now learn that it started with a language thieves used to communicate with each other amongst themselves. This makes me want to reconsider the different slang I use. Both articles was good but in my opinion could have been more detailed but it was indeed clear and straight to the point. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI found this article to be very interesting in the way that it looks at slang and points out to the audience that it is ever changing. I agree with the thought that the slang used today will not be around forever. This is shown by the example of how slang used to be for thieves, and it is also shown in that slang changes from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteBoth summaries were well written and presented a concise view of the article. I really enjoyed the historical view of slang and the way that it develops. A lot of people feel that slang is a more current trend, but Cook shows that it has been a tradition of the English language for quite a while.
ReplyDeleteThis article was a pretty interesting article. In it the author discusses the use of slang in language. She begins to discuss that slang was first used in Shakespeare time, for the thieves to communicate. Also, pointing out that word "kid" came from the thieves then. This article was interesting since slang is used very often in my vocabulary. It was cool to learn that slang has been around for hundreds of years, and that many of the common words that we use today are actually slang, like "kidnap" or "Window Shop".
ReplyDeleteI thought the article was very interesting. I did not like the fact that the teacher associated slang with thieves just because it was in a book. I did not know that Shakespeare was the creator of language and can tell us who can use slang and who cannot. I think that slang is at the discretion of the user. We all can code switch and choose to use it when we feel appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThis article was quite interesting, and I think the summaries were well written. I started thinking about why slang goes away 99% of the time, and the only thing I could come up with was that its because its used differently from person to person. For example, the slang we use in the country is probably very different than the slang in the inner city. Either way this was very interesting, slang has been around for a long time.
ReplyDeleteAuthor A. Bess Cook discusses in the article entitled, "Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition", the differences between language and slang. The author's theory as to what slang stays and what slang doesn't was very interesting. A teacher gives her group questions to reveal why slang exists but does not last. She gives an example of Lincoln's Gettysburg address; it is simple enough for anyone and everyone to understand. After this she reads Sir Walter Scott's "The Heart of Midlothan" from the talk of thieves, none of the students can understand this. Slang changes all the time, so even if you recognize a word in Cockney slang today, they might start using a different word for that meaning a week from now.
ReplyDeleteIn the article entitled, "Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition", by author A. Bess Cook, a teacher is discussing slang with her students and the different ways that it is viewed. I believe that it is a good article but irrevalant to today's society. It was hard to relate because slang that I never heard before was used as examples and I didnt understand what they meant. I dont completly agree that 99 percent of slang goes away, i believe that it depends on where you are from and your surroundings. If peopele continue to use the same words for slang then more than likely it will never die. for example the word "lame" has been used as slang since i ws in elementary school, i am now in college and it is still being used today.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was interesting. It really delved deep into the history of slang and how it came about in American culture. I think that our generation has a hard time with slang. It is so common amongst us that we end up using it in formal situations where it is not appropriate. It makes it hard for teachers to criticize a student for using slang. Although the student knows it is improper to use it when formally writing or speaking, it is however a part of everyday life for our generation. Although we do not use it to keep our conversations secretive like in the past, it is more to efficiently get our point across quickly. It is interesting to see how slang has evolved over the past decades; it went from being a tool used to keep conversations private to words and phrases used in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "Slang: A Lesson in Ninth Grade Composition", by author A. Bess Cook talks about the trend of slang in the English language. In my opinion, slang words are like code words, which a lot of people later catch on to. Slang is a good way to keep teenager's parents oblivious to the conversation they have with their friends. I thought the article was interesting, since it talked about slang words that have been around for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting to read. The evolution of words has evolved in different ways and are still changing. As far as slang, in my opinion, slang is a trendy version of today's language. In our generation slang is mostly used in our everyday conversations. Thus, it is very difficult for some people to not use slang in a formal setting or conversation. It is apart of our culture and we use it to get our point across. The interesting thing that I found out that I never knew was that slang was developed during Shakespeare's time. I think the evolution of slang and words in general is fascinating and how they are used now.
ReplyDeleteWhat is slang? Everyone has a different perception of what slang is or is not. My mind thinks it just depends on environmental and social factors. A common understanding is needed.
ReplyDelete