I have come to understand how language influences culture. The way you speak provides insight into how others perceive you. Language can cause misinterpretations among students and teachers. As an educator, I must respect and take into account the language spoken at home of the child and not judge him on the basis that he may use slang or have a dialect that does not fit social norms. Reading the book The Skin We Talk About: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom. by Lisa Delpit and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy provided even more insight into language as it relates to the classroom environment. This book also helped me understand how society wants the language to be used and how various ethnic groups want their language to be