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Adaptive writing instruction focusing on common language use is particularly important when working with Latino students, as their ethnic background is very often tied to a non-mainstream linguistic profile (i.e., many Latinos are either bilingual, monolingual in Spanish, or English monolingual in a non-standard vernacular) that sets them apart in the popular imagination and perception, if not in actuality. Existing and emerging research on this demographic indicates that Latinos' sociolinguistic profile is as impactful on their academic experience as is their socioeconomic and phenotypical profile.
It is imperative, however, to acknowledge that beyond sociolinguistic heritage-which is not the same as actual language spoken-there is little that all Latinos have in common. The various peoples of Latin-American ancestry in the U.S. not only do not all speak Spanish, but they also do not exclusively share one race, social class, national origin, religion, single history or culture, degree of educational attainment, political orientation or affiliation, or time of residency in the U.S. If there is one commonality for this ethnic group, it is that the term "Latino" indicates the legacy of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism on the various cultures of Latin America and how said legacy continues to manifest itself to the present day among U.S. populations tracing their heritage to Latin American countries.
Not withstanding such intra-ethnic diversity, the prominent linguistic dimension of Latino identity seems naturally to bring the matter of language use and personal identity to bear on pedagogical concerns, especially in rhetoric and composition (Mejia). How to adequately attend-and positively transform-writing instruction in response to the linguistic profiles and cultural perspectives of Latinos in the classroom is the aim of the scholarship referenced here. In fact, what arguably makes the following pedagogical approaches innovative is that they have moved beyond tolerance of non-standard features in students' written expression, often sidelined so that students can "master" standard forms, to centering them as legitimate expressive forms that carry their...