Ted] Three ways to speak English.

 

https://www.ted.com/talks/jamila_lyiscott_3_ways_to_speak_english/transcript

 

Today, a baffled lady observed the shell where my soul dwells

 

 

00:06

And announced that I'm "articulate"

 

 

00:11

Which means that when it comes to enunciation and diction

 

 

00:15

I don't even think of it

 

 

00:16

‘Cause I’m "articulate"

 

 

00:19

So when my professor asks a question

 

 

00:21

And my answer is tainted with a connotation of urbanized suggestion

 

 

00:25

There’s no misdirected intention

 

 

00:27

Pay attention

 

 

00:28

‘Cause I’m “articulate”

 

 

00:31

So when my father asks, “Wha’ kinda ting is dis?”

 

 

00:34

My “articulate” answer never goes amiss

 

 

00:37

I say “father, this is the impending problem at hand”

 

 

00:41

And when I’m on the block I switch it up just because I can

 

 

00:44

So when my boy says, “What’s good with you son?”

 

 

00:47

I just say, “I jus’ fall out wit dem people but I done!”

 

 

00:52

And sometimes in class

 

 

00:54

I might pause the intellectual sounding flow to ask

 

 

00:57

“Yo! Why dese books neva be about my peoples”

 

 

01:00

Yes, I have decided to treat all three of my languages as equals

 

 

01:04

Because I’m “articulate”

 

 

01:08

But who controls articulation?

 

 

01:11

Because the English language is a multifaceted oration

 

 

01:14

Subject to indefinite transformation

 

 

01:16

Now you may think that it is ignorant to speak broken English

 

 

01:19

But I’m here to tell you that even “articulate” Americans sound foolish to the British

 

 

01:25

So when my Professor comes on the block and says, “Hello”

 

 

01:28

I stop him and say “Noooo …

 

 

01:31

You’re being inarticulate … the proper way is to say ‘what’s good’”

 

 

01:35

Now you may think that’s too hood, that’s not cool

 

 

01:38

But I’m here to tell you that even our language has rules 

 

 

01:41

So when Mommy mocks me and says “ya’ll-be-madd-going-to-the-store”

 

 

01:46

I say “Mommy, no, that sentence is not following the law

 

 

01:51

Never does the word "madd" go before a present participle

 

 

01:55

That’s simply the principle of this English”

 

 

01:57

If I had the vocal capacity I would sing this from every mountaintop,

 

 

02:01

From every suburbia, and every hood

 

 

02:03

‘Cause the only God of language is the one recorded in the Genesis

 

 

02:07

Of this world saying “it is good"

 

 

02:09

So I may not always come before you with excellency of speech

 

 

02:13

But do not judge me by my language and assume

 

 

02:15

That I’m too ignorant to teach

 

 

02:17

‘Cause I speak three tongues

 

 

02:18

One for each:

 

 

02:19

Home, school and friends

 

 

02:21

I’m a tri-lingual orator

 

 

02:23

Sometimes I’m consistent with my language now

 

 

02:25

Then switch it up so I don’t bore later

 

 

02:27

Sometimes I fight back two tongues

 

 

02:29

While I use the other one in the classroom

 

 

02:31

And when I mistakenly mix them up

 

 

02:33

I feel crazy like … I’m cooking in the bathroom

 

 

02:37

I know that I had to borrow your language because mines was stolen

 

 

02:44

But you can’t expect me to speak your history wholly while mines is broken

 

 

02:49

These words are spoken

 

 

02:51

By someone who is simply fed up with the Eurocentric ideals of this season

 

 

02:56

And the reason I speak a composite version of your language

 

 

02:59

Is because mines was raped away along with my history

 

 

03:03

I speak broken English so the profusing gashes can remind us

 

 

03:07

That our current state is not a mystery

 

 

03:10

I’m so tired of the negative images that are driving my people mad

 

 

03:15

So unless you’ve seen it rob a bank stop calling my hair bad

 

 

03:19

I’m so sick of this nonsensical racial disparity

 

 

03:23

So don’t call it good unless your hair is known for donating to charity

 

 

03:27

As much as has been raped away from our people

 

 

03:32

How can you expect me to treat their imprint on your language

 

 

03:36

As anything less than equal

 

 

03:38

Let there be no confusion

 

 

03:40

Let there be no hesitation

 

 

03:42

This is not a promotion of ignorance

 

 

03:44

This is a linguistic celebration

 

 

03:47

That’s why I put "tri-lingual" on my last job application

 

 

03:53

I can help to diversify your consumer market is all I wanted them to know

 

 

03:57

And when they call me for the interview I’ll be more than happy to show that

 

 

04:00

I can say:

 

 

04:01

“What’s good”

 

 

04:02

“Whatagwan”

 

 

04:03

And of course …“Hello”

 

 

04:06

Because I’m “articulate”

 

 

04:09

Thank you.

 

 

04:10

(Applause)