This week reading is really interesting and thought provoking and raised one question will we ever have a consensus on anything in this world?

  No one can deny the reality that English is the Lingua Franca of the world but no one can say variety of English is the lingua franca of our world. It tells us that the idea that language is correct and incorrect is a relative term; language should be communicative and functional, and sends such inputs to receiver that message can be comprehensible. It is ironic that on one hand we raise slogans of globalization and on the other we accept Standard English as the only English and have zero tolerance towards other varieties of English; “language is dynamic and ever changing; consequently, there are no permanent or absolute standards.”(78) I agree with Ball and Muhammad that  in order to prepare future teachers for linguistically diverse classrooms-and, indeed, for a linguistically diverse world, that there is a dire need to include the courses that teach the language variation, bilingualism, and global linguistic diversity should be required  in the curriculum as there have never been before in the history.

 In his article ‘Basic Writing as Cultural Conflict’ Tom Fox has explored that three theories about basic writing at work. It is really sad that no serious interest has been taken to solve the problems of the beginners. I think that oppositional theory is not only at work in the case of writers who are experiencing cultural diversity in their lives, it works in the in all human beings as writing is a process of a combination of personal and general expression of values. It is not necessary that my personal views will be in accordance with the general prevailing views in a society. Every writer is cultured by his background, family and community and than he is the member of a large society. I agree with Edward Hall that it is not language that determines our writing rather it is culture that determines our writing and expression because writer’s thinking and style is culturally constructed. I was baffled by Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace but I was completely ignorant of the fact that such a piece of writing is a common practice in the Russian style.  Every piece of writing is a unique example of differentiation, and negotiating that difference is the perplexed issue. It becomes really crucial to understand the point of differentiations of writers meaning knowing their culture and Leon’s work is an example of it. We cannot understand his writing until we know African American culture. Fox is right in concluding that deficit and initiation theory has not addressed the needs of the basic writers, by defining basic writing as cultural conflict we can work to bridge the gap that exists between the basic writer’s prior knowledge and knowledge that he needs to acquire and this process of transition is demanding for teacher as well. The teacher needs to be interpreter of writer and is supposed to understand the cultural forces.  Russell and Foster have also addressed how the transitions phase of writers by including the examples of other countries as well. I like the French method of teaching writing, giving thorough practice of extensive writing and unbiased assessment of writers.