Accessing (Double) Standards of Academic English: Preconceived Notions of Standard Academic English Among Faculty and Students Study Designed By: Nidhi Gandhi, Hofstra University PRELIMINARY RESULTS The rules of “Standard English” are hard to decipher because they vary from person to person. Therefore, it is difficult to understand and takes time for students to learn what is expected from their assignments (Greenfield 44).
FACULTY
In order to better understand the expectations about Standard English, I surveyed students in and faculty teaching Writing Intensive courses in Spring 2020. Classes ranged from biology to English to sociology. Survey questions attempted to gather information about: • Written assignments • Frustrations with Standard English • Approachability of faculty before and after submitting graded writing
Of the 17 faculty responses and 56 student responses, I highlight one question that directly assessed student and faculty perceptions of Standard English.
STUDENTS
From the list below, please rank your top choice in terms of importance in a formal written assignment (1 being the most important, 6 being the least important): • • • • • • • • • •
Grammar Organization Academic Voice Personal Voice Slang Audience Purpose Prompt Citations Flow
Whilst this research is still in-progress, the most striking results were that 3 faculty participants indicated that “personal voice” was a feature of Standard English, whereas 5 student participants checked it, as well. Furthermore, 2 faculty participants indicated “slang” as part of Standard English, but 0 students believed so. This demonstrates that student voices are not welcome in academia, which can mean that their personal stories about what interests and inspires them, as well as their journeys to taking specific courses, choosing majors, and finding their place in the working world are not recognized. Works Cited Greenfield, Laura. “The 'Standard English' Fairy Tale.” Writing Centers and the New Racism,Utah State University Press, 2011, pp. 33–60.