Hannah Sharpless Professor Jan Rieman English 1101 SRTOL: My Version America holds high its basis of diversity

and freedom. Everyone has a dialect and their own right to that dialect. These dialects are unique and help us identify who we are. In the classroom, students should have a right to their dialect and feel confident while it is in use. When we force one certain way to do things it eliminates the individuality and confidence in the student, making it harder for them to learn. Coming together in one common form is necessary for universal understanding, but it is crucial for teachers to help students develop this form in a way that continues to uplift the students own dialect. We have discussed on several occasions in class the many forms of dialects within the world and how they identify us. A dialect is a special variety of a language. Everybody has a dialect and that dialect is a part of their culture. America takes pride in being composed of countless cultures, so what happens when we take away from somebodys dialect? When we do this we take a piece of the individuals culture, ultimately ripping apart the cultural blanket that is America. In the classroom, students are taught Standard American English and Edited American English. This forces upon students a dialect they must follow in order to succeed and be understood. While enforcing a certain dialect over all the rest, do we take away from the

childs individuality? In The Classroom and Wider Culture by Fan Shen, we learn that obtaining the use of Standard American English/Edited American English actual instilled in Shen individualism. In China, Shen was not allowed to express individualism due to the fact that it was associated with selfishness. With English, he was able to express himself freely and display unique ideas. This greatly increased his level of confidence in not only writing, but in himself. He came to develop an English version of himself that was far different than his Chinese self. In Shens case, learning the Standard American English and Edited American English dialect enabled individualism. In his final paragraph he states: that the process of learning to write in English is in fact a process of creating and defining a new identity and balancing it with the old identity. That statement shows Shens emphasis on holding onto ones own culture and identity when becoming a part of a new one. It is important for us to pay close attention to cultural identity while in the classroom setting because, as Shen advocated, being yourself is the most important part of writing. Your culture culture is embedded in you and affects how you think, read, and write. Although Shens experience with Standard American English and Edited American English greatly contributed to his individualism, no two people are the same. In Teaching Standard English: But Whose Standard? by Linda Christensen, we discover an experience with Standard American English/Edited American English completely different from that of Shens. Christensen tells us that students words become devalued when more attention is placed on the way something is written rather than what is said. She speaks marvelously on this topic by

sharing her own experiences with speaking and writing. A specific paragraph in Teaching Standard English: But to Whose Standard? gives us a crystal clear idea of how inferiority is placed on dialects outside of SAE, especially when in the classroom setting. That paragraph reads: It took me years to undo what Mrs. Delany did to me. Years to discover that what I said was more important than how I said it. Years to understand that my words, my familys words werent wrong, werent badthey were just words of the working class. For too long, I felt inferior when I spoke. I knew the voice of my childhood crept out, and I confused that with ignorance. It wasnt. I just didnt belong to the group who made the rules. I was an outsider, a foreigner in their world. My students wont be. She mentions how her dialect placed her and her family in the working class. Those who made and practiced the rules of this SAE dialect were considered superior making everyone else foreigners. She decided not to teach her students in that way to eliminate the ill feelings she experienced herself. With there being both positives and negatives of forcing the use of Standard American English and Edited American English in the classroom it is hard to say how students should be taught. Should teachers let students begin writing in their own dialects and eventually move into Standard American English/Edited American English? Or should they immediately introduce these forms? Based on our readings, watching TED talks, and witnessing students personal struggles with grasping Standard American English/Edited American English, I believe

teachers need to teach in a way that incorporates the students own dialects into their writing. This increases the students abilities to learn because they are entering language writing and understanding from an approach they are comfortable with. At the time where kids begin to learn the Standard American English/Edited American English, they are at a very vulnerable age. This coincides with the fact that their confidence in something, or themselves, can be easily shot down or destroyed. It's important for teachers and students to not assume that certain dialects hinder you from writing in Edited American English. Teachers must teach in a way that builds the confidence of the student in the ability to write in such form. The best way to do this is to start where the students are most comfortable, and that is in their own dialect. Is this to say we should never introduce Standard American English or Edited American English to students? No. Bringing them to this dialect gradually is a process used to enhance the students minds and engagement in what they are learning. It is important for us to all have a common dialect to ensure global understanding. Is it absolutely necessary for us to have Standard American English as a dialect for communication? I believe so. It is important for us to all come together and have an understanding for one another so that problems we face globally may be resolved. While I do believe that any language could take this role, English has become the most dominant and therefore superiorly viewed. This idea of a universal language to solve global problems was emphasized in a TED talk given by Jay Walker titled English Mania. Language is a very hard thing to grasp regardless of the dialect. Millions of students struggle everyday with learning and practicing Standard American English and Edited American

English. Teachers must stand up for students identities and hold themselves accountable for instilling the confidence in these students that it takes to be able to write in Standard American English/Edited American English while still never losing hold of the students own dialects and cultures. If we all come together under one common form to communicate purely and contribute to solving problems while incorporating the teachings of our own dialects, we can reach new heights and goals we never thought could be accomplished.