Purdue University
English Composition II – Eng 105
Fall 1988, Dr. Bolduc
Grade: (A)
Language
I disagree with Orwell. I do not think our language is in a bad way just because there are some who abuse it. There will always be people who make a mockery of the creative beauty our language possesses. Twisting words can have many causes; to say these causes are only political or economic are absurd.
I think that people who use big words and worn-out phrases are merely exhibiting their lack of language skills or being pretentious. My personal favorite authors are Isaac Asimov, Andrew Greeley, and Mike Royko; they all use common words and are quite successful at getting their messages across. In fact, I see their simplicity as their very genius.
Orwell says the political language is designed to make lies sound truthful, murder respected, and give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. His message is clear, but it goes too far. I agree that politicians attempt to remain vague, avoid direct answers, and twist words to argue their points. But because Orwell goes too far with his criticism I do not take his argument seriously. He sounds like an old fuddy-dud professor who would not be pleased by anything that did not meet his rigid standards.
Language can pose a barrier between people if it is not shared. I think that global community relations could be enhanced if we had more people speaking and writing multiple languages. Between the approximate ages of 2-14 years, children are in what psychologists call a “sensitive period”; during this time their minds are sponge-like in regard to learning languages. I think that we should take advantage of this innate biological ability and teach foreign languages in the nursery, grade, and junior high schools. Imagine a future United Nations conference with most of the countries able to speak to one another because we have taken advantage of our kid’s learning abilities. By giving the next generation increased language and communication skills we would be doing something positive for world relations. I love language. I see it as a creative tool to express an array of feelings, thoughts, and ideas. With language, we are free to create, either verbally or in writing, anything that we can imagine. I can turn thoughts into something we can see and hear. Language gives our thoughts a new tangible dimension. I love learning new words; all the more words to think with.