Being a descriptivist in a prescriptivist world
At Davenport University, I teach a variety of writing courses and a course on presentation techniques for the English Department. My experiences at Davenport have been invaluable and also highly instrumental in my development as a teacher. My students at Davenport are vastly different than my students at Michigan State. Many are twice my age, have grandchildren, and have been in the working world for most of their lives (whereas I have spent most of my life in school). I love the opportunity to be able to teach at both universities, however, and consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to work with such great students, faculty, and staff.
Though I am a descriptivist at heart, I teach in a prescriptivist world at Davenport. Teaching academic writing is, therefore, difficult when you don't believe in a "right" and a "wrong" in relation to language. To make my life easier, however, I make an effort to make my students aware of why a course on writing and/or presentation techniques is important. In a similar vein, I have also taken it upon myself to work towards a higher overall level of awareness of both linguistic diversity and linguistic discrimination both in my classrooms and at Davenport in general. One way in which I do this is by reserving one whole class period for a discussion on language. I define and discuss the concepts of linguistic diversity and linguistic discrimination, as well as prescriptivism and descriptivism. I also group students together and have them work through a variety of resources, like the Oatmeal comic on who vs. whom and Hyperbole and a Half's blog post on "alot." At the end of the class, I end with the following thought:
Though I am a descriptivist at heart, I teach in a prescriptivist world at Davenport. Teaching academic writing is, therefore, difficult when you don't believe in a "right" and a "wrong" in relation to language. To make my life easier, however, I make an effort to make my students aware of why a course on writing and/or presentation techniques is important. In a similar vein, I have also taken it upon myself to work towards a higher overall level of awareness of both linguistic diversity and linguistic discrimination both in my classrooms and at Davenport in general. One way in which I do this is by reserving one whole class period for a discussion on language. I define and discuss the concepts of linguistic diversity and linguistic discrimination, as well as prescriptivism and descriptivism. I also group students together and have them work through a variety of resources, like the Oatmeal comic on who vs. whom and Hyperbole and a Half's blog post on "alot." At the end of the class, I end with the following thought:
As can be seen, learning to write and speak “well,” in the minds of employers is important. It can mean the difference between getting hired or getting fired, it can lesson the amount of social prejudice placed upon you, and it can act as a useful social tool in constructing a ‘formal self.’ But in learning to write and speak "well," we don’t want to forget the way we normally talk and write…because that does something for us too. A working class male in one linguist's study was reported as saying “I talk horrible,” but when asked if he would really like to change his speech, he confessed that he wouldn’t. Why? Because for him, talking like he normally does, like his friends and family do, like he grew up talking, marked him as being a part of something, as being from somewhere, and as being like a certain group of people.
So, learn to write “well.” Memorize and practice those arbitrary grammar rules. They will most certainly help your professional future. But don’t be tricked into thinking that the way you speak is “bad” and they way that your teachers speak is "good," or that you need to change it ‘or else…’ Think of both ways of communicating as tools on a tool belt. On this tool belt you'll also find other useful tools: the way you dress, the way you present yourself, the way you walk, the hobbies you choose to do, the music you listen to, your handwriting, where you are from, your sexuality, your age, and many others. In addition to the way you speak and the way you write, you can use these tools to construct your personal, social, and professional identity. If you master your "professional" style and use it alongside your casual style, you will surely go much further than those who only strive to be "professional."