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English is not a monolith; there are many non-standard varieties and dialects of English. While speakers of these non-standard forms are subject to prejudice and stereotypes, they are not "wrong." They operate by their own rules, and are an integral part of our identities. As educators, in order to create a safe linguistic space for our students to thrive in, we must honor this linguistic diversity, and strive not to use our authority to reinforce linguistic norms that harm our students.

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I learned that when students' original vernacular language and the language spoken at school do not match, that this discrepancy can alienate them from their own learning. As educators, we have a responsibility to address dialect prejudice, so that we do not inadvertently perpetuate it in our rooms, and so that we can provide a safe linguistic space that honors our students' vernacular language while also preparing them to be successful in a society that does not value linguistic diversity. I wonder if addressing this topic head-on during the first week of school would be helpful, to give them the vocabulary to articulate why school doesn't reflect their culture, and to help them navigate school and life afterwards.

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Some assumptions people make are repeated several times in this thread, such as the idea that the speaker is uneducated, unintelligent or lazy. I think the underlying assumption that backs up these prejudices is that non-standard English is wrong, and that if the speaker were educated, they wouldn't speak the way they do. We do not have an understanding or appreciation for linguistic diversity as a society, and as such assume that anyone who does not meet our standards for what English should sound like, are deficient in some way, or an outsider.

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It is important to recognize non-standard varieties of English as valid forms of English. Just because the variety is not a standard form, or the same one that you use, does not mean it is "improper" or "uneducated". These are real variations, with distinct rules, and it is apart of people's cultural identity.

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I learned that there are a variety of different non-standard forms of English, all of which have distinct rules of use, just like Standard English. Not only do these non-standard forms have rules, but people who use that specific dialect follow the rules of use fairly consistently, whether they verbatim know the rules or intuitively know based on their time within their speech community.

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A lot of assumptions about speakers of non-standard varieties of English just assume that the speaker is uneducated. People who speak standard American English tend to look down on people who use non-standard English. A lot of people also call Standard American English "proper English", as though there is only one correct form of English.

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Many assumptions are often made about what students and their families have to bring to the table (or classroom) when they do not speak standard american vernacular. Students in general of often looked at as blank slates when they enter the classroom. Students are the knowledge receivers while the teachers are the knowledge holders/ givers. Students come to our classrooms with their own knowledge and expertise. With a variety of prior knowledge, experiences and dialects comes strength and depth of understandings. The first step towards unlocking this knowledge for our students is having a better understanding of ourselves; our own expertise and our own experiences. How have we been able to adapt to the language and learning environments that we have been put in throughout our lives? And how can we use these experiences to better reach and connect to our students? It is important to reflect critically on our own educational and personal journeys before we expect students to critically engage in our classrooms.

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"But because dialect prejudice is so prevalent, this must be done in such a way that children understand there's nothing inherently wrong with their natural expression... (p.3)"
Over the summer, I went to a seminar at IUPUI on Critical Race theory. Many people shared personal stories relating to this quote above. The school system and/or society making people feel as though there is something wrong with who they are and where they came from. It is heart-breaking to me that this is becoming a common story for children and adults due to our school systems and society at large. Children are curious about the world around them. If we, as educators, don't take the time to explain to them that English is spoken in many different ways, students may get the impression that they way they have been taught to speak, the ways their family member and friends speak, are wrong and/or bad. Reading this article helped me to better understand the turmoil that comes with the conflict of home language/ dialect and standard american vernacular. "...grammar of non-standard dialects is not wrong, lazy or inferior; it is simply different to 'standard English' and should therefore be respected (p. 4)."

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I have found that the believe and assumptions that come with non-standard English are often related to ones social or educational status. When people speak Standard American vernacular there is an assumption that they are educated and/or higher class. Even the term "standard" when talking about Standard American vernacular gives off a sense of superiority to other forms of the English language.

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Non-standard varieties of English are not bad. We need allow students to show their differences because it is who they are as a person. We still need to help those students improve so they can have the best future possible. We just need to let them use their language and share their background while they are learning the new language. We need to let our students feel welcome and make them feel like what they are bringing to the classroom is important too. We can all learn from each other. There are different reasons for the varieties of English and we need to understand them so we can be more accepting of others.

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Non-standard varieties of English are often times viewed as deficient; however, there is not one variety language that is better than the other. Sadly it comes down to the "eye of the beholder" but as educators it is our responsibility to break that mentality by embracing and valuing the linguistic diversity that our students bring to the speech community with purpose.

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So many thoughts came to my mind from these readings.
1. Our first speech community plays a vital role in our future speech communities. If parents would only talk with their kids as infants (or better yet while they are in the womb) purposefully and consistently, that will build a solid foundation for participating in future speech communities and  learning in the future. Unfortunately, this does not happen for all kids which creates and widens gaps  among children when they become school-aged and enter another speech community.
2. SO excited for how our dual language immersion program is creating a classroom community that embraces diversity and "school students in discourse practices". I never really thought of it in that way, embracing diversity and creating opportunities for biliteracy, yes, but not expanding it to bidialectal, but that is what we are doing. This also creates a a real model for what is possible even in our general education classrooms.

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As with many areas, teachers need to find a happy medium when it comes to standard and non-standard dialects of English. We need to be sure to communicate the value of our students' vernacular while also teaching them and helping them to acquire standard English. Supporting students' non-standard dialects helps them to feel valued and comfortable to take the risk of learning standard English. Not doing so can make them feel excluded and can greatly affect their educational future. Teachers need to get past the assumptions they may have held about non-standard dialects.

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I learned that non-standard dialects follow their own rules. I never thought about them having their own rules before. I just noticed that they weren't following the rules of standard English, and therefore assumed there were no rules for non-standard dialects.

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Many of the comments posted capture my response to this question. Too often speakers of non-standard English are perceived to be uneducated or unintelligent. In reality speakers of non-standard varieties of English are engaged in highly complex linguistic thinking. There are two languages "competing" so to speak so to make sense of the language and the context is quite remarkable.

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Many assumptions and beliefs can arise based on an individual's use of standard or non-standard varieties of English. Often the assumptions based off of non-standard varieties of English are negative in nature. When working and interacting with individuals using non-standard varieties of English, I must be aware of the potential bias and the importance of communication. Standard English may not be necessary or beneficial for all situations and scenarios.

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What I have learned is that often non-standard dialects are not necessary for everyone. There are many uses for non-standard dialects, such as conversing with friends, creating a relationship, or to simply communicate. We may have to get past our idea of a sort of "rightness" with the standard variety of English that is in power. I also started to think about the power that is connected with using standard English

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Often people make assumptions on an individual's intelligence, education, or regional origins when someone uses non-standard varieties of English. Based on our bias (unknown and unknown) with these different assumptions, people can be treated differently. Sometimes people don't even realize that they are judging or treating someone differently based on this.

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It made me understand that non-standard dialect is not bad. It is ok if everyone is not speaking Standard English perfectly. We need to accept these different forms of speech, so we don't totally silence students. We as teachers could make some students feel uncomfortable with who they are and they won't want to speak at all, if we pick at how the speak too much.

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I learned that just because people speak different languages/varieties of English other than standard, that doesn't mean that their language is wrong. We must accept their language and value it instead of trying to take it away from them and replace it with standard English. As educators, we are use to talking in a professional manor (which is standard English) because this is our profession and that is what we were taught to do. Some people might look at us and think that we are high-class and rude because we talk so proper.

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In all of my college courses I have taken this far, all of my education classes discuss language and what it means to speak standard English vs. not. I think that many schools push standard English onto students and forget that majority of their students do not come to school speaking standard English. I learned that valuing what students bring to the table is important for them to feel apart of their learning and environment. It is not a bad thing to teach students standard English but that doesn't mean that their other language has to be taken away or replaced with standard English.

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Most people think that speakers of non-standard English are not very smart. I have also heard people say that they need to learn English if they are going to be here. People automatically think that they can't know too much, since they don't know the language well.

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Along with the assumptions of being uneducated and poor/low-class mentioned above, I think another assumption people sometimes make is that the non-standard speakers are lazy.  They could speak proper English if they put forth the effort.  Any negative feelings people hold towards certain groups can also come out when they hear non-standard English spoken.  (For example, hearing Latino English and assuming they are here illegally.)

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Non-standard varieties of English are not inferior, they are simply different. As a result, we need to honor and respect the differences in varieties of English as we help students develop the Standard English skills that will help them become successful in the future.

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I learned that language is one of the last places where prejudice remains socially acceptable. This was astounding to me, but I could almost see myself guilty of that. I would never treat anyone poorly who spoke in a vernacular different to mine, but I would be lying to myself it I didn't have some assumptions about how Standard English is better, simply because I am comfortable with it, AND because as an Educator, I want my students to be successful in our mainstream culture. And that culture uses Standard English.

That is one thing I am really going to take away from this reading: I need to prepare my students for future education and success in society, but I need to honor and respect the differences in their language versus Standard English.

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Many people make assumptions of others that do not speak "proper" English. Most people think that if you don't speak "proper" English, you are uneducated or unintelligent. Along with assuming they are uneducated or unintelligent, people believe that these individuals are also poor/low-class citizens.

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Unfortunately, but honestly, I think in many cases the label that people associate with non-standard varieties of English would be "Unintelligent" or "Uneducated". I think people judge others more often on how they say things, as opposed to what they say- and hold everyone to an unfair standard of what "proper" English should be. I also think that stereotypical and prejudicial beliefs that others have of communities that use non-standard varieties of English influence how they view an individual when they hear them using that variation.