Resistance is futile

After relocating to the UK from Switzerland, I now hope to start blogging more regularly again. I enjoyed reading of newscaster Alistair Stewart becoming exasperated at the use of the following English words and phrases:

"Actually" - Here, predictably, the writer assumes the term's meaning as a truth marker. But the less literal interpretation, that of merely foregrounding one proposition against others, is not explored.

"It seems to me ..." — as opposed to "I think" or "I believe" shows a much clearer difference. "It seems to me ..." introduces your own perspective while almost inviting other people to offer a contradictory viewpoint with other evidence. The alternatives are stronger, governed by the first-person subject "I", rather than the weaker, non-referential subject "it".

Alistair Stewart also rails against "almost unique". Rightly, he notes that the adjective 'unique' cannot be graded. Something is either unique or it isn't. But something that is "almost unique" accepts this. If two things are essentially identical apart from one aspect that one of them is lacking; then surely the deficient item would be 'almost unique'. The one-off status of 'unique' as a term remains ungraded and absolute. An instance of "very unique" would indeed constitute grading, though this is not the phrase being considered.

The writer dislikes the term "real people" and the overuse of the modifying adverb "incredibly". Again, these are examples of language users looking for ways to emphasise certain ideas in relation to others. Stewart may dismiss the phrases "real people" if he has never met people who act in a 'fake' manner, governed by self-interest. The implication is that "real people" are more like us: genuine and down-to-earth. 

'King for a day' Stewart is not amused by the verb neologisms "helicoptered" or "motorcaded". Coining a new verb from a noun is done often for effect or as a result of a perceived increase in a certain practice. Do we see more helicopters trips or motorcades to the extent that new verbs are required? Working within the 24-hour news environment, where every journey — and every breath — the politicians, dignitaries and celebrities take is broadcast; Alistair Stewart should know.

His final bugbear is the recent tendency for people to begin utterances with "So ..." with no causal reference to a preceding idea. I don't yet know where this phenomenon originated. Though perhaps by starting an utterance with "So ...", users documenting every detail of their lives in numerous posts on social media are continuing their ongoing personal narratives for the rest of us to follow.

New forms of language, especially these spoken examples, will be rooted in an emerging social practice or function not adequately served by current language use. Some new forms pollute the language; most enrich it. Individuals or news organisations seeking to stand out will use many linguistic devices to make an impact. As competition for our attention increases, this linguistic creativity will only accelerate. Resistance of it is a futile denial of the world as it now exists.

A whole new word

Earlier today, I stumbled upon an interview in The Guardian with the feminist writer Rebecca Solnit, following the recent publication of 'Men Explain Things To Me'. The book is her collection of essays, with the title being that of the first essay. The issues raised took me back to the Gender and Language component of my Linguistics MA, where – among other things – we looked at examples of how men and women talk to each other, the power balance between the sexes within spoken interaction, underlying assumptions and latent or blatant sexism.

Some years ago, Solnit's work and experiences provoked others to coin a new term of 'mansplaining' – a portmanteau word combining 'man' and 'explaining' – used to refer to the condescension shown by some men towards women in interactions. Solnit, the author of numerous books, described being on the receiving end of such treatment when, while at a party in 2003, a man sought to engage her in conversation with the following opening gambit:

"So? I hear you've written a couple of books?"

He then proceeded to gush about one particular book, interrupted by another guest who indicated (several times) that Solnit herself was its author. Online discussion boards carry similar testimonies of other women denigrated by and suffering ignorant men. But alongside these clear, unjustifiable examples of sexism, I worry that pinning one's outrage to a single neologism hinders rather than furthers the debate. It's similar to the issue that director Joss Whedon outlines so eloquently with the term feminist; in the sense that distilling a seemingly infinite number of experiences and perspectives into one term necessarily means that the term is ripe for misappropriation or the coining of related but trivial forms ('womansplaining', anyone?). We might even give a term the ephemeral status as a Word of the Year – such as this definition from the New York Times in 2010:

mansplainer: A man compelled to explain or give an opinion about everything — especially to a woman. He speaks, often condescendingly, even if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about or even if it’s none of his business. Old term: a boor.

Such developments and diluted interpretations only detract from the attempt to find a vocabulary and a voice to challenge forms of insidious misogyny in all areas of life. For me, 'mansplaining' is a manifestation of gendered roles in interactions, as identified in difference theory by Deborah Tannen and others; such that men seek to compete in interactions, whereas women seek to cooperate. That's not to say that such behaviour cannot or should not be altered once people's attention is drawn to it and its negative implications over time.

Considered debate of different standpoints is to be welcomed. But if genuinely experienced sexism is hijacked by the media or even added to the list of humorous terms along with 'testiculating' for example; then we will be no nearer to achieving the true gender equality that everyone deserves.


Rebecca Solnit's book, 'Men Explain Things To Me', is published by Haymarket Books,

ISBN: 9781608463862.

 

Languages in a lamentable state

Yet again we read in The Guardian that UK applications to study languages are falling. Quelle surprise! We read of the confusing picture of the growing commercial need for businesses to have polyglots on the staff, against the inevitable consequence of modern foreign languages being completely optional rather than compulsory school subjects since 2004.

Que faire? What should we do? Well, clearly no-one is worried enough to actually do very much at all, it seems. University language departments are being allowed to be closed or merged in response to the falling demand for specific languages. Are those businesses requiring languages actually going into schools to 'sell' that desperate need to the nation's first and second-year high school pupils? Probably not. Perhaps if a company director were to change their own mindset and explain to young people how languages are an essential requirement (rather than a handy, exotic add-on), we might see some progress. How many bosses are polyglots themselves? How can they inspire people when the UK's attitude towards jobs for linguists rarely extends beyond the stultifying world of multilingual customer service? As a new graduate with no professional teaching or translation experience, selling stuff in another language was the only option available to me.

Learning foreign languages is also a lifelong process. It does not sit well with the culture of instant gratification the UK demands and expects. The game of gaining qualifications in the UK is characterised by relatively short bursts of intensive study (two years for GCSEs, another two years for A Levels, three years minimum for a degree). When students' parents here in Switzerland ask me how long I've been learning German, my honest answer is now: "About 25 years". I'm still learning. I will never stop learning. It is impossible to completely master the linguistic and cultural totality of a language that is not one's mother tongue. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try!