Lingustic Variation

     There is a growth in the standard varieties of English due to macro-acquisition, or second language acquisition by speech communities in their own local context. This happens when other languages come in contact with English and become a hybridized language. Based on the needs and social acceptability of English use, there are may different lexical and syntactical varieties of English based on location. There is no standard English when it comes to spoken word. It is perceived as a myth that there is a standard English. Initially a pidgin language is used when the speakers L1 is not shared. As this contact persists a Creole is formed as a L1 for the next generation typically.  Also within these there are L1 accents that deal with things such as such as Geographical, social identity, and social geography.
     Even though there is not a standard way of speaking, the way that certain dialects are perceived culturally as lessor. For example southern dialects and accents are perceived to be lesser than Midwestern dialects...then again I am from the Midwest...so maybe I have been exposed to that. This beings us back to the myth of the accent.

            Based on the environment and the people who are speaking, like in Shakespeare’s plays, the language and style of language that is used differs. For example, according to McKay and Kokhorst-Heng, a grandfather who tells his granddaughter a story uses code switching, which is not unexpected. However, in a more formal the setting the more “cline of proficiency” increases. Features of these variations include pronunciation of consonants and vowels, Grammar nouns and verbs, and lexicon such as idioms and borrowings.

            Lippie-Green’s article, “They Myth of the Non-accent”, defines accent as “Accents are loose

bundles of prosodic and segmental features distributed

over geographic and/or social space.” The myth of the accent is just that, a non-existent form of formal speech.  Overall everyone has differences in their idiolects. As an educator I would like to promote this and would also like to see more of these dialects represented in popular culture.

Families and Bilingualism

     Parents play a large role in the language development of their children as they also play a large role in development of a second language. In recent years it has been suggested that bilingualism has been on an  "explosive demand". Education programs are being supported by both majority and minority language children to learn two languages. There is been an increase in the purchasing of programs such online programs, CD's, videos, and flash books that are aimed towards children. Second language learning is supported by middle class families as gymnastics or tee ball would be. There is also a desire for minority speakers to retain their first language while learning the H-language. I find this to be a very good thing, however there are many difficulties in obtaining these goals. In King and Fogle's study they examined 24 families to better understand the multitudes of this. 
     I found it interesting that "mothers participating in the
project changed their conceptions of what it meant to be a ‘good mother'....". They changed their views to better suit the program. Also, minority mothers were "vulnerable to unrelenting public advice and recommendations, and concomitant little recognition of the (invisible) work that bilingual parenting entailed, often resulting in maternal guilt, stress and personal trauma." It was also confessed in this article that 95% of the programs lack the credibility in their areas of suggestions.
     Most of the parents saw bilingualism as a benefit to their children though also voiced their concerns in the interviews such as confusion of languages and the difficulty of acquiring both languages at a young age. There were constants that were also mentioned in the interview such as " (1) the
popular press and parenting advice literature, (2) other bilingual families, particularly those of their extended family and (3) their personal experiences with language learning." However the ways in which these were executed were different. I found this interesting. This could be because their sources form where parents get the ideas about bilingualism are the same, however their cultural background may call for the differences in how bilingualism is preformed. There were negative statements that were let with positive disclaimers such as "When I was little..." or "I know that studies show...". Parents are not uncritical reviews, especially when it comes to their children. It was also stated that these vague openers may be used because parents are unaware that there are may bilingual homes that actively and successfully use both languages. "...many parents were unaware of how frequently children raised in
bilingual homes become active users of only one language." Most of all I was excited to see that multilingualism is being promoted and supported in families and communities.

English as a 'H-Language'

     I had a lot of trouble when I began to learn Spanish. Well, I still do have a lot of trouble in Spanish. I would be able to function and understand it in class, though when I was taken out of that environment I was very hesitant about using it. None of my friends spoke Spanish, my family did not speak Spanish, and I was not in a location where people were bi-lingual. As my studies progressed, learning another language had gotten harder...much harder. This could be called selective functionality, or the ability to develop a lever of competence only to the level needed to fulfill a particular function in a particular setting. I knew how to ask the teacher a question, or to refer to the textbook, though outside of class I had no need to use it, so I never developed those skills. As it was also mentioned by McKay and Heng in chapter three, this had an effect on my learning.
     English is the number one second language learned in India. Though, there is also a certain linguistic culture, "beliefs about the antiquity, beauty, and purity..." that comes with the learning of English. With this also brings privilege to English.  Not everyone has access to English. It is then suggested that because English have been positioned as a H-language (high language) that it is also linked to "...the colonial legacy, the post colonial democratic governments response to that legacy, and globalization." As education increases the use of English has increased in such places like India.

Globalization

     There is a constant struggle to obtain balance between a new emerging culture and the prescience of an older culture especially for the onset emigration and immigration across countries. With this also comes the need for an education reform, however, according to Kubota, "These diversities are not sufficiently reflected in language education." For example, Japan has had an influx of immigrants (as well as emigrants) from 1989-1999. The number of non-Japanese studetns in need of language support has reached, according to Kubota, 46.5 percent.
     It was also suggested that Japan has gone through economical separation from western countries, like the US, after WWII and in order to make up for this Japan has tried to adapt to Western culture in to yield acceptance. This is one of the serious consequences of economic divide, as suggested by McKay and Heng. Kubota further states, "Kokisaika reflects Japans struggle to claim its power in international community through Westernization...to put kokusaika in the three dimensional tension between the promotion of English and nationalism..." There is an internal struggle between self recovery and self discovery.
    After reading the rest of Kubota's article, I thought about the privileges I have as a natural speaker of English, though have also thought why Japan has pushed towards the 'Western' ways of education such as debates, 'logical' and expressive writing. Post WWII, a foreign language has been required by the Japanese curriculum, (pushing towards the learning of English). This is not the push towards pluralism, though a push to fit into the global market.
    Above all, as McKay and Heng state, "there are many benefits to having a global language like English, it is essential that language educators work to ensure that the spread of English proceeds in a manner that supports the integrity and development of other languages."