While my job entails teaching students to use proper grammar and elevated diction for the academic setting, I understand that we may speak and write differently depending on our audience. What is considering unacceptable in the classroom may be appropriate and expected in other settings. For example, individuals living in Appalachia speak a distinct dialect of English that can be nearly unintelligible to a visitor from Miami. While both individuals are speaking the same language, the diction used does not match. Ask a person what the dark, bubbly, sweet beverage they order to drink is — soda, pop, Coke? Do you use a cart or a buggy when shopping? These small, common differences are quite easy to determine.
Dialects can vary based on the community. Obviously, Miami residents blend English and Spanish from many areas, which results in a unique accent. New York City and Boston both boast distinct accents with particular slang that might seem foreign to a person from South Carolina. Vernacular even varies based on race or religion, resulting in varying speaking rules. People even use emojis and gifs to carry on conversations at times!
At the end of the day, there is no one right way to speak or write — the only limit is your audience. Just as you don’t need to disown your native tongue when learning a foreign language, you don’t need to give up the way you speak at home, among your friends, or online in order to succeed with academic writing!
