Menelik Smith

Communication Studies Analysis

In analyzing my reflective piece, I have decided to focus on two aspects of communication

used in the story being attitudes towards language and dialectal variations. Attitudes towards
language refers to evaluative responses to language variations. These attitudes are shaped by
social categorization and stereotyping. I will also look into dialectal variations which are the
changes in a language due to various factors such as social, geographic or group factors.
Changes in language such as grammar, vocabulary and punctuation.
This narrative explores attitudes to language, through the depiction of societal biases. Tom’s
first interaction with his soon to be peers highlights the stigmatization of language varieties, as
he was said that he “sounds stupid” for speaking Caribbean Standard English. This reflects the
rebelliousness of the broader society of their community towards the standardized language.
Attitudes towards language were purposefully used to give background to characters without
actually telling their background.
Along with attitudes towards language, dialectal variations were utilized to reflect the diverse
backgrounds of the characters. Caribbean Standard English and Caribbean English Creole
were both used to mark character change and define them. Tom, for instance, spoke Caribbean
Standard English prior to becoming affiliated with his new posse. After becoming affiliated he
began to speak Caribbean English Creole. This change was used as an indicator of a change in
the character’s behavior. Similarly, Clyde was also criticized for his fluency in speaking
Caribbean Standard English by a group of individuals who spoke Caribbean English Creole, but
praised for it by another group. Similarly to attitudes towards language, dialectal variation was
also used to give background to characters, but it also is a beacon to indicate character change.
Overall, the narrative illustrates the complex interplay between dialectal variation and
attitudes toward language, highlighting the ways in which language reflects and shapes social
identity, group dynamics, and individual experiences within diverse communities.