Anzualda
It is crucial that people have their own identity. In the recent modernization trends, many people have lost their identity. This is because they shift to other simpler zones where there is not as much demand and scrutiny. Speaking of English has been on the rise in many countries. As a result, most people have ditched their own languages for English. This is partially due to the simple nature of learning English in most of the societies. The weight that has been accorded to English in the society has also made it necessary for people to be conversant with the language. However, the effect that the main language has is that the people end up forsaking their own. Consequently, it is extremely hard to tell the identity of a people if they all speak a homogeneous language. It is therefore, true that the language that a person uses determines their identity.
Regardless of the language that individuals use, there will always be differences. These occur due to the difference in dialects. The effect that the mother tongue has on the speaker gives the difference in dialects. People from the native English speaking societies are likely to pronounce words in an almost perfect way. However, a person from a country with another main dialect is likely to have troubles with the transition. This shows the difference in languages to demographical variables. It is consequently easy to know the identity of a person by their dialect. There are also differences in a dialect that are dependent on the social status. The dialect of a person can also give clues on the social status of a person.
Jargon is another factor in language that can show the identity of a person. Different people even those using the same language may have different terms. This mainly comes from the differences in geographical regions. Therefore, there is conflict when the people of different areas speak and the term is used. This is because of the different message that is conveyed to the parties. Different social classes also use jargons depending on the situation. Most of these jargons differ from one social class to another. It is therefore easy to tell apart people from either different classes or regions by virtue of the jargon that they use. Therefore, these show the character and help in identifying people.
In conclusion, I agree with Anzualda that the ethnic identity of a person is related to the linguistic identity. This is because language is truly essential in the life of a person. Language can show the place where a person is from, and the social status is determinable to a certain extent. The jargon and the way of pronunciation of words are dependent on the identity of a person. Language therefore defines the culture that an individual comes from. The culture of the person then easily shows the identity of a person. It is therefore vital for people to safeguard their language. This shows that people are proud of their culture. This is why Anzualda says that an abuse to his language is as unimpeachable as an abuse to his ethnicity. Baldwin is also of the opinion that language is because of an absolute necessity and therefore proper caution should be taken in the preservation of language. This is because the language is able to show the identity of a person.
