Beyond “Correct” English: A New Approach to Language Learning
Every classroom has the power to shape more than academic achievements; it also shapes how students see themselves. Around the world, language education has long been built on the idea that there is only one “correct” way to speak. But Dr. Robert A. Troyer, Professor of Linguistics at Western Oregon University and a Ph.D. alumnus of Chulalongkorn University’s English as an International Language (EIL) program, believes language learning should expand—not replace—the ways people communicate.
“When we tell students that one word is ‘wrong,’ we may be teaching more than grammar. We may be shaping how they see themselves.”
For many learners, a paper covered in red marks is more than a grammar correction—it can feel like a judgment of who they are. To Dr. Troyer, those marks send a powerful message: the language in your head, the language you use, is inadequate.
Rather than asking students to abandon the way they naturally speak, he believes education should help them expand their repertoire of communication while affirming the value of the language they already possess.
Language Is About Purpose, Not Perfection
Many people grow up believing there is such a thing as “bad grammar.” Linguists see it differently.
Many people grow up believing there is such a thing as “bad grammar.” Linguists see it differently.
“If we are communicating, the grammar is working.”— Dr. Robert Troyer
Every dialect, accent, and language variety follows its own patterns. The question is not whether a form is correct, but whether it suits the situation. This idea lies at the heart of language pluralism, which recognizes that people naturally adapt the way they speak depending on their audience and context.
Professor of Linguistics at Western Oregon University and
a Ph.D. alumnus of the English as an International Language (EIL) program
Rather than correcting students’ home language, language pluralism encourages them to expand their linguistic repertoire through code-switching and style-shifting. As Dr. Troyer explains, “When teachers circle a word, students understand they’re learning an additional way of speaking—not that something about them is wrong.”
Teaching English That Fits People’s Lives
This philosophy is especially relevant to English language education, where Dr. Troyer argues that no single form of English should be the standard that every learner must master. Instead, English instruction should be tailored to learners’ real-world goals and contexts. For example, a future business professional, a tourism worker, and an international traveler each require different communication skills and language use.
According to Dr. Troyer, English teaching should focus on helping learners develop the language they need for their own purposes rather than conforming to one standardized model. By prioritizing effective communication over linguistic perfection, this learner-centered approach makes English education more practical, meaningful, and empowering.
“We teach students the English that’s going to suit their needs,” he says, “not one monolithic, standardized form of the language.”
By focusing on purpose rather than perfection, language learning becomes more practical and empowering.
Changing Classrooms, One Teacher at a Time
Changing the way society thinks about language may seem ambitious, but Dr. Troyer believes lasting change begins with teachers.
At Western Oregon University, future elementary teachers are required to study linguistics, while secondary language arts teachers complete an even deeper sequence of courses, including sociolinguistics.
For Dr. Troyer, every future teacher offers another opportunity to pass this message on. “Some people call it the butterfly effect,” he says. “I share this message with future teachers, and they pass it on to their students.”
One teacher may influence hundreds of learners. Those learners, in turn, shape countless others. Small shifts in classroom practice can eventually transform how an entire society understands language.
A Transformative Journey at Chula
Before becoming a professor, Dr. Troyer taught English in Chiang Mai and later joined Chulalongkorn University’s doctoral program in English as an International Language (EIL). Before applying, he spent two days attending dissertation seminars to experience the program firsthand.
“I was really impressed,” he recalls. “Students were doing advanced, creative, interesting work in linguistics with professors who were clearly informed and deeply engaged.”
Looking back, he describes his years at Chulalongkorn as one of the most meaningful periods of his life.
“It was a time of such growth,” he says. “A complete immersion in the joy of learning, the joy of teaching, and the passion for study.”
The experience continues to shape both his research and his belief that education should help learners grow without leaving their identities behind.
Leading the Future by Changing the Conversation
For Dr. Robert Troyer, transforming education begins with changing the way we think about language. When classrooms treat language as a resource rather than a problem, students gain not only stronger communication skills but also the confidence to value their own voices.
Sometimes, the most powerful lesson a teacher can teach is not that a student’s language is wrong—but that every voice already has value.
