September 17, 2015
Professor Rasheda Young
Writing Skills 1100
Student's Right to Their Own Language
Self Expression
The article called “Student’s Right to Their Own Language” discusses how students should have the right to be able to use the dialects they use on a daily basis in their writing. Through linguistic experts and through linguistic studies show that there is no reason as to why students should not be allowed to write in the form and style of which they speak. Being a student myself, I can agree with these linguistics and feel that we should be allowed to write in our own style and format.
Language is a part of our identity and so is the dialect in which we speak in. A writer named Gloria Anzaldua even went as far to say “I am my language.” Without language we would not be able to express ourself and isn’t the whole point of writing and placing your words down on paper to express our thoughts, beliefs, ideas, arguments, etc? IF this is in fact the sole purpose for writing then why not let students have the flexibility and creativity to use their language to express themselves on paper. Allowing students to write this way helps with their writing style and by developing a writing style we add on more to our identity. Our dialect in which we speak in has been delayed through our years in the environment we live in as well as our culture which is difficult to reconstruct. By forcing students to all write in a specific format instead of teaching them how to strengthen what they already know is asking them to change a part of their identity.
When writing an essay, a specific message is being emitted and we are to get our point across through a form of language called EAE (Edited American English). In classrooms we are told to express ourselves and find who we are as people and yet they limit our ability to do so by only allowing a specific form of writing in a classroom setting whether it is for an English class or a History class. There should be no reason as to why us students should not be allowed to write the way we speak if the meaning is still the same. As long as each sentence can be understood through context clues, there should be no problem.
When writing essays I have always used EAE because that is what I was told to do in all of my classes. Not once was there a moment where my English teacher taught us how to strengthen what I already know to enhance my writing. I think of all the possible ways I would be able to express myself and connect to the audience reading my writing if I were able to write the way I speak. The accent I have is not as distinct as others for example those from Boston or down South but certain words are used in my everyday vocabulary that can help express my thoughts in writing.
Students should be taught different techniques on how to project their words onto paper using what they already know. Although it is still important to know EAE for reports and in a work setting perhaps but classrooms are we are supposed to be able to be creative and exercise different ways of self expression. Being able to write the way we speak allows us to do so. We need to be able to express ourselves without being penalized for it or being viewed as less educated simply because we speak differently or use words in different context. Being different and unique is the sole purpose of living, to stand out. Us students should not have our right to use our own language in writing taken from us, we demand the right to self expression.
