Thus, teachers of nonstandard English speaking students must recognize that their students' linguistic differences rarely indicate true linguistic incompetence, and realize that students' home language practices are fundamental to how they see themselves and the world. Thus, learning to write standard English can mean mastering the patterns of an entirely new language system. Cultural conflict can play a role in limiting the writing achievement of nonstandard dialect speakers. Other research explains why, for cultural reasons, even nonstandard dialect students who are highly motivated to acquire school knowledge fail to become academically literate. Because standard written English is taught by representatives of the academic community, teachers' cultural orientations determine school literacy.
Teachers place the highest value on objectivity and explicitness, expecially in writing.
The individualistic, competitive patterns displayed in academia can conflict directly with the communal cooperative verbal styles frequent in nonstandard English speaking communities. If student writing is to improve, teachers' colleges will need to offer more classes in writing instruction, school districts will have to provide stronger inservice support, and curriculum policies may have to be adjusted. In the meantime, however, individual teachers can begin to make a differece. Some suggestions from research are outlined below. Frequently, when teachers do assign essays, they regard them as reviews of previous learning rather than as opportunities for students to organize and explore new information.