Language Discrimination,

 

While reading about bilingualism – I speak and write in Dutch and English – I came across the term Language Discrimination (LD), which occurs when a person is treated differently because of that person’s native language or other characteristics of that person’s speech. Of course, such different treatment is always negative. For instance, in an employment situation, an employee may be subjected to LD if the workplace has a speak-English-only policy, but the employee’s primary language is something other than English. In this case, the employee may be a victim of LD, if he or she is treated less favorably than other employees, because he or she speaks English with an accent or if the employee is told, he or she does not qualify for a position due of a lack of English proficiency. Also, outside the work situation LD may happen when a person is denied access to business or government services because he or she doesn’t speak English. In California, where I live, LD is considered a form of discrimination, on the bases of race or national origin.

 

As I have often stated, I consider the immensely important difference between our Disembodied Language (DL) and Embodied Language (EL), as the difference between languages, because, in terms of acquiring EL, the same principles of learning apply. Both DL as well as EL, exist only to the extent that they are reinforced and the very reason, that DL is happening everywhere, but that EL only happens very seldom, briefly, and unconsciously, show EL isn’t reinforced. The lack of reinforcement for EL, can be justifiably viewed as a form of LD or, more bluntly: DL is the LD, which puts anyone with EL to shame.

 

When children grow up bilingually, they often – obviously, because of DL – end up speaking only one language. This glotophobia is the rejection of people for their way of speaking, writing or vocabulary, based on the dominant norms of language. Like an identity card, the language we speak and, particularly, the way in which we speak, reveals who we really are. DL and EL occur within every language, so within French, Chinese or English, people are able to engage in DL or in EL. Within every language, there is LD, because as long as DL goes on, EL is impossible.

 

The act of elocution – the skill of clear and expressive speech, especially of distinct pronunciation and articulation – should be affirmative of who we truly are, but this is not the case as long as we, unknowingly, engage in DL. Indeed, in absence of any attention for EL, our ordinary speech is an act of denunciation of who we really are. Moreover, our negative DL always happens unconsciously. Thus, with our automatic, forceful DL, we shoot ourselves in the foot, as we discriminate against ourselves, by preventing ourselves from having any EL. It is even more insidious, as we prevent ourselves and each other from having EL, because we fear, we don’t belong to the dominant group, the majority, with DL.

 

Certainly, there is the importance to diversity of languages – such as Russian, Spanish, Swedish, etc. – but, we aren’t appreciative of linguistic plurality, because our hostile, distrusting DL, which continues our LD and isn’t interested in the vitality and richness of the world and society in which we live. There is no EL and there basically cannot be any EL, because DL and LD, belittles and practically annihilates anyone who has EL. I am still alive, and I am – in spite of endless rejection and judgement – able to make it, because I talk out loud with myself, I listen to myself, and I act on what how I have instructed myself. My ability to self-stimulate was always sufficient, to find and meet the rare, courageous, honest individuals, with whom I could have mutually reinforcing EL.   

 

DL, in which speakers don’t listen to themselves while they speak, isn’t merely a dismissal of just one or two aspects of who we are, but it is the complete denial of who are as a person. In DL, we all turn our backs on our naturalness. Yes, our DL is the ultimately form of discrimination, called LD. We do this to ourselves and others, because we were conditioned to do this and not because we want to do this. Once we talk with ourselves and listen to ourselves, we find that we don’t want to have DL, but we want EL.

 

In conclusion, I claim our DL is in essence racist. With our unintelligent DL, we discriminate against the human race.  Supposedly, DL is acceptable, as it is going on everywhere, twenty-for-seven, but anyone like me, who knows the great difference between DL and EL, doesn’t accept DL, because he or she will somehow be able to manage to continue with their EL. My skill to do that, is because I hear the difference between my own DL and EL. Once you can hear the big difference between your DL and EL, you will be able to hear it in others. We engage continuously in DL because of our conditioning history, in which we were reinforced for our DL, but we were punished for our EL.