Standard English Questions

Standard English Questions- Loren Lewis

Evaluating the Standard

1. When a person speaks or writes in Standard English, what exactly does that mean?
Writing in standard English means to write in a style that accepted as a national norm. Anything that strays away from this norm would be considered weird or unusual or bad English.

2. How do you think this particular variety of English became the standard?

This particular way of English became the standard probably through word selection, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling, combined (from different cultures) to make a “proper sentence” which just stuck as a norm.

3. Should a student use a dialect other than Standard English (or even a different language other than English altogether) in the classroom? If so, in what particular situations (speaking, writing, reading, use of technology, etc.) are non-formal English appropriate?

Yes, students should be able to use different dialects, especially in a language class. Non-formal English is appropriate in classrooms such as this English 101 class where our writing is not in a vacuum.

4. What makes someone a good writer? What kind of things do they do when they write? (this can be things like how they organize a paper, what words they use, etc.) List a few.

There are no set rules about what makes someone a good writer. Why? Because good writing can come in all forms, not just standard English. The things that are written by good writers can be various things like: a poem, a letter, a book, a newspaper article, a birthday card, a song, etc.

5. You think that someone is a bad writer. What are some things that this person does that make them a “bad” writer in your eyes? List a few.

I would consider a person a bad writer if they weren’t following those “standard English rules” such as proper grammar or incorrect spelling.

6. Are there times when a person you meet doesn’t speak “correct” English? What does that person do that is “incorrect”? List a few things.

Yes, there have been times where I have encountered a person speaking “incorrect” English. I considered their English to be this way because of the lack of proper grammar usage, sentence structure, incomplete sentences, wrong verbs, wrong tense, and many other grammatical errors.

7. What particular types (or genres) of writing should
students be doing in elementary and secondary school to prepare them for college and the work force?
Younger students should write articles and examine the different types of genres to be aware of the various ones they are not considering when they are writing are doing research.

8. Does standard English=correct English?

Standard English does not equal correct English, it is just a norm. Correct English can take any form, especially outside of the “standard” writing arena.