Dear son,
Today is National Grammar Day. This day is meant to recognize the importance and celebrate the use of good grammar. I thought I would use this occasion to share with you some personal thoughts on this topic.
You, dear child, are the American-born son of Indian parents. This simple fact ensures that you will grow up being exposed to multiple languages on a daily basis! While this may seem like a daunting prospect to your two-year old self, the ability to process multiple languages will have a tremendously positive impact on your cognitive and behavioral skills, as well as provide you with many other benefits in later life.
The ability to speak multiple languages is, without a doubt, a wonderful thing. But you must realize that there is a difference between simply knowing a language and using it well. Communicating well in any language involves adhering to a set of established constructs and rules. Tedious as they may seem, these rules exist for a reason. Language is a communication tool that connects millions (in some cases billions) of people, and it is essential to follow a commonly agreed-upon set of frameworks for speech and writing so that one’s ideas can be correctly interpreted and easily understood by other speakers of the language.
Additionally, using incorrect or bad grammar will often reflect badly on one’s personal credibility. A lack of respect for the rules of grammar may signal carelessness, sloppiness, or a lack of professionalism – definitely not the image that one would want to portray to the world.
In short, I hope that you learn to speak even more languages than your parents do, and when you do, I hope that you will learn the use of good grammar so that you may harness the full beauty, elegance, and power of language in your communications.
That said, here are some perspectives on language ability that I would like you to keep in mind as you grow up and learn more about the world:
Make sure that you never mistake an individual’s language proficiency for their overall worth.
Far too often, we consider good language as a proxy for all kinds of other things – intelligence, talent, sophistication, class, integrity. This is a fallacy in itself – language ability (like most skills) is perfected through learning and practice, and is not an indicator of a person’s competence in other areas. The other problem with this approach is that it immediately dismisses all those people who may not be experts in a language as less-than-capable. They may be non-native speakers, people with speech or writing impediments, have not had access to educational opportunities, or just individuals who use more colloquial language as a matter of preference. Judging their entire worth solely on the basis of how they communicate is not only discriminatory, but this bias deprives us from realizing the full potential of building relationships with people from different backgrounds and leads to many missed opportunities.
Recognize that excellent language skills often come from a place of privilege.
In many parts of the world, striving for language proficiency (particularly English language proficiency) is seen as an esoteric pastime and course of study, available only to those who are unfettered by the struggles and grim realities of everyday life, and have access to quality education. The vast majority of people view language simply as a device necessary for human interactions, and learn what they need to make themselves understood. This explains why local vernacular and ‘slang’ is much more prolific than traditional vocabulary that conforms to all the rules of language, and why the sheer number of people who use slang is much higher – it is not as technical and therefore easier to use.
Learn to embrace the ever-evolving nature of language.
Language, like life itself, is constantly changing. It adapts to the needs of the times, and flexes itself by changing the meaning of words, inventing new words, and rendering certain rules obsolete. This ability to keep up with the times is what makes language truly versatile – and it should be welcomed with open arms. Think of the hundreds of new words that have been created in this millennium alone, and how much they have contributed to our convenience. Just imagine, if not for the brilliant pliancy of language, the world would not be gifted with such delightful words as ‘Hangry’, ‘Woke’, ‘Selfie’ and my personal favorite – ‘Mansplaining’!
So, what I’m trying to say, son, is this: Invest the time to develop good language skills and employ the correct use of grammar in the languages you learn – it will serve you well. At the same time, recognize your privilege to be able to do so. Understand that there are exceptional people all over the world who may not have had the same opportunities, circumstances, or made the same choices as you – be open to learning from them. Above all, never let a language barrier stand in the way of building meaningful connections with your fellow people.
Yours lovingly,
Mama
