Certain barriers lie between students who completely understand grammar rules and those who don’t. Yet, there are those who constantly receive red circles and notes on their papers, indicating where they went wrong. There are various factors to consider when arguing what is to blame for the clear distinction of ability. Schooling, dedication, native language, environment, etc.
As a first-generation student, I acknowledge the privilege I have of navigating American society with a grasp of its culture. I often find myself thinking of my parents, both semi-fluent in English, and how difficult that position is for them. There are many discourse communities they find themselves in, and the barrier placed between the native English speaker and them is debilitating. Especially when in America, where not knowing English is incredibly limiting.
Lavenda Oluoch shares her criticisms in Official American Englsih is a Choice. She states, “Using English as a symbol of unifying difference should not be happening, as it is merely an excuse for the formation of nationalist conceptions about immigration integration and assimilation.”. In this quote, Oluoch makes a brilliant point. America is the world’s melting pot. In fact, I remember learning this concept in elementary school. So why, as an adult, are ideas of unification through a shared characteristic of English speaking agreed upon as the best option? Who is propagandizing this ideology among us? Maybe it’s like a lingering trait of communism or simply the racist ideologies of white supremacists lounging in the American government.
The Coexistence and Grammar
After reading Kyle Wiens, I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why, I’m shocked. Wiens had an unbearably tense, hostile tone throughout the length of the article. Besides my assumptions about Weins being an unbearable man to discuss anything with, he did make somewhat of a good point. He says that people will automatically judge you if you have difficulty differentiating between their, there, and they’re. And it’s true because, as I have been the judge, I have also been the victim.
Yet, I can’t help but think of people like my Ecuadorian mother, the Peruvian busboy, and the Haitian cook at work. These people are constantly working on perfecting their understanding of the English language. I think of the money spent on English classes. I think of the inevitable coexistence of people like them and people as harsh as Wiens in the workplace. And I think of their confusion and disappointment when their opportunities are limited. They are immediately judged without understanding when they mistake their grammar through the misplacement of a comma and lose a promotion at a job that never accepted them anyway. That’s progressively modern American culture for you.
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