Blog #3 on Chicano English

Mark's Question: How do the issues raised in this set of articles connect to the issues raised in your prior set of articles? Can one set of articles be used as a lens to shed light on the other set of articles? In what ways do they inform/reinforce/expand/contradict each other? 

The issues raised in this set of articles all revolve around acceptance of different modes of speaking and writing English and embracing these modes while still teaching Standard English. Dialect can be viewed negatively as an interference with meaning, a rule by which to judge a person's intelligence or as a substandard method of communication and this lies at the heart of the issue. Dialect should not be a hindrance to a person's educational aspirations. Dialect does not define intellect or ability or motivation. While it is important to teach Standard English and give students the tools for achievement and self-efficacy, it should not be at the expense of a student's cultural identity.

The articles taken as a whole clarify the issues of teaching students with dialects and provide some solutions, although the reality is that every student is unique, individual and different. We cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach to our pedagogy. We need to work with these students and provide a lot of encouragement and support.