The retort to the original essay was absolutely correct in pointing out the differences in pronunciations between immigrants and native speakers. It is true that certain dialects may have different grammar rules and pronunciations, and these should be respected as they are a reflection of cultural history. However, linguists cannot deny that in certain situations, someone pronouncing words differently can be wrong.
Take the example of “develop” being pronounced as “dev-a-lup”. While it is true that this is a phonetic variant of the word and should be respected, it does not negate the fact that this pronunciation is incorrect in specific contexts. For instance, if someone used this pronunciation for a word on their SATs or during a job interview, then using this pronunciation would be wrong - Standard English would be expected in these contexts.
The retort also incorrectly assumes that “wrong” and “different” are mutually exclusive when they are not. Different dialects can be both wrong and different - they can be different within the context of their own dialect, but wrong within the context of Standard English when it is expected.
The retort to Nikhil’s essay was absolutely correct in pointing out the importance of respecting different dialects, however UrRong to assume that different dialects are never wrong - sometimes, using a non-Standard English pronunciation can be incorrect. Furthermore, being able to discern when to use a non-Standard English pronunciation is an important skill for any speaker, immigrant or not. So remember: different is not always wrong, but sometimes it can be!