When An Untraditional Linguist Speaks - A Cultural Self-Analysis of Untraditional Language

Authors

• Justin Lambert, Florida International University

Abstract

This essay presents a cultural and linguistic self-analysis that challenges dominant ideologies surrounding “proper” English in academic spaces. Through a blend of personal narrative and scholarly engagement, the author examines the legitimacy and rhetorical power of Black Language as a dynamic, historically rooted, and intellectually rigorous mode of communication. Drawing on the work of Geneva Smitherman, April Baker-Bell, and Vershawn Ashanti Young, the essay situates Black Language within traditions of contrastive rhetoric while actively applying code-meshing as both method and practice. Tracing the author’s linguistic development across familial, cultural, and academic contexts, the piece reveals how code switching and linguistic suppression shape perceptions of competence and belonging. By refusing strict adherence to standardized English conventions, the essay demonstrates how code-meshing functions as a tool of resistance, rhetorical flexibility, and meaning-making. Ultimately, it argues that writing instruction and academic institutions must move beyond assimilationist language practices and instead adopt pedagogies that recognize and cultivate multidialectal expression as a critical resource for student agency, access, and knowledge production.

Recommended Citation

Lambert, Justin (2026) "When An Untraditional Linguist Speaks - A Cultural Self-Analysis of Untraditional Language," RhetTech: Vol. 8, Article 2.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/rhettech/vol8/iss1/2