by Melanie Ackerman & Emily Williams
When asked to investigate instances of language diversity on our college campuses as an assignment for an Introduction to Linguistics course, we conducted surveys to explore how knowledge of a secondary language affects one’s primary mode of speech. We compiled survey responses regarding Swarthmore College students’ acquisition of new languages with responses from members of the Bryn Mawr College athletics department about the differences in their slang and terminology across varying sports and jobs. Our findings reflect how influential learning a second language or being part of a secondary speech community can be in forming a better understanding of a primary language or speech community.
That Sounds About Right.
Learning a language we did not grow up speaking can be incredibly challenging. The experience of language learning often leads us to reflect on the use of language in our daily lives, and requires us to understand not just what to say, but why we are saying it. In an article for The Philosophical Review, linguist Stephen Stich highlights the idea that our first-language knowledge is entirely innate and relies on the fundamental patterns and dynamics we observe when learning to speak for the first time. Under this assumption, we can understand how something “just sounds right” when writing or speaking in our native language without being able to name specific rules to back up our reasoning.
For example, a Swarthmore student studying abroad in a foreign country is completely immersed in their language. They will learn to pick up on the slang and cultural references, and will probably be better at having quick witted conversations, not having to think through a translation from English to the foreign language word by word. Enhancing their understanding of the foreign/additional language, they are able to contextualize what is being communicated and employ cultural cues and knowledge that can only be achieved by their immersive experience.
On the other hand, learning foreign languages in school involves a curriculum which uses English as a very strong baseline of support and many explanations are reverted back to English before being applied to the new language. While a student learning in this manner can undoubtedly achieve competency over time in the target language, their understanding will continually be routed through English.
For example, a Swarthmore student studying abroad in a foreign country is completely immersed in their language. They will learn to pick up on the slang and cultural references, and will probably be better at having quick witted conversations, not having to think through a translation from English to the foreign language word by word. Enhancing their understanding of the foreign/additional language, they are able to contextualize what is being communicated and employ cultural cues and knowledge that can only be achieved by their immersive experience.
On the other hand, learning foreign languages in school involves a curriculum which uses English as a very strong baseline of support and many explanations are reverted back to English before being applied to the new language. While a student learning in this manner can undoubtedly achieve competency over time in the target language, their understanding will continually be routed through English.
You Are Where You Speak.
*Athletic trainer who specified that they are taught never to use slang, but to use medical terminology and be precise in their explanations of injuries and treatments. Many in the athletic department at Bryn Mawr College cited terminology and jargon that only those familiar with a specific sport or with Bryn Mawr athletics would comprehend. It became clear that playing a sport at the college level requires athletes to learn a whole new language to communicate efficiently and correctly with their team. Critically, many participants in the survey noted the importance of the transition between the field and the outside world in how their sports talk changes when speaking with non-athletes. They referred to times when they had to change their sports vernacular to speak to NARPs (non-athletic regular people) and to be understood when explaining more technical aspects of their sport.
By recognizing the complexity and depth of athletics as their secondary speech community, these athletes and coaches (as language users and innovators) were able to better understand how to communicate to others about their sport and to change their language to one that is familiar to their audience. The language used in particular environments, both in athletics and learning a foreign language, creates an identity and community of speakers who are learning how to communicate most effectively with each other whether in the classroom or on the field.
By recognizing the complexity and depth of athletics as their secondary speech community, these athletes and coaches (as language users and innovators) were able to better understand how to communicate to others about their sport and to change their language to one that is familiar to their audience. The language used in particular environments, both in athletics and learning a foreign language, creates an identity and community of speakers who are learning how to communicate most effectively with each other whether in the classroom or on the field.
You Are What You Speak.
By using language that is specific to a sport or a group of people, a clear community is formed around those who have the communicative competence to understand what is being said through experience and cultural knowledge. As explored in applied linguist Nancy Hornberger’s research article detailing her experiences in Peru, context is key when trying to communicate in an unfamiliar language; the same is true for understanding the lingo used in sports and for making jokes in a second language.
When questioned on slang, athletic community members’ responses varied and reactions to what was considered useful, good language became a major topic of discussion. Athletes, coaches, administrators, and others all described the existence of an internal language within their communities in the athletics department, rather than the proper language they use in other settings. The degree to which they are comfortable with these internal languages increases due to exposure to both their own speech communities within athletics as well as those outside.
A parallel with learning conventional foreign languages can be drawn when we consider that multilingual people have reported improved English as a result of acquiring other languages. Multilingual people have proven to be better at multitasking and problem-solving, have better memory and decision-making skills, are more perceptive, and, as we mentioned, have improved English.
To learn more about how language defines who we are click here for a TEDx Talk by linguist Robyn Giffen, “Identifying Yourself Through Language,” discussing how her Canadian upbringing has affected her speech and her research on language in Ghana.
When questioned on slang, athletic community members’ responses varied and reactions to what was considered useful, good language became a major topic of discussion. Athletes, coaches, administrators, and others all described the existence of an internal language within their communities in the athletics department, rather than the proper language they use in other settings. The degree to which they are comfortable with these internal languages increases due to exposure to both their own speech communities within athletics as well as those outside.
A parallel with learning conventional foreign languages can be drawn when we consider that multilingual people have reported improved English as a result of acquiring other languages. Multilingual people have proven to be better at multitasking and problem-solving, have better memory and decision-making skills, are more perceptive, and, as we mentioned, have improved English.
To learn more about how language defines who we are click here for a TEDx Talk by linguist Robyn Giffen, “Identifying Yourself Through Language,” discussing how her Canadian upbringing has affected her speech and her research on language in Ghana.
References.
- Gosse, Bill. “Sports Has a Language All Its Own.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 June 2016.
- “Identifying Yourself Through Language.” Performance by Robyn Giffen, TEDx Talks, TEDx UBCOkanagan, 7 Aug. 2015.
- Hornberger, Nancy H., “"Trámites" and "Transportes": The acquisition of second language communicative competence for one speech event in Puno, Peru” , Applied Linguistics, 10 (1989) University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Merritt, Anne. “Why Learn a Foreign Language? Benefits of Bilingualism.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 19 June 2013,
- MihalicÌek, Vedrana, and Christin Wilson. “What You Don't (Necessarily) Know When You Know a Language.” Language Files: Materials for an Introduction to Language and Linguistics, 11th ed., Ohio State Univ. Press, 2011, pp. 12–16.
- Stich, Stephen P. “What Every Speaker Knows”. The Philosophical Review, Vol. 80, No. 4 (Oct., 1971), Duke University Press. pp. 476-496.
About the Linguists.
Melanie is a senior at Swarthmore College majoring in Economics. Her main residence is the library, but when she does step away from her books, she plays on the Women’s Basketball Team and works as a TA in the Economics department. She probably has more coffee than blood in her veins, and she admits to being Nicholas Sparks’ target audience.
Emily is a sophomore at Bryn Mawr College and a double-major in English and Linguistics with a minor in Spanish. When she's not conducting linguistics surveys, you can find her running with the Cross Country or Track + Field teams, or wandering the Main Line in hopes of finding the ideal cup of coffee.
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