Using Language: Kingston, Tannen, and Klass Show the Limits of Language

¶ … Language:

Kingston, Tannen, and Klass show the limits of language

Words are an extremely important part of the way human beings communicate. However, as well as building bridges between people, words can also create misunderstandings and divides. This can be seen in an analysis of Maxine Hong Kingston personal essay "Silence," the socio-linguist Deborah Tannen's essay "Men and Women Talking on the Job," and the physician Perry Klass' essay "Learning the Language." All of these essays illustrate how someone can have a grasp of the surface meanings of a language but fail to fully understand the way that language is operating in a specific context. Language is located in a culture and simply knowing the meaning of vocabulary does not mean that someone fully understands the language. This is reflected in my own personal experiences as an ESL student as well as the observations I have made in school and the workplace.

The Chinese-American author Maxine Hong Kingston's essay "Silence" describes how Kingston spent her years growing up largely in a profound state of silence. Although Kingston could speak, she chose to remain mute at school. Kingston grew up bilingual, able to speak both Chinese and English but this left her feeling torn between two worlds. She had no way to reconcile her two cultures as a small child. Silence was her only defense and means of protest as a little girl. "My silence was thickest -- total -- during the three years I covered my school paintings with black paint. I painted layers of black over houses and flowers and suns" (Kingston 2). The only students Kingston felt comfortable with were the African-American students whom she knew also felt culturally excluded from the school environment. A critical aspect of Kingston's discomfort was the way in which the school day was structured. Students were called upon to recite individually, which made her uncomfortable, versus being able to speak in a collective voice as was customary in the Chinese school she also attended. Unable to reconcile the two words, Kingston protested in silence. As a non-native speaker, Kingston's essay resonated with me. Very often people who are not native speakers of the language may be able to speak it but are frightened of doing so for fear of seeming awkward or not understanding the subtle cues native speakers make when voicing their opinions. Silence, smiling, and nodding are the only way to deal with this uncomfortable situation. Kingston was used to a collective environment where fitting into a common social order was good; the school she was a part of was individualistic. I have often seen immigrant Chinese students called passive or quiet in American schools, simply because they are not loud and do not debate what is being discussed in class. People fail to understand that in some cultures open disagreement is considered rude and wrong.

It is not only people from different cultures who are judged harshly as poor speakers because they do not have the same set of unspoken values as their friends and colleagues. This can be seen in Deborah Tannen's analysis of how men and women relate to one another in a work environment. Tannen's essay on "Men and Women Talking on the Job" highlights how men tend to use language as a way of expressing how much power they have or to reveal information. Women tend to use language as a way of expressing emotion and showing that they care about someone in a relationship. Neither way of using language is always wrong. However, when women are judged by male standards in a work context, this can result in women being seen as less competent than their male colleagues. Also, certain aspects of male egotism, like a refusal to ask directions (especially from a woman) can result in men making mistakes and hurting people on the job. But while "it is clear that not asking questions can have disastrous consequences in medical settings, but asking questions can also have negative consequences" (Tannen 27). A woman who asks too many questions may be viewed as incompetent even though her questions are legitimate and she might be doing so simply to make her fellow employee feel better about himself by being able to answer such questions. Once again, Tannen's examples reflected my own personal experience at work. One of my most competent friends is a very nice woman who is always very concerned about doing the right thing. When she speaks, her voice frequently rises as if she is asking a question even if she is making a statement. Whenever someone questions her judgment, she always apologizes and no matter how silly the question she always rushes to answer it and make the other person feel better. Because she is so intelligent and sweet she is well-liked yet I know she has never been given a position of leadership in her work. I believe this is because of the way she uses language, not because of her knowledge of the language. This is not fair although I think that if she were more self-aware, she might be able to use language in a more effective way.