While many English teachers demand the use of standard American English in their classrooms, many others support the multiculturalism and authenticity of those who express themselves differently. Ryan Bloom is undoubtedly one of those who think it is unfair for others to limit the way we communicate. This novelist and academic writer, however, in his article “Inescapably, you’re judged by your language” (The New Yorker, 19 June 2017) convinces us that nowadays, it is important to learn how to reserve our cultural dialects and influences for our personal lives. He advises us that, unfairly as it seems to be, we are obliged to code-switching, and he also shows us the standard American English as the only choice to communicate successfully in an academic and professional field.
Also, on this subject but a little more in favor of SAE, the academic Rob Jenkins in his article “We Must Help Students Master Standard English” (Chronicle Vitae, 11 Apr. 2018) speaks of the standard as something positive. It shows it as something capable of uniting us even more and something that will help us communicate without misunderstanding.
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Do standard rules always matter? Well, Academic Ryan Bloom in his Article “Inescapably, you’re judged by your language” (The New Yorker, 19 June 2017) explain that they do depend for whom are we writing, or with whom are we speaking. According to him switching code is important while speaking in different contexts, otherwise, we can be secluded from being successful. Thereby, recognition and adaptation are key for linguistics acceptance.
This academic article published on May 28, 2012, by Bloom it's about the importance of using standard grammar rules, and code-switching. Today, standard rules are governed for those in power, so Bloom explains that in order to survive and get their attention we must adapt our writing to their rules. He points out that 'we are harshly judged for the way we write and speak. ' therefore, those who are not able to adapt might be denied a job or even education. Even people who fight for linguistics equality must obey standard rules to do so. So, he affirms that as unfair it is, nowadays following elitist, standard rules is a must for survival and for success in academic and professional life.
As mentioned earlier, on this subject, Rob Jenkins published on April 11, 2018 “We Must Help Students Master Standard English.”
This academic article it's about the importance of requiring students to master Standard American English. So, why it’s so important? Language has been standardized because people speak different versions or dialects of English depending on where they are from. He explains that the standard has been settled with the only purpose of communicating effectively. Jenkins points out that: for students, there is no wrong language when speaking in personal life with family or friends. But, assuming that in the professional context everybody will understand their dialect only leads to confusion, misunderstanding and false impressions. All of which are bad for business. On the other hand, those who are more proficient using SAE tend to be more easily hired and more successful in their jobs. He says the mastery of standard American English alone does not guarantee professional success. But, lack of proficiency can turn into a major obstacle because in American professional life, people tend to judge us based on how well we use standard English. Given these reasons, he says that it’s folly for colleges and universities not to require students to master SAE as a minimum requirement for earning a degree.
These two articles are addressed to the same audience and are intended for persuasion. Both talk about code-switching and the use of standard American English, doing emphasis on his importance on academic and professional life.
In “Inescapably, you’re judged by your language” Bloom focuses more on the importance of grammar rules and explains how the standard is set by those in power and why should we follow their rules while chasing success in a professional context. The genre of his writing has a bit of protest, even when advising people to master standard American English he seems to show it as something unfair and repressive. Blooms points out that there is nothing wrong in our way to speak, we just need to master the standard as a tool to fit-in the professional context.
“We must help students master standard English” on the other hand is more addressed for students and explains why language has been standardized cause of the existence of several dialects and cultural differences in our way to communicate. Jenkins writing is influenced by the instructor’s perspective and, it focusses more on positives aspects of using standard English. This article is seen as more persuasive, written with the expectation of schools changing their way of teaching or demanding students to use the standard as their only path for writing and speaking in the academic context.
From my perspective, I think that nobody should limit the way we express ourselves, but I understand that we all often have different backgrounds and a common language is necessary for which to communicate without misunderstanding. Both articles convinced me that in order to be successful in the academic and professional fields, we must master standard American English. However, I keep wondering why it hasn't worked that way in international terms. If so useful and necessary is a common language even for business, why different countries continue to speak different languages? Why several attempts have failed to communicate in a common language that represents us all as it was the case of Esperanto. Would it not unite us more and make our interactions easier?
Works Cited
- Bloom, Ryan. “Inescapably, You're Judged By Your Language.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017, https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/inescapably-youre-judged-by-your-language.
- Jenkins, Rob. “We Must Help Students Master Standard English.” ChronicleVitae for Higher Ed Jobs, Career Tools and Advice, ChronicleVitae, 11 Apr. 2018, https://chroniclevitae.com/news/2034-we-must-help-students-master-standard-english.
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