Freelance Writer

Here is the example of my professional writing:

Standard English is defined as “the English language in its most widely accepted form, adhering to fixed academic norms of spelling, grammar, and usage in written and spoken contexts, and neutralizing nonstandard dialectal variation” (Dictionary.com). This dialect is most commonly used in academic and business settings, and is devoid of regional or cultural variation. By the 1930s, Standard English became associated with higher social class and was seen by many as the language of the educated (Bhana, 2013, para. 6). In the academic environment, Standard English is often viewed as the only correct way to use the English language, despite the number of dialects used by people in different regions and cultures of the United States. It is inherently associated with education, and people who speak in Standard English are often considered to be more educated than those who speak in other dialects, such as AAVE and Appalachian English. In his article “Standard English Definitions and Controversies,” author Richard Nordquist argues that “historically, we can say that Standard English was selected… to become the standard variety precisely because it was the variety associated with the social group with the highest degree of power, wealth, and prestige” (Nordquist, 2017, para. 2). Standard English has been used for almost a century as a means to differentiate between the social classes, since historically, only those who could afford an education were able to get one, and people without educations are more likely to use words and phrases from a specific dialect (Bhana, 2013, para. 13). Standard English is rooted in classism and racism, and has been used to differentiate between those who are educated and those who are not. Additionally, SE has been used to discriminate against people who speak cultural dialects, like AAVE, specifically in the workplace. While this is technically illegal today thanks to Title VII, it is still a present issue in the United States.

African American Vernacular English is one of the most common dialects of the English language present in the United States today. Many people still hold prejudice against people who speak in this dialect because they believe that Standard English is the “proper” way to speak English despite the fact that AAVE is not simply “lazy” or “uneducated” English, instead, it’s a complex dialect with its own set of grammar rules to which its users adhere. Celeste Amos, adjunct English instructor at Loyola Marymount University, published a study in the International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies titled “Understanding Correlations between Standard American English Education and Systemic Racism and Strategies to Break the Cycle” in which she details the problems that occur when teaching Standard American English as the only correct way to use the English language. She argues that by teaching English in this manner, systemic racism is propagating while students’ cultures are being erased. “The unfortunate side effect of this pedagogical approach to teaching English is that we are continuing a cycle of racism in our schools: we are, in effect, teaching racism”

(Amos, 2019, p. 2). The way we teach English is problematic because of the way it encourages the use of English that is typically “white” while discrediting the use of English that is typically

“black.” This makes students from communities and families that use African American Vernacular English, among others, feel as though the way they speak at home is wrong while affirming to students that speak Standard English at home that they are right. Amos points out that when black students receive criticism about their writing, it makes them feel as though their way of using the English language is wrong because teachers often don’t take the time to explain why a student’s writing was not properly formatted in a way that does not discredit the student’s native dialect. Teachers are some of the most influential people in a child’s life; they spend most of their waking hours with their teachers. How can black students learn and grow into functioning adults if their teachers are inadvertently teaching them that their culture is wrong? Conversely, how can white students grow into good, functioning adults if their teachers are inadvertently teaching them that they are superior to people who speak different languages and dialects than them? Amos poses a solution in the last paragraph of her study:

“As instructors we must tell our students that all language has equal value: all language dialects and cultural dialects are equal. We must let our students know that what we are teaching is important, not because it is the most important, but because it is used in academia and business. When we give constructive criticism, we must ensure that our students know it is being given without any value judgments: constructive criticism should be designed to help students succeed, not make them feel like failures. We must ensure that we are inspiring our students: people who teach English courses do so because they love English; let us pass that love along to our students” (Amos, 2019, 3). The way to ensure that students learn how to communicate effectively in the academic world and the competitive business world while also maintaining their identities is to not only teach them the usage of Standard English, but to encourage the use of their native dialects as well. This is the section from my book:

Kira took out a cutting board and knife and laid them on the counter before grabbing a whetstone out of the knife drawer. She sprinkled some water on the stone and dragged the blade of the knife at a twenty degree angle along it. She made a few passes before flipping the stone over and finishing the knife on the polishing side before drying the stone off and setting it back in the drawer. Kira laid the knife back on the cutting board and went to the sink to wash the potatoes. There was water left over in the sink from the first run Jacob had made to the well, so Kira used it to wash the potatoes. She left the skins on for the extra nutrients. After washing the dirt from each potato, she cut them up into one-inch cubes, then set the skillet off of the stove and turned on the gas before striking a match and holding it to the burner. She opened the cabinet to the right of the stove and took out a large bottle of olive oil that had only a few ounces left in the bottom. She looked at the almost empty bottle as she poured just enough to coat the bottom of the pan and knew that they would have to send a team into the city to gather supplies very soon. She put the bottle back and began dicing the onion, chile, and sausage. A traditional Tortilla de Patatas doesn’t have chiles or sausage in it, but it added density to the dish that Kira knew the group needed. When the oil was hot, Kira tossed in the potatoes. She finished chopping the veggies and scrambled eight of the eggs as the potatoes cooked, then tossed in the onions and the chile to sweat and release their flavor. She grabbed the salt off of the spice rack and sprinkled it generously over the vegetables. Once the potatoes were soft enough to pierce with a fork, she spread them out in the pan, poured the eggs into the pan on top of them, and layered the sausage on top. She gave the eggs a few minutes to cook and grabbed a large plate from the cupboard along with a weathered pot holder. She laid the plate over the skillet and grabbed the handle with the pot holder, then leaned to the side and prepared to use her entire upper body to flip the skillet over. Jacob came back into the room, followed by Amaura, Tyler and Charles, as Kira was preparing to flip the heavy skillet. She didn’t notice them, and flipped the skillet in a wide circle over the stove. The tortilla released from the skillet and set perfectly on the plate, without a bit left in the pan. Kira smiled, proud of herself, as she slid the tortilla back into the pan to crisp up the other side.

Jacob clapped as they stood in the doorway, mouths hanging open. Charles was the only one who seemed less than impressed. Kira turned to them and performed an exaggerated bow, thanking them.

Amaura walked over to the stove and asked “What are you making? It smells really good.”

“It’s a Tortilla de Patatas that I learned how to make in the military. It’s a Spanish dish. I figured it would be a little more filling than our typical egg breakfasts.” Charles looked at Kira over his nose. “What’s in it?” He asked in his typical raspy, judgemental tone.

“Potatoes, an onion, eggs, a fresno, and some sausage. It’s like an omelette but full of potatoes.” Kira opened the cupboard and asked “Is anyone else coming?” Jacob sat down at the table. “Not right now, everyone else is sleeping in since there’s no gardening to do.”

“Well that’s not even true, but okay.” Kira pulled four plates from the cupboard and set them beside the stove. She pulled the skillet off of the hot burner and set it on top of a pot holder on the counter before cutting the tortilla into twelve pieces and putting a piece on each plate. Amaura picked up two plates over to the table and sat across from Charles, handing him a plate. Kira took the remaining two over to the table and set one in front of Jacob and kept the smaller piece for herself. Jacob noticed and switched their plates, squinting his eyes at her and cracking a tiny smile. Kira rolled her eyes and began eating along with the others. They finished their breakfast in silence, mouths never being empty enough to speak.

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