"Watch Your Language: Teaching Standard Usage to Resistant and Reluctant Learners" by Mark Larson

In the article, "Watch Your Language: Teaching Standard Usage to Resistant and Reluctant Learners" (1990) Mark Larson suggest that teachers should not correct a student's grammar, but instead teachers should accept and support the language each student bring to school. Larson informs us by flashback of his experience in a 'Hurdle' class, a English support class, and his opinions about abolishing those types of classes. Larson provides the reader with his insight of a "Hurdle class" in order to create a new class to help students learn the material better. Larson writes this article to students to provide students with a perspective, so they would know what they're doing, instead of abiding by the rules for a grade.

Mark Lawson's "Watch Your Language: Teaching Standard Usage to Resistant and Reluctant Learners", talks about how student's language should not be corrected by teacher's at school, but it should be accepted as well. In order for changes to be made that are acceptable, the students should know the language as well. English language can be difficult to learn and understand, but if the English language is not being taught the original way, then English will turn into something completely different. I agree with Lawson's suggestions. Students should be able to contribute their own language in to what is Standard English.

The passage focuses on thinking of reading and writing in English classes as it's own kind of language and how his perception has changed on the way he teaches it. Growing up to be a teacher himself he found himself forcing students to learn the same concepts he did before realizing he needed to teach in a new way. So then came his new Methods which were to except the way students deviate from normal writing and using it to their advantage. He emphasized the importance of standing out, as well as the great magnitude of writing "that works for you" (Tom and Romano 1978).