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Alex Ramirez Professor Williams English 1102 September 25, 2012 Culture or Conformity Students Rights to Their Own Language, an article written by the members of the Conference on College Composition and Communication in the fall of 1974, ask a perplexing question that has yet to be answered. Should students linguistic differences be embraced, or outlawed in place of Universal English taught throughout all levels of the English curriculum? Some are completely for this idea, while others challenge it. I believe it is important to understand both sides of the argument, think about how this will affect students in the future, and consider how this will change the cultural diversity of Americas classrooms. I grew up in a private school system, where I was one of few minority students. When I was younger I had a Spanish accent and would sometimes mix Spanish words into my sentences, which affected the way I learned to comprehend things. By the time I was in middle school, I was taking a speech impediment course offered by the school to fix the problem that I had. They believed that it was hindering my learning, and talked to my parents. Together both the school and my parents agreed that it would be best to eliminate the problem before I got older, and it would affect my education. I was taught to speak correctly, and then to write as I spoke. I do not resent this learning process that I went through, although often times tough; nor do I praise it, even though it made me write and speak correctly. It may be to soon to tell if it all has paid off.

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When addressing this issue it is equally important to think of the positives that can arise from this idea as the negatives. Standard English in theory would establish a common and professional writing and speaking style that would be taught and used all over the country. This would be beneficial in that Standard English would allow for easier test taking, and grading. It could create a more sophisticated classroom, allowing discussions between students and professors to flow at a more educated level. But perhaps the greatest thing that may arise from this idea is that Standard English is written in a more professional writing style, which leads to a better chance of success in college and the business world. The benefits from this idea do come at some cost however. For instance, allowing Standard English into the classroom would damage, if not completely destroy the diversity that students are exposed to in the classroom. Every student comes from a different home were they are often times raised in accordance with their culture, and within the limits of there social economic status. Students all across the United States are exposed to each others cultural and societal differences. Another problem that may arise from writing in Standard English is how professional it is. While its professionalism is noted as a benefit above it too comes at some cost. With students, young and old, writing in a professional manner, little room is left for creative writing. While creative writing may be seen as foolish to some, I believe that it is important for students of all ages to embrace their creative side. Creative writing is a way for students to think outside of the norm. The lack of such thinking may hinder the way the students work in the future. This debate over the use of Standard English throughout schools across the country has dragged on for thirty-eight years. Many, including peers in class, believe that the idea is either bad or to hard to achieve, and think that not much has changed in schools since the question arose. I respectfully disagree; I believe I am partially a byproduct of Universal English. I am not

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agreeing or disagreeing to the idea of Universal English, but rather stating that it is already incorporated into schools. My writing remains far from perfect, but as I grow older I acquire more writing skills. Just last year I felt that the way I had been taught had hindered me. I felt underprepared for an English project in which we had to document our literacy ethnographies, in any form but an essay. I was so used to following the set guidelines of writing a paper. When I was asked to go out of my comfort zone, be more creative, and write in a very different format I felt somewhat cheated by my education, and struggled on the assignment. With extra help from a teacher that refused to teach Standard English, I was able to overcome my weaknesses and complete my project. This teacher who stood against the eradication of diversity in the classroom, and urged creativity, works to maintain a balance between creativity and conformity. When thinking about the future of the students affected by the use, or lack of, Universal English, I believe it is important to think about what Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, We may not be able to prepare the future for our children, but we can at least prepare our children for the future. After weighing the pros and cons of Standard English in the classroom the question becomes clear. Is the use of professionalism in the way students speak and write beneficial to their futures, even if it results in a lack of exposure to the cultural differences between the students? I believe that it is impossible to answer that question. Without a healthy balance of both culture and professionalism, it seems that success may be even harder to attain. Another question that comes to mind when thinking about this subject is the affect it would have on the average American classroom. What would it become? Most classrooms are full of students from different cultures, ranging from Asian to Arab. These students learn in different ways, which are easiest for them to understand. If you force them to remove their culture from the classroom, and

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make them conform to a single writing and speaking style, then do you not hinder their learning experience? The question posed by the CCCC thirty-eight years ago is still debated as strongly now as it was then. Some efforts have been made to introduce this Standard English into the classroom, but the balance between a universal writing and speaking style and embracing the culture of the students currently still exist in most schools. It is important to put the future of the students first and foremost, when considering a change this big. I believe more research should be presented, and there should be concrete evidence for a move in embracing culture or writing in Standard English.