In reading “The Implications of Globalizing English” by Suresh Canagarajah I have to say I was blown away. The key points to understand this article all have to do with the alternate routes in English. The way English is taught in classes is through the traditional route (Standard English) which has been done for generations, as we all know. But as it turns out, although English learner student are learning Standard English in class, they are picking up the language better outside of class. You see, English is a difficult language to learn with all of our rules and pronunciation, but in a social setting among friends and social media they are picking up the language rather fast.

            What I learned from this article is that there is more than one way to learn English. Traditional English is difficult to learn, even as a college student, so it’s understood a little bit slower due to its method being taught. As for learning the more social English, everybody picks it up rather quick because we use it every day. You use it when you are at work, talk with your friends and family, and respond to text or social media. Its more personalized to you and your group so you pick up your own English your own way. For instance every group of English speaking individuals have their own way of speaking English. Country farm kids have a very lazy twang kind of English compared to urban kids and their English. It goes further than that though. Hawaiian have a different way of speaking English compared to Canadians, it’s all relevant. I kind of already knew this just from being a young adult. I talk to different people in different variations of English. For instance, I’m not going to speak to my professor or my mother the same as I speak to my friends, it just doesn’t work. So it actually comes down to being formal, professional, or casual when speaking.

            This information I have to say is so important to our school and our teachers as well. Knowing that English expands beyond Standard English is so important to understand for many reasons. First off, understanding this situation will help nonnative speakers of English open up to native speakers of English there for helping said nonnative speakers understand social English, (the English used on the street). The sad thing about this way of speaking English is that I don’t think you can teach it in a classroom, its self-taught. Of course the traditional way of speaking English is not going anywhere, but it gives student the foundation in which the process of speaking is taught. On the street and in public is where you really learn to speak English. It like if you were just dropped in Mexico with only the basic teaching of Spanish taught in high schools. You either learn the language or just flat out not survive. Good thing this is not real, but the concept is the same. This is very important to teach all of our grades because all styles of English are important.