â¨A Tip For my Self-Improvement girlies,
Donât be ashamed of your regional dialect and vernacular.
Iâm talking to you girlies with the Caribbean patois, you girlies with the Spanglish, you with the AAVE, creole, ect. Ladies, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You donât speak broken English. Any linguist will tell that your dialect is linguistically distinct, with its own grammar rules and features. You speak a form of English that the majority of English speakers do not understand, and thatâs okay. The purpose of language is to be understood, and the girls who get it, get it! The girls who donât, donât. Itâs not your fault others canât understand your mother tongue. Be proud of your roots!
That being said, it is in your best interest to learn and master standard English. The world is a big place, and standard English is the current âlingua de francaâ (which means, itâs the language and dialect you want to know to make the best connections.) Having one basic dialect that everyone knows is essential. It allows us to communicate with each other without difficulty. So while you donât have to completely shelve your home dialect (use it with your close friends and family!), if you want to feel comfortable social circles of a higher caliber, itâs time to code switch.
How to learn standard English.
1.       Read books and articles: Iâve code-switched all my life. I grew up going to a school that strongly discouraged AAVE, so I learned to use standard English at a young age. However, Iâd say I code-switch even more seamlessly than the average person because I was a big reader. I read books and articles constantly. My vocabulary expanded from that alone, and I was able to gauge proper grammar from all the books and articles I was reading. This is not only great for your vernacular, but excellent for developing your mind. 10/10 recommend.
2.       Watch and observe: Another easy way to learn standard is to do something youâre probably already doing: watch tv. Iâll never suggest you spend too much time watching tv. But an hour so watching TV or a movie wonât kill you. Watch movies where the characters are speaking standard english. Bonus points if theyâre in a professional setting.
3.       Practice diction: Practice makes perfect, so speak, speak, speak! Put the new words and grammar youâve learned to use. Record yourself reading or repeating dialogue you heard on TV. Use standard English the next time you go to the bank or grocery store. Donât be embarrassed. You'll won't be the best at it at first, but with time you'll be a fluent speaker.
Code switching isn't a bad thing. It doesn't mean you aren't proud of your roots. It's just another tool in your tool box to survive in professional life and social circles. View it as something to be proud of! You're becoming bi-dialectal, which is more than most can say!
Wishing you all the best. Good luck growing!â¨
Note: I am talking here about dialect and vernacular, not accent. Iâm not asking you to sound like you are a white girl born and raised in the Midwest. What weâre discussing here is grammar and diction only.
