Arts and Humanities Commons^™

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.