ENGL 110-64

Why Make Writing Sound Formal in America?

One of the most important lessons taught at an early age in life is learning how to read and write. Throughout America not only is everyone taught differently but raised from different environments and regions causing our speech to gravitate away from being informal. We are expected to write professionally and talk without using “slang” words. We are expected to avoid particular words such as “y’all” and “like.” There are thousands of words that we use daily that are unprofessional or disrespectful to the English language. Stanley Fish, known to share his ideas within the teachings of Standard American English, believes that any other language that has to deal with anything against the standard written English language is unacceptable in any academic writing. Fish discusses the importance of private education, such as Catholic schools, who do a successful job in teaching students the importance of Standard American English grammar. 

Catholic schools and many other private schools in his defense do a fantastic job keeping their students well educated. Majority of students pay for private education which allows them to receive endless amounts of one-on-one attention giving them the opportunity to better  understand Standard American English. Public education does not have the type of one-on-one attention that private education has which can affect certain students who have a tougher time comprehending. Some believe that the reason why private school students are smarter is because of the education that they pay for, but in all honesty it is the same education but the difference is the one-on-one attention and the fact that private school students get corrected everytime they say something the wrong way unlike public schools who have thousands and thousands of students.  

Catholic and other private school education is not a requirement for success, but it is recommended. Michael Godsey, a veteran public school teacher, discusses his thoughts on education differences between public schools and private schools. He did not mention the public school that he worked and coached for but he did write about his daughter attending San Luis Obispo Classical Academy (SLOCA), a private school in Central California. At the time when he was teaching at a public school he would observe the differences in both the educations. Godsey loved the fact that SLOCA promotes “personal character” and “love of learning.” He enjoyed watching his daughter get involved with things that public education never offered. Michael Godsey spoke out about why he taught public school while he had his daughter in private education and said, “I chose to teach in a public high school precisely because I pitied the children who felt forced to be at school, who felt trapped like I did when I was their age.” He understood that so many of his students could not afford schools like that so he wanted to do his best to give them the best education possible. He also pointed out that kids in public schools are just the same as kids in private schools. Godsey said, “They are not harmful or malicious, and most of them aren’t even consciously rude. They’re just “cool” by default, the opposite of being intrinsically “stoked” or “pumped” (to borrow a few words from their vocabulary) about learning.” He understands that his students struggle in grammar and writing more than private school students because they do not have the opportunities nor do they have the one-on-one attention. They are surrounded by “slang” terms and they are never corrected. 

Correction is the issue in this generation today. We think that these young students and adults are struggling using the correct terms because of schooling but in reality they are in environments that do not correct them. They are raised in states of different accents and languages and are taught by the adults who grew up in the same place they did. Fish believes that education is the cause, but not only is education important but mainly the correction is what is needed. Early education is a requirement and is a huge benefit when it comes to learning the importance of Standard American English, but education can only last and be retained so long.

Vershawn Ashanti Young expresses the importance of dominant language ideology. In other terms this is the idea that individuals can speak however they please outside of their source of education. This is what every American takes advantage of. We are not required to speak properly outside of our education but while being in school we are expected to perform professionally. The reason why Fish is so adamant about the practice of Standard American English is so that we do not lose what we learn and get into an even bigger habit of saying the things we want to say. Young believes that the problem we have today is that we say whatever we want but when the time comes to enter a professional interview then we need to step it up. Fish sees this as a problem as well but sees it in a different perspective then Young. Fish views communication as a lack of education and discipline while Young believes that communication and language is based on the environment that you are surrounded by.

I have been raised in a southern environment and private education my entire life. My argument and personal opinion on this varies. I do believe that the way we talk is based more on the environment we are surrounded by. I do believe that education helps, but growing up in private education and having friends in public schools there is no difference in the education. The way we talk is based on the area we live in and the way our parents raise us. Growing up my parents corrected me on everything I said and did. I was constantly taught the correct way to speak to people, but living in the south we were allowed to get away with using the word “y’all.” Even in school we were never taught to not use it. I have always known that “you all” is the correct term but in my environment “y’all” was the one word you could get away with even at school. 

Any education requires their English classes to focus on reading and writing comprehension and teaches us proper grammar so that we can focus on a successful career. The question behind this is, “Why are we required to make our writing sound formal and professional?” Not only do we need correct grammar and punctuation but we also need to be taught the importance of Standard American English, because if we continue to do so we will grow to become the new future. The generation today is expected to improve in technology and business and without the correct Standard American English we are looked at as uneducated and devoting to poor leadership for the newer generation that comes along. 

In conclusion both Fish and Young have a difference of opinion. Both have valid reasoning and how we need to get into the habit of practicing Standard American English so that when we do say the words that are against what we have been taught we will then correct it. Also, how we need to understand that outside of our careers and education we do have the right to speak how we want, but at the end we need to understand the correct way to write an email or talk to our customers in a professional manner. No matter what, Americans will talk the way they do based on how they are raised, but for the future of the next generation we are called to meet the requirements of Standard American English so that we will become the best we can possibly be. 

Sources 

Godsey, M. (2015, March 5). Why I’m a public-school teacher but a private-school parent. The Atlantic. Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/why-im-a-public-school-teacher-but-a-private-school-parent/386797/ Accessed Mar 26, 2022

 Avoid writing. McDaniel College Writing Center. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2022, from https://writingcenter.mcdaniel.edu/top-10-slang-words-to-avoid-in-your-writing/ Accessed Mar 26, 2022

Fish, Stanley. “What Should Colleges Teach? Part 3.”

New York Times, 7 Sept. 2009, https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/what-should-colleges-teach-part-3/ Accessed Mar 26, 2022

Young, Vershawn Ashanti. “Should Writers Speak Their Own English?”

Iowa Journal or Cultural Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2010, pp. 109-118, https://lms.cofc.edu/d2l/le/content/268138/viewContent/3465819/View. Accessed Mar 26, 2022