Urciuoli - Good English

Urciuoli’s chapter “Good English as Symbolic Capital” was very interesting and informative. I never really thought of the English language and the way in which you speak the English language as capital, but it truly is. As I was reading the chapter, I realized how much this is present, particularly in my own life. My mom is a US citizen and has been for a little over 20 years. She is fluent in both Korean and English. However, she is constantly worried about her use of the English language—the actual words she uses, the structuring of words, her accent, etc.—and what it says about her. She continually checks herself when speaking and seeks the assistance and help of others when preparing for an important discussion or interview.

Additionally, I have a 6-year old sister Haley. As she was and still is learning to speak and form grammatically correct sentences, my mom is still hesitant to model the English language for her. She will always ask me, my sister, or my stepdad to repeat it for Haley. She wants to make sure that Haley will not pick up the accent, incorrect tenses, etc, from her pronunciations.

It is neat to see how the things that Urciuoli studied and described in her book can be seen in everyday life if we stop to think and understand the reasoning behind interactions. It is clear that my mom wants to ensure that she is not viewed as uneducated, lowly, and incapable. She understands, whether consciously or unconsciously, that her use of the English language is important capital.