"Standard English is that set of grammatical and lexical forms which is typically used in speech and writing by educated native speakers. It includes the use of colloquial and slang vocabulary, as well as swear words and taboo expressions. There are no set rules or vocabulary for "Standard English" because, unlike languages such as French, Spanish or Dutch, English does not have a governing body...," said Dr. Peter Trudgill a sociolinguist.
Knowing that we adapt our use of English to specific environments, it is not surprising that our language changes whenever we are relaxing at home with parents/family, or in a classroom, board room, or university. And our regional accents or dialect are often reflected as we speak. Class may also be added as another variable which influences our speech patterns. All of the aforementioned become the language we must capture as we write as we find our voice.
Writers adapt their writing styles for many reasons...as well. When Sandra Cisneros writes that she has "returned for those who have no out," her message is very clear. She is aware of the correct English grammatical patterns. However, she chose to use the words which matched the context of the story. The story dictated how language would be altered to create the mood and picture conveyed.
It is interesting to note that Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906) could not find a market for his verses in "Standard" English.
"I am tired, so tired of dialect," he said. " I send out graceful little poems, suited for any of the magazines, but they are returned to me by editors who say, Dunbar, but we do not care for the language compositions." Today Dunbar is remembered because of the poetry which was written in dialect. For example:
LITTLE lady at de do',
W'y you stan' dey knockin'?
Nevah seen you ac' befo'
In er way so shockin'.
Don' you know de sin it is
Fu' to git my temper riz
W'en I's got de rheumatiz
An' my jints is lockin'?
Conversely, in the 1770s Phillis Wheatley wrote:
TWAS mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there's a God, that there's a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew,
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
"Their colour is a diabolic die."
Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,
May be refin'd, and join th' angelic train
Phillis Wheatley died penniless in 1784.
Therefore, we soon realize that creating new pieces of literature in the classroom is an arduous task. And prior to launching the writing process, I have found it necessary to saute the students in some of the best literature possible as Lucy Caulkins recommends. Although the list of books is long and wide, I rely on the magic of Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street" to facilitate this journey.
Quite often the word from another culture is the only word that works in a particular context. Before using the word "temerity" to describe a situation, I changed it to "audacity." However, I could have used "chutzpah" or any one of the following synonyms: HARDIHOOD, EFFRONTERY, NERVE, CHEEK, or GALL. Frank McCourt, like many of today's gifted writers, has also brilliantly infused his cultural heritage into the language of "Angela's Ashes."
Today the English language is becoming more and more inclusive. And as Hip Hop vocabulary words become infused in the media, dictionaries, and universities, a new genre is emerging. Thus, I have encouraged my students to use words from any known lexicon. However, they must use italics to distinguish these words from the words that are not found in our English Dictionary. This phenomenon is also witnessed in Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street."
When my students took an imaginary trip to their ancestral home, their essays were filled with words and phrases which described the foods, greetings, and land of their ancestors. This fifth grade class had students from 15 different nations. And although many had never stepped foot on foreign soil, they used the information their parents had imparted to them over the years, to guide them on their vicarious journey. Their stories validated the land and language of their ancestors. It was truly amazing to watch the lesson unfold with revelations from Yemen, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Nigeria.
As educators, we are reminded by Haim Ginott that it is our approach that creates the climate in the classroom. It is our daily word that makes the weather in our classroom. And if the environment in our classroom is safe, many good things will happen.
Our students are writing to be read. Thus, they are very vulnerable. They are truly putting their life on the line as... Lucy Calkins reminds us.
Teachers have the power to nurture emergent writers. They also have the ability to nurture dreams as well as validate the work of their students.
"The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros is a beginning. Like so many pieces of great literature, "Mango Street" shows how the author can weave the language of two cultures to produce a masterpiece. And as students write in the genre of the author, they will find their voice in a remembrance of things past and present which will become their gift to the future.
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