Language shapes the speaker’s mind

According to some critics who support Political Correcteness, language shapes the speaker’s mind. Political Correctness is a term which intends to minimize offence to racial, cultural, or other identity groups. In other words, PCness is a non-offensive use of language and also of ideas.

A good example would be the expression “Employees are allowed to bring their wives and children” which presupposes that all employees are men, heterosexuals, that they are married and that they have children as well. This expression seems to be leaving out homosexuals, single and childless men and therefore, it would be considered a “discriminatory or offensive expression”. Other expressions such as “horizontally challenged” or “black” instead of “fat” or “negro” have been proposed by PC supporters. The purpose of using inclusive or neutral language is to make people aware of the language they use and make them reflect on the different choices they can make to avoid discrimination.

Contrary to this view, Political Correcteness opponents believe that PCness fosters censorship and endangers free speech. According to them, language, which is ingrained in a given culture, represents ideologies, thoughts and beliefs and should, for this reason, be respected. PCness opponents see PCness supporters as extremists. Hence, PCness opponents usually employ satirical expressions, such as “chronologically challenged” instead of “old” to express their point of view against PCness supporters. These satirical expressions have provoked a number of jokes. As a consequence, PCness is sometimes not considered a serious matter.

Though, the term Political Correcteness is not widely used in Argentina, there is evidence that it is gradually being employed in certain contexts such as public organizations. Some years ago, when someone filled a form, she or he found the following expression printed on it: “El que suscribe” “El Sr…” as if women were not capable of filling any administrative document. Nowadays, it is common to read “El/La que suscribe...”.However, the Argentines still employ offensive language in everyday conversations. For instance, the word “black”, as in many countries, has a negative connotation. For this reason, it is frequent to hear “Es un negro” to refer to somebody who belongs to the low class, or the term “Bolita” to refer to somebody who comes from Bolivia. This may imply that the person uttering the word “Bolita” feels superior to the person coming from Bolivia.

In my opinion, a PC policy should be implemented in different spheres of life such as school or work in order to avoid discrimination. However, I believe there should exist a reasonable use of Pcness to avoid censoring free speech and debate.

SCs&AWRs

A true tale of Argentine life

Uncle Luis


It was a freezing cold night in July, and there were four of us having dinner at granddad’s home: my granddad, my uncle Luis, my mother and I. Since we were not the typical family that was in permanent contact and gathered every week to share our happiness and miseries, that day was considered an unusual one. This family used to be one before grandma’s death and another, completely different one, after her death.

The special night included the saddest anniversary, two years without grandma and believe it or not, Luis’ appearance. During grandma’s last days, Luis had been infatuated with a voluptuous shop assistant, so he would spend his valuable time running behind her whims. He did not even assist his mother in her clinical admission as he was so busy immersed in an uncertain business.

During the meal, nobody uttered a word and we could clearly hear the sound of the wood crackling. After a while, Luis finally did it. Once again he originated a controversy.
“Dad, remember the plots of land Mum used to have in Monte Maiz?” he asked.
“Yes, why are you asking, Luis? Are you planning to move in? Granddad replied.
“Oh no, it’s just that I’m investing some money in a new business. This is the best moment to do so and I don’t want to miss this opportunity. So I thought you could sell the plots and give me my part of the inheritance.”
At that time, my mother’s face went red with anger. Dropping the cutlery, she yelled at him: “Your what? Your father is still alive. Can’t you see him?”

Oh no! My mother is being sarcastic again. Sarcasm is not the only quality that my mother possesses; sometimes Mr. Rage comes to visit her. So my mother, completely seized by Mr. Rage, continued shouting: “You are a spoilt child who only cares about himself. I have an idea! I can also give you MY part (emphasising “my”) so you can pay the food expenditures of your daughter, the one you haven’t seen for two years and you can also afford the treatment for your little problem” That comment was definitely the icing on the cake. The name of my uncle’s little problem was “alcoholism”.

Mum was so livid that she couldn’t measure her words. She blew her top and now she had to face the consequences of her lack of tact. Granddad was absolutely speechless. He murmured some words but we could not understand him. Luis stared at Mum for some minutes and before leaving the house, he shouted: “Who do you think you are?” Seeing Granddad crying broke my heart. That was the last time that Mum and I saw Uncle Luis.

SCs&AWRs

Education in crisis

Is there any way to motivate students?

Despite the changes made in the curriculum in the last years, schools are still in difficulty. Every year, a great number of primary and secondary students do not succeed in obtaining the standardized levels or do not manage to finish school, and those who remain there do not demonstrate any interest in their own learning. Why do teachers fail to motivate students? What can they do to promote motivation?

To begin with, many schools still follow a behaviourist approach whereby students are externally motivated to complete a task by being promised a reward, such as a higher mark for those who complete or submit the task first. External rewards communicate that learning and academic competence are not relevant or valuable; what is valuable is the incentive students are receiving.

Secondly, teachers’ impact on students may either suppress or encourage their motivation. Regardless of undeniable evidence to the contrary, a large number of teachers consider that fear is a great tool to motivate students in order to attain high achievement. Another factor that limits motivation is coercion which many teachers believe is necessary to maintain their authority. Schools are by nature coercive organizations. In such environments, students may succeed when performing what they are compelled to do, but they will probably express little interest in doing high-quality work.

Contrary to this approach, a number of teachers believe that motivation can be effectively promoted and they employ different methods to do so. For instance, by creating a secure environment in which students feel safe and in which they can achieve academic competence. If students feel insecure, they may demonstrate no engagement, creativity or enthusiasm. Creating a cooperative classroom in which students can experience a sense of belonging and connection is another technique to promote motivation. In this case, the teacher should provide cooperative activities such as pair-work. Enjoyment and fun should also be part of the class. An enjoyable classroom does not imply disorder or lenient teachers, on the contrary, it favours learning.

In addition, teachers should develop positive relationships with their students. Teachers who respond to students’ concerns in an empathic way and establish relationships of mutual trust and respect are more likely to inspire them on academic issues than those who do not have personal bonds with students.

Finally, one of the aspects related to motivation which is usually disregarded is related to feelings, more exactly, self-esteem and self-confidence. Students with low self-esteem or self-confidence see complex tasks as personal threats. They focus on their deficiencies and on the obstacles they encounter rather than on how to perform the task successfully. As a result, they lose faith in their capabilities and tend to abandon easily. Since self-esteem and self-confidence are social products because they are shaped and generated by individuals around, the opinion of significant figures, in this case the teacher, may play an important role when strengthening or undermining a student’s image.

To finish, it may be concluded that the role of teachers in promoting motivation is relevant. In my opinion, the reward approach should be avoided and teachers should foster positive relationships with their students. When students feel respected and loved by the teacher, they feel free in a secure place and take more risks.

SCs&AWRs