--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we are serious about enabling those…" description: "\"If we are serious about enabling those who want to acquire what we have called standard English then first we should be honest about change and its lac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/michael-rosen-4765_change_if-we-are-serious-about-enabling-those-w_1491138.png" --- # If we are serious about enabling those who want to acquire… ![“If we are serious about enabling those who want to acquire what we have called standard English then first we should be honest about change and its lack of encoded rules. Then, together with them, we should look closely at how such people's speech and writing diverges from the kind of English that…” quote by Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/michael-rosen-4765_change_if-we-are-serious-about-enabling-those-w_1491138.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/michael-rosen-4765_change_if-we-are-serious-about-enabling-those-w_1491138.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/188/michael-rosen-4765_change_if-we-are-serious-about-enabling-those-w_1491138.png) > “If we are serious about enabling those who want to acquire what we have called standard English then first we should be honest about change and its lack of encoded rules. Then, together with them, we should look closely at how such people's speech and writing diverges from the kind of English that they would like to acquire.” [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improving standard English requires honest acknowledgment of change and rule gaps. **In simple terms:** Teach English by recognizing its evolving rules. Key Takeaway Address gaps in language teaching. Themes education language change Mood analytical hopeful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - classroom instruction - adult literacy - policy making - community workshops Key Concepts linguistics curriculum design Questions to Reflect On - How can you incorporate diverse speech? - What methods reveal rule gaps? A Different Perspective Focusing on standards may ignore dialect richness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Standard english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standard-english/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [To be honest I live among the English and have always found them to be very honest in their business dealings. They are noble,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/to-be-honest-i-live-among-the-english-and-have-always-found-them-to/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [In a couple of Ahdaf Soueif's novels, she gets at the certain kind of English that's being spoken by Egyptians. It's a beautiful, expressive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-colla/in-a-couple-of-ahdaf-soueif-s-novels-she-gets-at-the-certain-kind-of/) [Elliott Colla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-colla/) > [Speaking English is like tongue-twist for me. I can speak each word perfect, but then you have to string them together like, 'Blah, blah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-chan/speaking-english-is-like-tongue-twist-for-me-i-can-speak-each-word/) [Jackie Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-chan/) > [English is like music. The English language is really fit for singing. The notes match the feelings, and it makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-watanabe/english-is-like-music-the-english-language-is-really-fit-for-singing/) [Ken Watanabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-watanabe/) > [I learned to stop being English about things like love. If you make a film in England about love, it's hugely complicated. It's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-beaufoy/i-learned-to-stop-being-english-about-things-like-love-if-you-make-a/) [Simon Beaufoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-beaufoy/) > [The English like eccentrics. They just don't like them living next door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-clary/the-english-like-eccentrics-they-just-don-t-like-them-living-next-door/) [Julian Clary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-clary/) > [You English are like mad bulls... you see red everywhere! What on earth has come over you, to heap on us such suspicion as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-ii/you-english-are-like-mad-bulls-you-see-red-everywhere-what-on-earth/) [Wilhelm II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-ii/) > [Somebody said to me that I speak English almost like somebody for whom English is not their first language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/somebody-said-to-me-that-i-speak-english-almost-like-somebody-for/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [It's kind of a cross between, I think. It's not, you know, over the top Old English, like Lord of the Rings would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaimie-alexander/it-s-kind-of-a-cross-between-i-think-it-s-not-you-know-over-the-top/) [Jaimie Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaimie-alexander/) > [“English is like a poetic extension of myself. It holds my creativity and imagination in blissful and inspiring captivity. Though I consider myself not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-princeholm/english-is-like-a-poetic-extension-of-myself-it-holds-my-creativity/) Storm Princeholm > [Writing in English is like throwing mud at a wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/writing-in-english-is-like-throwing-mud-at-a-wall/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [I don't think the English like me. I sold a colossal best seller in America, and they never really forgave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/i-don-t-think-the-english-like-me-i-sold-a-colossal-best-seller-in/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [I don't speak cockney and I don't pretend to come from that part of the world. For the longest time the English, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/i-don-t-speak-cockney-and-i-don-t-pretend-to-come-from-that-part-of/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [How I like the boldness of the English, how I like the people who say what they think!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/how-i-like-the-boldness-of-the-english-how-i-like-the-people-who-say/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [I like English, and I like writing essays, and that kind of stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-breslin/i-like-english-and-i-like-writing-essays-and-that-kind-of-stuff/) [Abigail Breslin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-breslin/) ## More by Michael Rosen > [Performance poetry is not one genre. Some chant, sing and dance. Some stand rooted to the spot and stare. Some chat their way in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/performance-poetry-is-not-one-genre-some-chant-sing-and-dance-some/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Anyway, once children get to talk, they seem to be finding ways to joke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/anyway-once-children-get-to-talk-they-seem-to-be-finding-ways-to-joke/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [When I was about 15 - that would be some 60 years ago - I remember my father, a secondary school teacher, was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/when-i-was-about-15-that-would-be-some-60-years-ago-i-remember-my/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [One of the many falsities of fiction that we accept quite happily is the non-ageing of characters as they appear across series and sequels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/one-of-the-many-falsities-of-fiction-that-we-accept-quite-happily-is/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Commitment is not a barrier to freedom. Commitment is the \*exercise\* of freedom, the act of making a choice or decision and meaning it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/commitment-is-not-a-barrier-to-freedom-commitment-is-the-exercise-of/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [What happens on the ground is that schools have been required to follow a literacy matrix - yes, some schools junked it - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/what-happens-on-the-ground-is-that-schools-have-been-required-to/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Yes, it's possible to play computer games on your own and many do. But I also see children playing them in pairs and fours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/yes-it-s-possible-to-play-computer-games-on-your-own-and-many-do-but/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [You can give up the best years of your life knowing that no matter what you do or how you do it, your step-child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/you-can-give-up-the-best-years-of-your-life-knowing-that-no-matter/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [We have an almost complete comprehensive primary school system in England. Surely, if grammar schools are some kind of answer to making education better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/we-have-an-almost-complete-comprehensive-primary-school-system-in/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Where the government has got it seriously wrong is to imagine that poetry is about right and wrong answers, that poetry has testable outcomes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/where-the-government-has-got-it-seriously-wrong-is-to-imagine-that/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Its social: in doing the arts we find out what we need from each other. But its also about survival - surviving as individuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/its-social-in-doing-the-arts-we-find-out-what-we-need-from-each-other/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [Cricket is great for families, so long as you don't play by the proper rules and adapt it so the youngest can be helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/cricket-is-great-for-families-so-long-as-you-don-t-play-by-the-proper/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [The brothers Grimm were indeed once read by millions of people - quite often the first reading materials given to people in the 1950s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/the-brothers-grimm-were-indeed-once-read-by-millions-of-people-quite/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [The world of children's books is a very friendly, decent place to be. It's full of people who are desperate to enlighten, interest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/the-world-of-children-s-books-is-a-very-friendly-decent-place-to-be/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) > [The main problem with people not reading to their children is the lack of a bridge between schools and families, so that children don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosen/the-main-problem-with-people-not-reading-to-their-children-is-the/) [Michael Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) [Explore all 106 Michael Rosen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosen/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we are serious about enabling those who want to acquire what we have called standard English then first we should be honest about change and its lack of encoded rules. 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