"I Beg Your Pardon" (Blog Post #1)

     I didn't speak a word of English until I entered kindergarten. After a lot of ridicule from other English speaking students I became determined to not only speak their tongue but to master their language. Throughout elementary I worked diligently to perfect my English. I thank my teachers and my mother for the support they provided in order to help me develop my "proper" English.
     While I was becoming a linguistics master in class, it was outside of my class that I started to learn there was more to English than what textbooks and teachers had to offer. My schoolmates would communicate with me using words and terms I never heard before. I began to get comfortable with the new lingo and I adapted quite nicely. Soon we would start showing off new words and phrases we had picked up from movies, television and music. We would use it proudly in hopes to start new trends and gain more acceptance. It worked.
     I truly believe that the way I speak reflects who I am. I do not regret learning "accepted" English from school nor do I regret learning "improper" English from my environment. I feel that the true skill of being a master of both dialects is to know when to use them. We must consider these dialects as tools because like regular tools we must know which one to use for the right job.