I 100% believe that people should use their own slang in their writing and be able to speak with their friends and family in whatever language is most comfortable for them—but when it comes to academics I believe that we should all have one common language… English. I am completely for everyone expressing their culture, but I think that in order for everyone to be on the same page and be actively learning in America there has to be one common language. As for what Suresh Canagarajah is saying, I think some people around the world use different variations on English which is completely acceptable in the diverse world that we live in. When it comes to teaching I’ve never exactly thought of all the things that were brought to my attention this school year, such as having to accommodate for students that don’t exactly speak perfect English.
In my teaching if I can tell what a student is trying to say I will not mark them down points, but I do want to also teach them Standard English because it is something that I strongly believe that everyone should have knowledge on. More on the article by Suresh Canagarajah, the main points of his article are basically about the fact that there are so many different variations of English and that he grew up speaking Nigerian English and was always targeted when there is no wrong version of English.
