Beyond Language Difference in Writing: Investigating Complex and Equitable Language Practices

Cristina Sánchez-Martín

Volume 4

Chapter Description

The goal of this essay is to inquire about the role of language difference in the learning of writing, especially in academic settings where normative and exclusionary views of language and writing dominate. The essay begins with the description of a recipe, a genre that includes explicit examples of language difference to explain how a translingual approach to writing can be inclusive of practices seen as “linguistically different” and create opportunities for equity in the ways we think about writing. Next, it questions why talking about language diversity in the composition classroom continues to be a topic that is still marginal, since it is largely discussed in relation to pop-culture or traditional “non-academic” genres, like the recipe. The essay ends with some questions for writers to look at all the complexities of their practices in relation to ideologies and the conditions of their environments so that they can maximize opportunities for equity. 

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