Does Hank the Cowdog understand King James English? (I think he does.)
But never mind Hank for now. Instead, tune in John Erickson’s appeal for “a language that maintains honesty, simplicity, and clarity.”
Consider your own use of the English language. And ask yourself if there’s anything your family, your church, and your school can do to help.
Not long ago I found myself near a group of young people, listening to their conversation. They spoke a dialect of English often used by their generation…
Living languages evolve, but we should be very cautious about the changes we legitimize through constant use.
English is our conduit to the founding documents of English-speaking civilization, the body of law, literature, and Scripture that shapes our understanding of what it means to be a God-made, civilized human being.
The more we change the language of the present, the more difficult it is for us to retrieve a clear message from the past.
Also, we should bear in mind the observation of George Orwell as he watched the growing horror of the Nazi conquest of Europe: political evil begins with the corruption of language.
And please note: It isn’t just children and young folks downgrading the language. The media and the politicians and the oh-what-are-they-called engage in a far worse perversion and hijacking of English.
But that’s for another post.
Oh, and John Erickson ought to know about words and language and so forth. He is the author of the Hank the Cowdog series.
(Now, if I could just remember the other group of people I had in mind a bit ago…)
American Tongues is an amazing film from 1988. Too bad it is available only as a high-priced rental. It delves into the regionality of speech patterns, and how special and historically significant they can be.