Ed 258 w9 Paper

McKenna Greene
ED 258
03/11/2022
Weeks 8-9 Teaching and Supporting Language Paper
Before taking my Education classes at PCC, I had honestly never thought about how my
cultural identity, language, or ethnic background affected me. I am a white, cisgender, female in
America, so my life has been pretty easy going and stereotypical. I was never asked about my
culture, where I came from, or anything about my home language– because I am white, and all of
those questions seem obvious. After taking more PCC Education classes, I have come to learn
that I do have a cultural identity that is specific to me and who I am, and my language does affect
how I view the world and my interactions within it.
Enid Lee talks about how it is part of every teacher's responsibility to teach language and
make sure that students are excelling in this part of their education in every subject. Lee also says
that language is, “one form of liberation. It is one method of helping students to access
opportunities – opportunities to change their world, to speak for themselves, to build and
transform their communities into viable and just places for all, where equality and dignity are not
mere words,” (Lee, 2001). This is true, because if students are not able to speak English in
America and also understand it in written and spoken form, they will not succeed– not in jobs,
not in school, not in friendships, and not in life. To ensure that students will have an equal
opportunity to succeed in all of these places, it is important that teachers focus on language in the
classroom no matter their subject matter. As for my work as an educator, this has helped me to
see a new opportunity for learning– I had never thought about every teacher also being a
language teacher– but it’s true! Without the English language, students in America would not be
able to learn. In my work, I will work hard to help those whose first language is not English
succeed by giving them extra help and guidance, while also letting them express themselves in
their own languages and writing styles.
In Christensen’s article, Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard?, she writes,
“students must be taught to hold their own voices sacred, to ignore the teachers who have made
them feel wrong or bad or stupid,” (ROC, 2007, p.157). I think this speaks for itself, but really is
not a reality in most American schools. Often students from different cultural backgrounds and
races are taught to erase what they have learned and relearn the “correct” (Americanized) way.
Students should not feel inferior when learning new subjects in languages that are new to them,
and they should absolutely not feel forced to abandon their home culture, language, and/or
beliefs. Home languages and dialects should be treated with respect, they should be studied, and
protected by educators and the education community.
In my own life I have had to use other languages that are not my first language/ home
language. I really only know English, and American Sign Language, but at my job I often
encounter people who speak only Spanish or Russian/Ukrainian (or very little English). These
scenarios can be awkward and hard to get through, especially when part of my job is asking
questions and expecting an answer. When this happens, we both do the best we can, by
gesturing, using the words in other languages we do know, and if necessary, using Google
Translate or something similar. I have also had customers who spoke English ask me how to
pronounce English words correctly. When my friends use improper English (like “I seen” instead
of “I saw”) I feel like I should correct them, but otherwise I don’t like to correct other people in
their language. After this week's reading, it has opened my eyes to see that the way someone
speaks is due to their background, and that isn’t something I should want or need to change about
someone– even if I think it sounds improper to me– because that is how I was raised.
References:
Christensen, Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard? (2007).
E. Lee, Equity and Literacy: The Challenge of the Decade. (2001).

Ed 258 w9 Paper

Uploaded by

Ed 258 w9 Paper

Uploaded by

McKenna Greene

Weeks 8-9 Teaching and Supporting Language Paper

how I view the world and my interactions within it.

their own languages and writing styles.

In Christensen’s article, Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard?, she writes,

protected by educators and the education community.

Christensen, Teaching Standard English: Whose Standard? (2007).

E. Lee, Equity and Literacy: The Challenge of the Decade. (2001).

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