Language identity is a huge part of writing that shows who you are and where you come from. The way you write is a deep rooted subject that recognizes a part of you. Reading Oluoch’s “Official American English is a Choice”, we see the strong opinion of how the English language is seemed as official and the only option, when it shouldn’t be. To jobs and companies, having the knowledge of proper English grammar makes you seem more professional, when that isn’t the case. Many immigrants come to America to find and make a better life for themselves, and learning a new language is a struggle. They’re frowned upon for not knowing proper English when they have the same mental and physical abilities as the next person. Moreover, reading Martin’s “African American Language is Good English”, we see another take on proper versus improper grammar in writing. In his example, he talks about African American language, specifically AAVE – African American Vernacular English. This is used in more urban communities, in a more casual way. Since people use it more comfortably, it’s seen as improper when writing. AAVE is frowned upon when in a proper setting, but has been widely used in music and poetry. Shakespeare has written many sonnets using AAVE and has been praised since. It’s a good way to keep people engaged in the writing since there’s a sense of comfortability in the way things are presented. I believe that generally, if the writer hits all the marks needed for their work, then the writing is “correct”. I don’t think they need “proper grammar”, because that is such a broad term that can go any way. If someone hits the points necessary and gets their point across, they did a job well done for their writing.
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