An Analysis of Three Episodes in My Life from the Sociolinguistics PerspectiveAn Analysis of Three Episodes in My Life from the Sociolinguistics Perspective

In sociolinguistics, considering language from the perspective of race has a long history (Grieser, 2021). From this perspective, one of the challenges that language teachers from diverse backgrounds face is the racialization of their language. This refers to the tendency to be judged based on race, ethnicity, and accents rather than linguistic abilities. This can lead to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination towards English teachers who speak differently from the perceived ‘standard’ English. Moreover, the dichotomy between standard and non-standard English is also controversial in this context. The concept of standard English has been a topic of debate for many years, with different perspectives and arguments. On the one hand, some scholars argue that unmarked standard English spoken by a certain group of white, privileged, and affluent people should be taught. On the other hand, others argue that there is no such thing as standard English and that students should be exposed to the different varieties of English spoken worldwide, known as World Englishes. Promoting linguistic and cultural diversity and recognizing the value of non-standard varieties of English is considered necessary by some sociolinguists.

This paper aims to explore the issue of racialization that language teachers from diverse backgrounds face and to answer the questions : (1) Is there a standard English that should be taught and (2) Should students be exposed to World Englishes? The paper will examine the various perspectives and arguments surrounding this issue, drawing on sociolinguistic research and theory and three episodes in my life to comprehensively understand the topic and its implications for sociolinguistics.