Kumar Ch 11, 12 Brown Ch 26

Lauren Watters

Kumar Ch 11, 12

Brown Ch 26

Brown says that English has developed a special role in every country because it is used as a lingua franca. The English language is spoken in different varieties in all areas all of the country, but the most popular that people can recognize are different dialects from places like Boston, Texas and New York. Now, some people might say that these people are not educated because they do not speak “standard” or “correct” English. But what is Standard English? To me, it is using correct grammar and using the best vocabulary possible while writing, reading or speaking. Using the numbers 2 and 4 in place of words is not correct grammar. It can be used for social networking or for text messaging, but even then (as an English major) I am wary about it. I don’t want my students to think eliminated letters off of words or replacing words with slang is okay in the classroom. However, I understand as second language learners, this will happen. I have heard multiple times that the Midwestern dialect is the easiest to understand because people who reside here are easily understood, have no regional distinctive accent and pay attention to speech and grammar. While I was enrolled in another English class, I was told that people from the Midwest are used to speak for telephone automated messages because they are the easiest to understand. So are only people who born in the country thought to speak correct English? I think this is false because I know actors who have British accents that can speak with a nearly perfect Midwestern dialect. If we suggest to students that their dialect is wrong while they are learning the language, they will become discouraged and will possibly give up on learning English as a second language altogether. We need to encourage them to continue to speak the language even if they do not sound “standard”. The way a non-native speaker speaks English is going to be different for every individual. As a teacher you have to remind each language learning student to bring what they know about their L2 and also bring their skills from their L1.

            Culture to any individual is important and some pride themselves on their cultural background more than others. For example, I don’t really have that much cultural pride because I am 50% Bohemian. Bohemia is no longer an existing country in Europe. I am a mutt, a mixture of different cultures. Culture with a capital C means theatre, dance, music art and literature. Culture with a lower cased c means a personal construct of behavior, values, and beliefs that effect everyday life. I think that students should be able to share things from their L1 and their culture with the class. Everyone can become more educated about other languages, customs and cultures of a particular region. I don’t think that every teacher may think this is the best idea, but I like the idea of teaching students about other countries and customs that aren’t carried out in the United States. This can be a way of self-reflection to students. Self-reflection leads to cultural growth. What would be good activities for students to do in order to share with other classmates?