Blog #4

Suresh Canagarajah's The Place of World Englishes in Composition in the section “The Implications of Globalizing English” discusses some major points of the way English Language varieties. Canagarajah explains how a change in pedagogy--to globalized English--could benefit diverse language varieties in academic settings [an aside within two em dashes. It is an aside because the addition is not a complete clause on its own. Thus, it is not just a dependent clause in the midst of an independent clause. Here it is giving a clear name to the idea being explained. It is not crucial, but is something I wanted to add in. Thus, it is an aside]. Metropolitan Englishes (in the U.S., Australia, England, etc) are typically focused on as the "Standard" Englishes. He further explains that many other "minor" Englishes, such as Indian English, Nigerian English, and Trinidadian English have speakers who were raised speaking english, studying it in schools, and speaking it fluently for their whole lives. However, based on the typical rule of Metropolitan Englishes being the "correct" Englishes, those exceedingly proficient speakers would be considered nonnative. Furthermore, since communication forms are frequently based online and through technology, it is even more controversial to categorize students as native or nonnative speakers of English, since their performance in class can differ greatly from their English abilities online or in the written format.

One excellent realization Canagarajah led me to have is that, although teachers might have students read works written in World Englishes (a "minor" variety instead of "standard" English), the students will then have to do an analytical essay on the work--in a standard, academic Metropolitan English. It is important for me to consider this when I am forming lessons and deciding on student projects and major assignments. One way I could incorporate this thought process is by asking students to choose the variety of English that best suits their personal project, and with which they are most comfortable. Instead of requiring standard academic essays, I could ask students to use the most appropriate language variety or format depending on their home languages and on the text which is provoking the assignment.