Language in an Academic Setting

I do agree that students should have the right to use their own language in an academic setting, but only under some circumstances. There are many courses of writing ranging from literature to poetry to creative freestyle writing. In some of those classes a student should be able to express themselves in anyway they feel is necessary to get to their main point or give the writing piece a sense of the emotion of the writer and who they are. Each person is a unique individual. Some professors want students to conform to the specific writing style of that professor and it is difficult to understand and write how that professor wants it to be done. "We affirm strongly that teachers must have the experiences and training that will enable them to respect diversity and uphold the right of students to their own language," there has to be mutual understanding of differences and resect. How a person speaks and writes is part of their identity so why should they conform to what society thinks is formally correct? 

In order to let people express themselves, their language is a must. How they speak in class compared to the formal writing they must use when writing the sense of who they are can be confused because the teacher will never get to know who they really are and their viewpoints. As I said before, in some cases language does matter. For example, research papers that follow a strict format to get all the details and facts and that is when language should be set aside. 

My biggest worry is that students are going to conform and never be able to express themselves in the way needed. I know I am not the greatest writer, but when I put in my own opinion and words the writing means so much more to mean. It makes me want to write more because I have the freedom to say what I need in the way that best fits me. I use a bit of slang but usually only to get my point across. When that freedom and right is given students tend to enjoy the prompt more and it will actually be easier in the sense that they can let their words flow. I believe that is very important because than the reader gets a better sense of who the author is as a person. 

In Professor Young's class she encourages her students to use their native tongues. Express ourselves in the language that we speak and put it into our writing. This makes assignments more enjoyable and relaxing because we have that freedom that I so desperately desired. And for these reasons I enjoy Professor Young's class and believe that students have the right to express themselves through their language.