Slang and Culture

     In African American culture slang is a profound part of our language. Idioms,

jargon, and different gestures to communicate. Personally I use a lot of slang when

talking to family because I know that they can relate to what I am saying. However,

if I am at work or in a professional setting I “clean-up” my speech. That is what

some may call code switching. Code switching refers to the ability to change

communication practices depending on the environment or persons you are

speaking with. I say plenty of phrases that may not be easily understood for those

in other cultures such as “my bad.” This is simply a way to say “oops” or “I

apologize.” Also, when I cook something that is REALLY good, I will say, “I put my

foot in it.” Obviously I do not really mean that I put my actual foot in it, that would

be GROSS! When people outside of my culture use phrases that originated from

people of color, it can either be impressive or offensive. There are a few slang

words or phrase that feel so offensive when repeated by other cultures and that

feeling comes from the many years of oppression African American people have

endured.

Culture and gender greatly affect the way we communicate and comprehend. For

instance, in American culture we are direct with our language and sometimes

informal when talking. In Chinese culture there are more non-verbal communication

cues and also an increase in indirect communication.