Free Custom «"Other People's Children" by Lisa Delpit» Essay Paper

Other People’s Children can be regarded as one of the most instructive books in the modern worldwide literature. The author of the book is Lisa Delpit who forces the audience to ponder on important issues that remain topical today. Relying on her teaching experience, Deplit demonstrates and analyses the examples of teachers' behavior in contemporary educational institutions in order to improve the status of education in general. Moreover, she concentrates on the students paying a great attention to their relationship with teachers as well as cultural and social barriers that may raise between them. Therefore, Deplit's book refers to teachers as children's mentors and discusses prejudices and stereotypes that exist in schools, colleges, and universities demonstrating the overall situation and possible ways out.

In the third chapter “Language Diversity and Learning”, the author refers to communication difficulties that may arise during the learning process with linguistically diverse children. In fact, Deplit addresses the impact of language diversity on students’ learning skills and habits. While educators recognize no displays of English other than Standard English and poorly evaluate its other kinds, it is hard for minority students to express themselves and gain new knowledge. In this respect, the author is confident that educators should be more respectful and attentive to the linguistic peculiarities of each student who brings them to the institution. Thus, Deplit advises teachers to recognize and validate the dialects of their students. At the same time, the author suggests teachers to develop students' skills of Standard English that is “the language associated with the power structure” and “the language of economic success, and all students have the right to schooling that gives them access to that language” (Deplit, 2006, p. 68). Thereby, the writer does not reject the importance of learning Standard English in educational institutions; she recommends teachers to celebrate diversity in the classroom. To demonstrate respect and appreciation for language diversity, educators have to engage children in shared activities. Additionally, Deplit recommends teachers to use records of stories narrated by people of different dialects during the lessons, as well as read literature, specifically children books that include dialects of different cultural groups.

 

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Moreover, the particular chapter of Deplit's book has raised one of the most crucial challenges contemporary educational institutions are faced with. To my mind, the issue of language diversity touches many other problems characteristic of the modern society – racism, stereotypes, and prejudice. I believe that Deplit's literary work sheds light on the above-mentioned issues as well as teaches educators how to behave and develop themselves in order to become role models for their students. I am confident that the English language is so rich of different dialects that it would be a crime to mistreat people who speak them. Furthermore, language diversity conveys not only linguistic peculiarities, but also heritage, traditions, and customs of cultures throughout the United States. Indeed, I have learned that educational institutions have to develop a multicultural attitude towards language and its studying. Therefore, educators should develop themselves to break barriers between them and students built on stereotypes, prejudices, and biases.

Therefore, Other People’s Children can be regarded as the writer's research conducted within the Americas classrooms. Deplit represents her findings in order to educate other teachers as well as show them how to be aware of students’ diversity. Moreover, the author points out that teachers have to forget about racial stereotypes in the classroom. Instead of the prejudiced attitude towards linguistic diversity of children, educators should value their language peculiarities and show respect to other cultures. In addition, the message of the third chapter of Deplit's book is to illustrate how to make every student feel comfortable with his or her culture as well as dialect within the classroom. Therefore, the particular chapter is very educational and instructive both for teachers and students.