Should people have to "code switch"? What is the "standard" for American English? Is it race related? Should it be a teacher's job to correct speech? Why/Why not? Should the race of a teacher matter in the correction of a student's speech? Why/Why not? Is correcting speech the same as correcting a math problem? Why/Why not?
I think that in professional settings, such as work or educational environments, people should have to code switch. The standard for American English utilizes proper grammar and is meant to be uniform so that people of all dialects can mutually understand each other when using it. Standard English is not race-related; it's simply grammatically correct English that can be used uniformly in business or professional fronts, and is the same whether the speaker is Caucasian, African-American, Asian, or Hispanic. There's nothing wrong with speaking one's own dialect in the context of their home or their community, but at school or work where people of all ethnicities and backgrounds are brought together, everyone should be able to easily understand one another. I don't think that the race of a teacher matters; when improper English is used in a professional environment, it should be corrected. Math teachers have no problem correcting the errors of their algebra students, and likewise English teachers shouldn't have to feel afraid about correcting the improper grammar of their own students.
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