Why is style important in my current and/or future workplace?

From a fundamental standpoint, style is important to my profession because I am expected to teach "it" to my students. As a professor of developmental English, I encounter a population with a vast array of styles which I am expected to reign in and shape into Standard American English. Since accepted style stems more from economic strength and geographic location (Williams 13), this goal can be lofty as this population typically lacks financial prosperity and resides in areas where traditionally accepted language is infrequently used. The ultimate educational goal is that by the time they leave my classroom, they should know the rules of SAE and readily apply them to their future writing assignments. But a traditional approach to style can lead to dry, formulaic writing.

A more crucial reason for style's importance in the classroom is to assist students in finding their voice within the confines of the rules of academic style. Most of my students realize they lack the ability to "fit" or "blend in" to an academic or business environment resulting from non-standard verbal and writing skills. Although certain conventions are required for acceptance into most professional settings (and I don't have a problem with these conventions), I think it is imperative that these students understand that another part of style is intangible; it is their essence--their ideas. Sentence structure, punctuation, and usage are important, but how students use these tools to express their own unique ideas is at least equally important, if not more so.

So my personal understanding of style and its importance to writing and individual expression is central to providing my students with the maximum opportunity for growth and success.