Eduard,
     Wow. Unbelievable. I'll try to avoid going on a "diatribe" or "mixing ignorance with myth and insults" (although I can't avoid being a "mere instructor of Linguistics"), and the best way to do that is just to keep this short (although I hope you'll forgive me if I fail).
     I believe that Johanna Rubba, a long-time, very respected member of this organization and discussion group, is an expert on language. Not only do I feel that she's an expert, I wouldn't hesitate to say that she's one of the foremost experts on the topic of the interface between grammar, language, and education. I think that the great majority of people on this list have learned a lot from her posts and her wisdom. She's made contributions to ATEG, contributions that we've embraced and endorsed, and frankly, by insulting her, I feel insulted as a member of this organization. I know that I'm making an assumption here, and others should feel free to disagree.
      I am utterly baffled by your assertions that a linguist is not an expert on language -- I don't think any linguist would be so arrogant to think that they know the totality of how language works, but if a linguist is not an expert, who is?? This is not to say that teachers, psychologists, etc don't have unique understandings and insights on language to offer, but isn't reasonable to say that a person who devotes their career to the scientific study of the phenomenon of human language is an expert on language?
     I am equally perplexed by your characterization of Johanna's post as "uninformed" and containing "ignorance" and "myth." She has articulated some fundamental linguistic and sociolinguistic concepts. If you reject them (as you are free to do), I am unsure how you feel comfortable calling yourself a linguist (note that I'm not questioning your credentials, only expressing confusion over what seems, to me, a paradoxical situation). What school/tradition of linguistics do you work within? If you don't favor Johanna's view of language and language users, who do you favor? 
     Finally, you say "If you call [Johanna's] nonsense a 'fine articulation' then we belong to different worlds." Well, I'm afraid that I, too, am "provincial" (if that's the label you prefer, I'll gladly wear it) and share Craig's world, and I would guess that this world is shared by many members of this discussion group.
     My evaluations of extreme prescriptivism and linguistic elitism have left me with the conclusion that it is "merely" a misguided social view, not a scientific (or humanistic) approach to studying and understanding language, and, therefore, not appropriate for my classroom or my personal life. However, all are free to pursue it as they choose. I'm sure there are listservs and message boards for such folk on the Internet. 
       A "mere" linguist who hopes to do a lot of good in this world,
                Jed Dews




          *****************************************************************
  John E. Dews 
  Instructor, Undergraduate Linguistics
  MA-TESOL/Applied Linguistics Program
  Educator, Secondary English Language Arts
  English Department, 208 Rowand-Johnson Hall (Office)
  University of Alabama
   






			
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