Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

I have always been a literal thinker with a vivid imagination, a combination that has been both entertaining and troublesome. I recall multiple situations when I was exposed to an idiom and my understanding was completely different from what the speaker meant.  Pictures of someone placing two cents into my hand in conversation would pop into my mind or another scene of one literally jumping to catch a conclusion would be so clear. The English language is picturesque and complicated and as one who guides middle school students in its usage, I have found that it is no small task and one that contains many obstacles.  Some of these difficulties my students encounter have existed throughout multiple generations and some seem to be indigenous to the 21^st century.

In my language arts classroom, I have seen my students struggle with what an author was trying to communicate in a novel that is set in the 1930s when their understanding of language is limited to the 21^st century. These language difficulties have always been an obstacle for anyone trying to decipher the true meaning of what a writer was trying to communicate.  Language changes throughout the years but for middle school kids, the way people speak or write now, or more importantly how the students themselves speak and write, is the only correct way. It is a challenge that teachers (and specifically English teachers) have dealt with throughout the decades.

Another difficulty with the English language that many of our 21^st century students combat is that they may not have been raised with the benefit of their parents’ constant correction of improper grammar usage. When I was growing up, both my parents would regularly correct my speech (notwithstanding the constant rolling of my eyes) and I became an adult who knew how to speak and write correctly (at least most of the time.) As a middle school student myself, I did not yet have the appreciation of the benefits of my parents’ discipline in the area of language usage but, as an adult, my gratefulness to their faithfulness continues.

A further obstacle I see my middle school student having to navigate is a pet peeve of mine, the misuse of language that is often modeled in the media. Words that are meant to communicate a strong message are frequently used in a casual manner. For example, the word “awesome” is used to describe a soft drink, or “amazing” may be used when describing a sale at a local store. The news media seems to also support this type of language. What used to be called a “robbery” is now a “home invasion” and a car “running” into a tree is now described as the one that “slammed” into it. I know that words and their meanings change through the years but what concerns me is if one is already using the word, “awesome,” for a soft drink, what word is appropriate for the sight of a sunrise over the Grand Canyon? I long to help my student understand that adjectives are often “degree” words. That one specific word is not as strong as another  and the more accurately they can use a word, the better they will be able to communicate effectively.

I realize that language usage continues to evolve and that many middle school students are still running funny pictures through their minds when they hear phrases such as “getting someone’s goat,” but it would make an English teacher’s job so much easier if we would just say what we mean and mean what we say. Ah….