3S) LIE- 1st A (28-09-2017) Bharghava Shyam

Name: A.N. Bharghava Shyam

Admission Number: MAE15007 (28-Sep-2017)

Question

Write an essay on the language variations and verbal behaviour that you have observed in your own life and around you.

Answer:

Language is way for expressing and communicating through internal & external ways. Internal ways are done through thoughts & external ways are done through talking, by sharing some symbols.

Language variation is a way for saying same thing in different ways, & Verbal behaviour is focuses on idea that a meaning of the word is found (B.F. Skimmer)

Language variation (Dialects & different languages) is completely political expression than cultural or linguistic thing. This language variation is also one of the characteristics of language. There is one proverb for every two miles water changes and for every four miles speech (dialect) changes.

My Observations & Interpretation

I n my childhood I don’t recognize (remember) the language variation & verbal behaviour. Here mostly I can say interpretatively most of the things interpretively way. (Particularly my childhood days) 

In Family my Language:

My family migrated from Nellore (Coastal Andhra region) to Kadapa (Rayalaseema) region. So my dialect of Telugu language is crossbreed of both regions. When I use to talk in school my peers and teachers easily recognize and says to me that you are not from Kadapa region.

Sociologically I came from a very orthodox family, my family members will not use any vulgar/rude language. They will scold also in a decent way. In this environmental conditions I grew up. So I also habituated/ conditioned to use that decent vernacular language (Telugu). I am very much influenced/conditioned by immediate (Family) surrounding than school and community in language. Now also (Till now) most of the time I use to talk in smooth manner than rude manner. This I learnt from my family. Their verbal behaviour is very nice

In my family (home) male and female both plays a role in decision making, father decides the decision, with the concern of my mother, now they are concerning me & my sister voices while taking any decision. My father is not at all interested in talking foul language, if he talks and scolds in a decent way.

In family my mother use to talk with her cousins in “Kha Basha” (a code language which is very much similar to Telugu), to make me not to understand their language in my 4^th-5^th class. After some years my mother told this matter to me.

My Parents language is not much variant according to context, where ever they go they speak in a manner, how they speaks in home like that only they speak out side, but any labors will come to work, when they argue with my parents my mother will raise her voice and talk to them (My father is self-poised guy for most of the tines).

In Community:

In our colony where I spent my childhood days, there people also talks in proper manner without any rudeness their verbal behaviour is good (my interpretations). In my community where I stayed. Only some time I heard uncles are talking, most of the time some of the neighboring aunties is use to talk a lot. 

By Stages:

1)    Primary school stage

In my primary education (Particularly in school) I didn’t recognize (remember) any language variation and verbal behaviour among my peers. I felt that most of the male teacher’s voice is harsh and loud to me than female teacher’s voice. When we, the students are misbehaving in between classes, they use to scold us, their verbal behaviour is to change. When they have patience they say “hey. Don’t do like that. When s/he lost patience s/he shout hey don’t do like that in a harsh manner.

In my primary school I studied in English medium school, but by keeping English textbooks they teachers taught in Telugu, the verbal behaviour of teacher is mostly in Telugu and then English. In my primary school days we use to interpretive language, Fruit (Pandu) means friend and Down (Kachhi) means not friend.

2)    Secondary stage

In my secondary school I observed/experienced language variation & verbal behaviour very partially. In my secondary school different dialects of Telugu language. My Telugu language is cross breed of Coastal & Rayalaseema regions and as well as a brahmanical conditioned language. I use to find the difference between different dialects of Telugu language.

In my 8^th to 10^th class in my school sometimes, if we use our mother tongue, our class leaders is to collect fine from us, {in some cases we are measuring knowledge through English} 

In my 9^th standard I went to Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu state, but there majority people’s mother tongue is Telugu, that language is the crossbreed of Tamil & Telugu languages, they are speaking in Telugu language only but some words from Tamil language. “Nenu Kovella ku Vellutunnnanu”.

I watched so many Telugu movies, by using verbal behaviour the directors use to make jokes in movies. I use to laugh by those verbal behaviour in schools. In movies they says satires on persons in some situations. In movies they use language making affectively and funny also making money by this verbal behaviour. {Ethnologic of Language}, in social plane most of the people is switching according to comfort zone.

3)    Graduation Stage:

In my graduation (Bachelor of Social Work) we have some field works, I did one small internship kind of thing in one hospital, there the patients knows only Telugu language, they don’t know any English words, then I switched to talk completely in Telugu language in a conscious manner, while practicing speaking in pure Telugu language I intrinsically enjoyed a lot. Because of this one incident my verbal behavior got changed and later because of this practice I felt I was alienated then, as usual I switched to my native dialect of Telugu.

Based on the context, time and person I (Most of the people) changed my language.

4)    Post-graduation stage

Here my experiences with language is very different, after coming I am exposed to so many languages, changed my perception on language was changed completely, 1^st I was thinking that why people are talking only in Hindi (If they are not proper in English). But after experiencing the diversified conditions {for most the people Hindi is not mother tongue, they learnt that language and giving presentations} I understood that non-Hindi mother tongue people also (Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Odiya, etc.) are learning the Hindi language and trying to keep our Nation integrated. After recognizing this I also felt very happy and because of this I am also interested in learning other languages, making language variation in society.   

By People:

1)    Generations

My Grandfather knows English also, but never speak with me in English, while he talking Telugu also is voice/ascent on language is clear, humble & mostly pure modern Telugu. When he wants to say in English, he completely says sentences in English itself. He is not mixing one language with other language.

In my father & my generation using English language in Telugu became very common, now in my generation, speaking completely in Telugu became very difficult. The language from grandfather generation to my generation it became very different.

In old movies also the people are mostly talking in Telugu itself, but in present Telugu & Hindi movies using English became very common in language

2)    Elders

My observations, when my peers are along with elders they are restricted to themselves and talks in a decent manner, but when they are with same peer group they use to talk foul language also, according to age & relationship the people are changing their language. When I talking with parents regarding my social activities I will be very conscious what I am talking (for most of the time), but when with my peer group I talk very loosely. When we are talking with elders we usually plural sense while talking, but when talking with peer group we use singular sense we use. (You-Meeru & You- Nevu). When we need to call our elders we use call with some relationship with them. (In APU context is very different)

3)    Gender

Verbs are changing according to gender in some of the languages, in that languages Telugu is also there. In most cases biologically women & children language is very smooth, but men language is loud. Men are very conscious on their language while talking with girls. Which is based on culture of the society.

In my home father & mother, my sister & I will participate in decision making, decision making is not restricted to particular gender.

4)    Class

I use to call servants in my home with their names, they also didn’t scold me while I am calling them with their names, later because of some personal reflections I am calling the servants (Pani-manishi) with respect like driver garu, Lakshmi garu, like that.

Conclusions from classroom discussions

Language varies from time, place (according to context), person (according to individual), process (according to way), problem, etc. this variation & behaviour is the cause of socio- political cause rather than linguistic and cultural. Language is having the characteristic of “Code of switching’ which are based on identity, ability, comfort, etc. The language variation is a present continuous (ING) process. This language fie on us through “IRE” (Initiate, Response & Evaluate)

Feed Back

Dear Naga
Thank you for this detailed account of language variation in your life. Your observations about your grandfather’s language practices are interesting.
Your grade for this assignment is A minus.