In Response to Question #2

2. One student asked, “Why do we have to discuss teaching minority children the language of power? Why not just teach everyone acceptance?” Respond.

Acceptance meaning an acceptance of a minority's rules of grammar? I'm not sure how that could be implimented. All cultures have different ways of communicating, and to try to "accept" every particular localized colloquial dialect in America would cause a lot of problems. Instead of needing to teach one language of power, you'd have to teach every culture's language of power, and how it differed from other cultural languages of power. In trying to make every language equal in the formal, business world of America you'd wind up with a confusing mish-mash of conflicting linguistic rules.

I agree with Delpitt's analysis that local dialects of English are important to culture and can certainly be useful in speaking on an informal basis. However, I think that having one formalized form of English that everyone should learn is also crucial. It allows for anyone, from any culture, to interact more easily in the formal world. The key is ensuring that all cultures actually get training in this language of power.