Language Discrimination: Analysis of Legal and Social Impacts

This essay provides an analytical overview of language discrimination, highlighting its negative impacts on individuals and society. It discusses how language-based discrimination can lead to unjust legal proceedings, workplace injustices, and limited opportunities, particularly for indigenous populations. The essay references legal avenues such as legislation and agencies as potential means of redress. It draws upon the works of Eades, Lippi-Green and Hedley, who agree that discrimination is a violation of human rights and has negative consequences for victims, with Lippi-Green focusing on workplace discrimination and Hedley focusing on legal injustice. It concludes that no person deserves to be discriminated against and stresses the importance of addressing language discrimination through legal and social channels.

English Analyticle D
Students Name
Institution

Language Discrimination 1
Introduction
Primarily, language discrimination is based on accent, vocabulary and syntax.
Undoubtedly, any form of discrimination is not good for the people treated differently.
Noteworthy, the existence of the United States of America ‘Civil Rights Act of 1964, is
sufficient proof of the existence of various forms of discrimination to which the Act seeks to
redress(Lippi-Green.2015).Specifically, the Act prohibits workplace discrimination based on the
language traits of the employee based on the fact that a potential customer or employer find the
worker's language trait not appealing thus asserting to the fact that discrimination based on a
person accent is real as it gets.
In addition, the United States government implemented a complain mechanism for the
victims. This further alludes to the reality of the existence of accent based discrimination. Also,
the fact that there are several tried cases reported since the year 1972 shows that there are victims
of language-based discrimination. However, not all cases of language-based discrimination are
reported due to various reasons. Arguably, justice is affected by language (Eades,1996).There are
high percentages of indigenous imprisoned persons to which some people think it is due to their
limited communication skills or their systemic language differences. Undoubtedly, the fact that
an accused person is unable to clearly understand what goes on in his or her own trial, is hardly a
fair trial but also a violation of the accused person’s right to justice.
For persons affected by language-based discrimination, personal frustration missed
opportunities, the unfair trial is some of the consequences experienced by the victim (Hedley,
2006).Every human being is entitled to a right of fair trial which includes the right to defend
oneself against the allegations. One such way is giving testimony in one’s favor to which Robyn,

Language Discrimination 2
was not accorded. Infringement of basic human rights is a direct and relatable consequence of
language-based discrimination. This goes to show how negatively such language-based
discrimination effects. According to Eades, indigenous persons are unable to seek clarification or
unable to fully understand the proceedings against them due to the systemic language
differences. This is highly likely to lead to a miscarriage of justice.
Essentially, Language discrimination effects are purely negative. The affected party feels
ashamed and sometimes feels the need to be pretentious (Tan, n .d).Also, injustice can be a
product of discrimination as evidenced by the lack of opportunity to defend oneself by giving
evidence and workplace language based discrimination (Hedley, 2006: Lippi-Green,
1994).Owing to the fact that the accused trial took part without her active involvement is highly
unjust. Profoundly, Lippi Green and Hedley agree that discrimination has negative consequences
on their victims. Mainly, Lippi focuses on workplace discrimination whereas Hedley focuses on
legal injustice .However, both agree that discrimination are a violation of human rights and
negatively impact on the victims.
Conclusion
Conclusively, language based discrimination negatively impacts on the victims.
However, legal avenues such as legislation and related agencies can provide redress .Language
discrimination has led to unjust legal proceedings, workplace injustices, poor academic scores in
English among other limited experiences. Also, language impacts on the future careers of
indigenous people .However, through legal channels such as legislations, agencies, the negative
effects can be addressed. All in all no person deserves to be discriminated on any count.

Language Discrimination 3
REFERENCES
Eades, D. (1996).Legal Recognition of cultural differences in communication: The case of Robyn
Kina.. Science Direct..Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0271530996000110
Hedley, T. (2006, Dec 16).Failure of a justice system that feels all too familiar. The Australian.
Retrieved from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/failure-of-justice-system-
that-feels-all-too-familiar/story-e6frg6nf-1111112697062
Lippi-Green, R. (1994).Accent, standard language ideology, and Discriminatory pretext in the
courts. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from
https://www.jstor.Org/stable/4168513
Tan, A. (n. d).Mother's tongue.UMSL.Retrieved from
http://www.umsl.edu/~alexanderjm/Mother%20Tongue%20by%20Tan.pdf