In-Class Activity for Wednesday, September 3rd:
We are going to finish our AAVE posters (15-20 min.), and present them to the class (3-5 min. per group). In case we finish early, you can begin the following homework assignment:
Homework for Friday, September 5th, 2008:
Go to the following link and read pages 93-100 from Lisa Delpit's article "What Should Teachers Do?"
Then, choose one question out of the questions 1, 2, and 3 at the bottom of this article, and post your answer (small essay, about 250-500 words) as a comment to this blog.
NEXT BLOG SUMMARY: "How Can AAE Speakers Become Efficient SWE Writers?", to be done by Alexandra Rude, for coming Friday, Sept. 5th. The responses by everybody as blog comments will be due coming Monday, Sept. 8th.
Left-over copies of the text which I'll distribute in class will be deposited in the letter box outside my office door, FANER 3202B, for pick-up, in case you missed class on Wednesday, Sept. 3rd.
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19 comments:
2. I agree with Delpit's view on Ebonics. I do not think it matters if one likes it or not. It exists. Even though some people think that they always speak standard English, everyone speaks using some kind of Ebonics. It is not always brought to one's attention though. I do not think that as teachers, we can correct the use of Ebonics. One's speech does not have to be perfect in order for others to understand them. When I was taking a Spanish class this summer, my teacher kept telling us that if we made small grammar mistakes, other Spanish-speaking people would still be able to understand us. I think the same is true for English. Although it is true that speaking using Ebonics can be understood, it is not always the best thing. Some people look down upon those who use it a lot.
Although I think it is okay for people to speak using Ebonics, I think that writers should try to avoid using it in their writings. People can write and re-write, but when one speaks, that is that. Plus for a writing to be universally read, it should be stated in standard English.
Yes, I think that standard English should be taught in schools, but I do not think teachers need to focus on correcting the Ebonics their students speak. I think that if teachers teach standard English, then, in time, students will use more standard English and less Ebonics.
1.) I understand Delpit's "dual desire" to let students speak in their own dialect while also making sure they learn standard English. Personally, I think there is nothing wrong with students speaking in Ebonics, or any other sort of dialect they would like to use, the only exception being in maybe a professional public speaking class. However, in writing, we just have to make sure that our students understand and use standard written English.
However, I think the idea that respecting a dialect but making sure that standard written English is used in writing is entirely possible. To start with, students would be more likely to not reject standard English when their own dialect is not constantly being attacked. By letting students use their own dialect for writing, they will probably be more likely to give a little and write in standard English because they will not feel that standard English is trying to insult their own dialect. In the end, everyone wins. Students write papers in standard written English, learn standard English from it in the process, but still feel pride in having their own dialect.
For this to work, though, teachers have to have the right attitude towards their students and towards different dialects. If a teacher believes that Ebonics is "wrong" instead of just "different", the teacher might lapse into constantly correcting her students, such as the teacher in the one example that corrected even her students' personal conversational language. Teachers must be open minded enough to accept other dialects, but at the same time, strict enough to make sure that they don't leak into students' writing. (This goes for all dialects too, not just Ebonics.) Overall, though, with enough acceptance and determination, it is very possible that a student can learn to write in standard written English, talk in standard American English when he or she wants to, and still use Ebonics or any other dialect they prefer in conversation.
3. In Delpit’s article she discusses the relationship between group identity and language in the classroom by suggesting that when a child reaches ages 8 and 9 they conform to their local environments and become aware of their group membership and its importance to their well-being. In my opinion this is very true, because children are taught standard English in schools, but when they reach a certain stage in development they feel it necessary to imitate what they see happening in the world around them. For example, growing up I use to mock how certain people in my neighborhood spoke and I remember my mom telling me to stop trying to speak “ghetto”. Of course, I did not know that it was the wrong way to speak, I just thought it made me sound cool. This tends to happen inside the classroom, because children interact with each other on a daily basis and those who were taught Standard English in and outside the home, more then likely, conform to the slang they hear being spoken by their peers.
Language conformity is very common throughout every classroom, because students feel the need to be able to relate to each other through verbal communication. Moreover, after the child conforms to the use of ebonics inside the classroom it will translate to their academic papers, because children do not understand how to separate the two. For example, I may speak African American English around my cultural group, but I know how to conform to my surroundings by speaking Standard English when it is necessary. This honestly takes practice especially if you have been speaking this way your whole life, but it can be done.
1.
Delpit makes a good point in that a child’s identity is firmly founded in his/her language. If this foundation is the only basis of knowledge about language, then how can a teacher expect the student to properly articulate their thoughts in an essay? Allowing for some adjustments to be made at first may help the student in the beginning of a school year, yet hinder them later on. Does this mean that an immediate insistence on using only proper English is the key to keeping this “improper” use of “slang” from an assignment?
This is a question that I am sure many teachers ask themselves when they are faced with this situation. Even teachers may use slang terminology or improper English once in awhile, but they must acknowledge this usage and explain when it is and is not appropriate. Many point out that teachers should be the model for other students to follow; they should always use proper English. This is hardly lucrative. Instead a happy medium should be found, in which students and teachers alike try their best to use proper English when appropriate, and use slang at other appropriate times.
It is important to remember that language is very big part of a child’s identity. If he/she decides to use it, encouraging personal expression can only help them in the beginning. Later on helping to develop other ways to express themselves may decrease their desire to use slang in assignments, essays, etc.
1) Delpit has obviously evolved the discussion of Ebonics since the last time I was exposed to the pros and cons of the subject. I remember some of its critics being completely outraged at the thought of it being accepted and taught, thinking that it would somehow take our language and its standards in the wrong direction. I believe the opposite to be true, anytime that you attempt to educate students in the diversity of our society so that we can more easily communicate with one another, we are evolving, not the the opposite.
Accepting a celebrating the differences in our spoken dialect is the first step to further the teaching process. Imagine if every Latin American in California and the West coast was told on a daily basis that their language was inferior and that they should abandon it completely in order to better assimilate into a new academic standard. It simply would not work. Ebonics is very similar, the dialect is there, its there for a reason, and its not going anywhere. Understanding that since the day that they are born they have been taught this dialect by example from their loved ones and their community is very important.
Think about the way that you talk to your own friends and family outside of the academic arena, its very different from the way that we communicate through the written word. This distinction is very important when searching for a balance of diverse culture in the classroom. Finding a way to celebrate a certain dialect in speech patterns at the same time of educating the student in the standards of the written word is something that should be attempted far more often. Abandoning one for the other will only result in the student turning off their desire to learn altogether.
Teaching students about the differences in the dialect and the written word standard will only promote learning and enthusiasm in the subject.
2. Delpit’s argues that in order for Black children to learn properly, teachers shouldn’t constantly correct their language. I think that Delpit has a great argument. She says that if the correcting of a student’s language happens often enough, the student will be completely turned off by learning. If a teacher constantly corrects the way a student talks, then that student won’t ever want to participate for fear of being corrected. The student knows what the passage is about, so, therefore, his or her pronunciation of the text should be overlooked. Although the student does need to be told what the right pronunciation of the word is, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. The student needs to be aware of the Standard English pronunciation and written language in order to be successful. Delpit says in her article that if students are made aware of what is expected of them outside of the classroom then they are sure to fail, but forcing this knowledge down their throats and expecting students to use it is a guaranteed way to turn students away. Students hate to be constantly corrected; it makes them feel like they are being evaluated by everything they say and write and therefore become afraid to participate in class.
In the example given in the text about “Yesterday I washed my brother’s clothes”, I think that a more appropriate route would be to make sure that the student understands the meaning of the sentence before correcting the way the student reads the sentence aloud. It would also be beneficial to see if the student can correctly write the sentence after she reads it to ensure that her Basic English written grammar is the same. If the student can read the sentence, understand it, and then be able to correctly rewrite the sentence, then there should be no need to consistently correct the student’s dialect.
2. I believe that no matter how much you correct a student speaking Ebonics, it will not affect them. Actually, it will affect them, it could make the student not want to listen to you or respect you. I agree with Delpit, when you tell an Ebonics speaking student that they are wrong, you are basically saying that their family and culture is wrong. No matter if you like it or not, it isn't going to change.
I do not have a problem with people speaking Ebonics, however, I do think that when writing a formal paper it should not be used, just like the internet lingo. I really liked some of the suggestions in this reading on how to help incorporate Ebonics and standard English. I think the newscaster idea was great. I also think that what Delpit was saying about making them correct their speech and it causing silence is true. When you have to focus so hard on saying something you eventually just want to give up because its so hard.
All in all, I think it's something to be dealt with, not to correct it. Its here, its not going any where.
1. Throughout the text Delpit discusses the importance for teachers to accept students speaking Ebonics, but, at the same time making sure the student understands and knows how to properly use Standard American English. In order to transform the way a student writes I feel that the situation should not be a demanding process. To explain, if a teacher wants to transform the way a student writes they must approach the challenge with an optimistic attitude. The teacher must first understand the background of the students’ language. For instance, as we learned from reading the AAE articles African American Ebonics can be traced to slavery and is essentially its own language in itself. Therefore, Ebonics is not necessarily incorrect it’s just not Standard American English. With this in mind the teacher should refrain from attacking the way a student speaks and instead focus on the way they write. I feel if a student learns to use Standard American English correctly the way they write will eventually transfer to the way the student speaks. Just as the teacher must be understanding and sensitive to the students needs while teaching him or her SEA the student must also be open to accepting and understanding how to at least write using SEA even if they do not feel the need to speak using SEA on a daily basis. After all is said and done, a mutual respect for African American Ebonics and Standard American English must be upheld by both the teacher and the student.
1. 1. Many of the teachers that teach to African American students believe that they should learn Standard American English and that if they do not then it will hinder their learning and chances of succeeding in life. It is hard to change a student’s language that they use everyday inside and outside of school. In school, teachers can try and correct these students who are using Ebonics, but outside of school, the students will just go back to using their same dialect with friends and family. Some AAE students may even get mad when corrected thinking that because there is something wrong with how they speak, then there must be something wrong with their family. That will make it even harder for the teacher to try and help the student. The best type of attitude that a teacher needs is one that is of understanding. The student may be young and not know that he or she is even using a different dialect, but yet the teacher could show them the difference and introduce them to what langue they are really using (Ebonics).
My attitude towards AAE is that it is just a different form of speaking English. The children that are using the Ebonics usually don’t even know that they are using it, but yet just adding more slang words. I think by the time the children hit middle school/high school, the teacher should address the differences in AAE and SAE and have the children all use SAE in schools and more professional cases. Then students who want to continue using AAE outside of school with friends and family can. Just when it comes to more professional situations, the AAE student should be able to switch their dialect to SAE.
Delpit writes in this article that Ebonics are what African American children know. We as teachers have to use that to somehow motivate them to learn. I do believe that they should learn standard English. However, one could say that Ebonics is English evolving. English has evolved in the past as well. We do not speak like Shakespeare, nor do we speak like Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote in the 1800's. We have to adjust to the students and accommodate for them so that they may be motivated to learn in the future. In my opinion, African Americans posses the capability to affirm their language and learn standard English. Like Mr. Dyson said, they are bilingual.
1. I strongly agree that a person's language is a part of their identity. If you ask someone to change the way they speak then it is quite possible that you're taking a part of who they are away. I don't think that teacher's should ask students to refrain from using their own language outside the classroom. In a personal setting away from school I don't see any harm in it, however, I do believe that in a classroom it should be prohibited. If a student is writing a paper it's basically understood that they are to use a more "professional" type of language. For example, I wouldn't use slang in an essay that is a class assignment, unless of course it's a requirement.
I think that standard English should be mandatory in schools for writing. Applying this restriction to written text makes it easier to read. It also helps to guard a teacher against supposedly letting a person off easy for using language another student wouldn't use.
Teachers will have to use caution when applying this restriction. They will have to be understanding of their student's cultures. This may be why there is such a hang up on this issue. We don't want to step on anyone's toes, but we want our students to learn the socially accepted, "correct" english. This all trails back to understanding cultural and social background as well as a student's identity. Hopefully this can be obtained with few drawbacks.
I do agree with Delpit about this subject of Ebonics. It is most definately out there and there is nothing that can be done about it. I do believe people should not only talk in their dialects but they should celebrate their dialects to an extint. I mean they should not let someone tell them how a word should be pronounced. Many people even go as far to say most people use some Ebonics in their language as they speak. Now when a person is in public they may pay closer attention to using the "CORRECT STANDARD FORM OF ENGLISH", but why? The reason is simple teachers have for years corrected students and have many times said that talking in a non standard form makes you look plain silly or even as far as stupid. Today teachers are getting better about not doing this. I jsut feel a person should speak the way they speak. As far as celebrating Ebonics well hear is where I am coming from; We are discussing what seems like mostly the AAE so people, teacher especially, should ask themselves where does the ebonics of these people originate from? To have a partial answer, or maybe a full answer, some of the ebonics comes directly from the slve ships. I mean the slaves would form language to communicate with one another so that the slave traders would not know what was being said. I believe that is where alot of the Ebonics derived from and so it should be celebrated by continueing in our culture.
As for writing, yes correct standard English should be taught but I believe that students should also from time to time be encouraged to write, at least for creative writing assignments, the same way they talk. Yes more formal writings should possibly be done in Standard English just for the simplicity of the "whole" populatiion to be able to read and understand it.
I guess I am saying that I feel students be allowed to read and talk like they would if they were at home. I do think they should be encouraged to have at least some writing exercises where they are encouraged to write like they speak. I also think they should be taught so called standard Englih.
1) Delpit brought up the interesting point that to denigrate a person’s language is the same as insulting his or her family and culture since dialect is typically leaned from parents at an early age. This is something that had not occurred to me previously. Prior to reading this statement, my way to teach Standard English was through a lengthy process of constant correction, but this is obviously not the right method. Given that cultural identity and language are so intertwined, one must find a balance between having respect for the language spoken by a student and attempting to teach him or her Standard English. This is a very fine line to walk because alienation, misinterpreted insults, and a missed opportunity for the student to learn are the costs of deviation. Bringing outside sources such as literature written in Standard English seems like a good idea, but to keep from causing difficulties for those not used to reading Standard English, perhaps lowering the reading level of the material would help with the transition. Introduce the students to books that are written for students a couple of grades lower than them and gradually increase the difficulty of the texts as the students become accustomed to the writing. Also, try to find sources that combine dialects. For example, search for books that contain a culturally diverse cast of characters that speak in their own dialects. This would help the students to identify how a person’s culture and upbringing could affect word choice and hopefully cause them to reflect upon their own language. An example of this would be teaching S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders to high school students. Since this is typically taught at the junior high or middle school level, it would be easier to read. Also, the dialect spoken by the characters is that of adolescents in the 1960s. Many of the words would be unfamiliar to everyone in the class, and it would give the teacher an opportunity to discuss the current words that would have the same meaning. The students would be able to discuss their own slang or terms, and the teacher could also give the Standard English word. If this arises in college, teaching A Clockwork Orange would put everyone in the same situation. That novel is written in a fictional, created language that one must figure out from the context. By the end of the novel, each student would understand words like “malenky” (little) and “moloko” (milk) without really having to work at it. This would give the teacher an opportunity to explain that if the students were able to understand a fictional language, understanding each other and learning Standard English would be a snap.
2. The author says that she cannot agree with or disagree with the use of Ebonics because it has underlined significance in society. It is the language that many children first learned their world through. As the saying goes, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Constant correction of something that has been built into a lifestyle rarely has the result you hope for. Also, she states that if teachers attempt to correct this language, it might even have a reverse affect and hinder their learning because it alters their attitude towards the teacher and learning in general.
It is hard for me to agree or disagree with this analysis. Of course, Ebonics exists in everyday life. I agree with this observation. The writer almost persuaded me when she started talking about how if the teachers “butt in” and disrupt the students dialects, this will alter their attitudes towards the teacher. Aspiring to become a teacher, I know the value of being liked on a personal level, but also know the true value of being accepted on a professional level. I think that Ebonics is simply just like any other language that students enter ESL classes for. Obviously, Ebonics is slightly different from a foreign language, but if it is not corrected now, it might develop into a complete new jargon that is incomprehensible. We must not look simply at today’s society when analyzing this language, but think of our generation as a whole, as well as future generations. True, “correcting” Ebonics would be difficult and arguably impossible. However, teaching is a challenge and you cannot just back away from the near impossible. You must teach the children that you are only trying to better them, and not simply achieve conformation among students as a whole. Ebonics will simply hinder their own measurements beyond each individual classroom. Standardized tests, the workforce- every area of the real world provides benefits and advantages towards those who speak a universal language. “Whatever you are, be a good one; whatever you do, do it well.” Abraham Lincoln’s quote sticks with me today. If you are a teacher, truly teach. Guide others to do anything, do it correctly, and do it well.
2) Delpit's is neither for Ebonics or against Ebonics, but believes it is hard to teach someone a new way to speak after they have been speaking that way for their entire life. A child who speaks Ebonics learned it from their mothers and fathers when they were first born. It is the language they grew up with therefore, making it nearly impossible to give up.
Delpit believes that a teacher should not constantly correct a student if they are not speaking standard English. I agree with her one hundred percent. Delpit argues that if a student is constantly correct it will make the student not want to participate in class and become silent. The child will not want to speak in fear of always being corrected every time he or she speaks. It will eventually make a student not want to learn. Constant correction will also make the student develop a negative attitude towards the teacher.
Ebonics exists all around us whether you like it or not. It is part of the African American culture and I feel if you take away Ebonics you are taking away a piece of the American American culture. I do believe it is okay for people to speak using Ebonics but I do think that there are times where it should be avoided such as: when writing papers or talking to a professor.
I do believe that the response to the students reading of the text, "Yesterday I washed my brothers clothes", could have been handled much more effectively and differently. If the student understand what she is saying then there is no need for the teacher to constantly correct the student.
1. I feel as though Ebonics is something that we need to take more seriously. Yes it exists, and we need to do something about it. I do not believe that something should be teaching our children that ebonics should be okay. It's as if someone is making of mockary, if you were to ask me. It's almost as if someone said, "Well these children are never going to understand it anyway, and they are never going to get a real job." It's not okay to just give up because people do not get it. It means that methods should be changed. It means that teachers in certain areas should be trained more rigorously. If little Joe cannot speak Standard English, then little Joe will never make it anywhere in the real world. It's sad to say, but it is true. On a job interview, if you do not speak a certain way, you will not get hired. Even in the world of professional sports, many of the athletes work with speech therapists. Why? Because their coaches want them to sound, somewhat, educated when they are interviewed. The we speak leaves an impact on what people think of us. we shoutld be aware of that and as future educators, we should be wanting nothing but the best from every student and not going into the situation thinking negatively.
1) When teaching AAE speaking students SAE, you must be sure to affirm the student's understanding of their speech as an official language. This would help the student become comfortable with his/her own speech and attempt to learn SAE. A positive attitude is necessary when dealing with in general, but it is especially important when teaching SAE to AAE speaking students. You need an open mind and knowledge of the history of AAE in order to respect and teach about it. A good way to transition AAE speaking students to SAE is to have them read a play or perform in a play that requires them to use SAE. Playing a role eliminates the possibility of implying that the child's language is inadequate.
My attitude towards this subject remains positive and open to the wide possibility of language. I put faith in some of the suggested activities of Delpit. Not focusing on pronunciation when AAE students are reading is a key point, because the importance is in them translating and understanding the content.
Like Delpit, I feel that a teacher’s primary concern should be assuring that Ebonics-speaking students are capable of applying Standard English only in the written form. Teachers must understand that Ebonics is what these students grew up speaking and that there is little chance of ever successfully converting the students to speaking Standard English, and that any attempt to do so will only succeed in frustrating the students, thus turning them off not only to reading, but likely school as a whole. Though teachers may have very good intentions when correcting the students’ form of speech, they are only hurting them in the long run.
Because of this, I feel that is highly important that teachers of African-American students have at least some knowledge of Ebonics and its cultural background. Familiarizing oneself with this dialect should help teachers refrain from overly correcting students to the point of frustration as seen in Delpit’s writing. I find the instance illustrated in which the teacher not only corrects the black student’s grammar, but also his pronunciation of the word brother, especially alarming.
Dialects are simply a part of life. As I stated last class, many southern Illinoisans (members of my family included) pronounce the word wash as woorsh. I would think a teacher quite overbearing and, perhaps, out of line if I witnessed them correcting any student in this pronunciation error. Thus, I feel that any error pronunciation error related only to Ebonics should be handled in the same way.
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