I need help with this introduction. Does it include a clear and compelling "real-life" instance? Does it have a clear and persuasive thesis? Does it reflect all of the elements of a good introduction? Any insight or suggestions is gladly appreciated.

 

Topic:

Language and Power

Thesis:

Language can be used to establish and maintain the structure of power in education, the workplace, and politics.

Reasons:

1. Education is the basis of teaching in our society; the most direct form is through speech.
2. Those who control language frequently have a greater authority and influence in societal narratives and discourse.
3. Using grammar should not be the determining factor in the hiring process.

One's ability to use language at an advanced level often results in a more significant impact on shaping society. Africans who were held as enslaved people by European colonizers were forbidden from speaking their native tongues and were forced to acquire European languages as a means of oppression and control. This exacerbated inequality in power and aided in the elimination of African cultures and identities. However, Africans who were enslaved also employed language in inventive and subversive ways, forming new languages for resistance and connection, like pidgin and creole. Language still plays a part in power relations today, with dominant languages frequently used as a tool of exclusion and control. Language can be used to create and maintain the structure of power in education, the workplace, and politics.