Hello! My name is Ismael Ali and this is my first blog post. After reading Beyond Language Difference in Writing: Investigating Complex and Equitable Language Practices written by Cristina Sánchez-Martín, I really feel like my eye has been opened on the topic of linguistic equity in America and also around the world.

The topics Sánchez-Martín discussed such as "code-meshing" and the problematic idea of a "standard language" were all things I have experienced, but I have never given it much thought and I am glad this essay made me more aware its prevalence. Especially in modern times, majority of people in English speaking countries are either bilingual or even multilingual. So having a standard way to teach english seen as the 'correct' way is unfair to all those who speak other languages. This is because, as Sánchez-Martín states, "it doesn’t address the fact that assuming there is one “right” or “best” way to speak English privileges (and idealizes) certain varieties of English." There are so many people with so many different backgrounds in language, that having one way as the standard is just not realistic. Personally, I come from an Urdu speaking household and I have studied Arabic and Spanish both for multiple years. So I can very much relate to "code-meshing" as I have done it many times either outloud or just thinking in my head. Often times, mixing words from another language can be even more effective at conveying a message (than just by using "standard english") because other languages have words that English does not.