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Article
Inviting the Mother Tongue: Beyond "Mistakes," "Bad English", and "Wrong Language"
The Journal of Advanced Composition (1999)
  • Peter Elbow
Abstract
This essay grows out of feeling torn between conflicting goals or obligations. I think most teachers of first year college writing courses also feel this conflict, and I experience it acutely as director of a university writing program. On the one hand, I feel an obligation not to force all my students to conform to the language and culture of mainstream English. (See “The Students’ Right To Their Own Language” [Committee].) On the other hand, I feel an obligation to give all my students access to the written language of power and prestige.
Publication Date
January 1, 1999
Citation Information
Peter Elbow. "Inviting the Mother Tongue: Beyond "Mistakes," "Bad English", and "Wrong Language"" The Journal of Advanced Composition (1999)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peter_elbow/12/