Language plays a very important part in our daily lives. It enables us to do many things such as to communicate with other humans as well as obtain things that we want. But more importantly, it gives us power. Through the effective use of language in different situations, we can obtain anything we want. Use of legal language, code-switching as well as appropriate language in advertisement gives us a big advantage and thus power.
One of the ways how language is connected to power is through legal language. Although legal language might not play a very big part in our daily lives, it is still hugely important. Through the use of legal language some of us might probably receive justice in the future. Let us for example say that Sam got run over by a car. He is lying in the hospital and paying money for that. Using legal language, Sam would be able to receive compensation from the person driving the car. The use of legal language directly gives us power because if we go to the court and ask justice to be served, such will be done, while if we simply use plain English, we would not be able to obtain the desired result. Legal language brings a certain impression on people and will make them realize that the person is serious and wants what he wants. If we can use legal language in a proper and intelligent way, we can achieve many goals. Through the use of legal language gives us a tool with which we can control people and get what we want from them. Therefore language is power.
Furthermore, code switching is also very important in the understanding the connection between language and power. Code Switching is the practice of switching between different languages while in a conversation. People code switch for many different reasons. One of the reasons why people code switch is in order to gain something what they want. An example would be a teacher, who is teaching in a high needs school, who code switches to African American English in order for the students to be able to understand what the teacher wants and thus being able to do it for her.
