Abstract The paper discusses how Ebonics is not a dialect which can be passed off as an inferior form of the Standard English now taught in secondary schools across America. The paper explains that the genetic structure of African Americans presents a new insight into how different language can be, regardless of the native language to influence the cultural aspects of African American identity over many life spans. The paper maintains that there should be a basic tolerance for other cultures over all of these arguments and suggests that the white hegemonic society should tolerate Ebonics to create further integration between different races.
From the Paper "This study will evaluate the importance of Ebonics within America's secondary and post-secondary educational curriculum. By analyzing the cultural integration that African American culture is now being implemented in American schools, one can realize the importance of learning the relationship that the English language has in a historical context. Through history and culture, Ebonics plays a large role in how interracial attitudes and behaviors influence both African American and non African American cultures that constantly inter-mesh within the educational community. In this manner, Ebonics plays a large role in providing interracial language skills, which create more culturally and genetically united policies within American schools. The debate about teaching Ebonics in American secondary and post-secondary schooling is essential to the cultural fabric of education in America."
Abstract This paper delves into the heart of the Ebonics debate through reference to Baugh's essay, "A Contentious Global Debut." It focuses on the national and global contention surrounding Ebonics by citing the historical, political and technological influences involved in the development of Standard American English. It looks at how black supporters of Ebonics generally feel that acknowledging Ebonics as a legitimate language or dialect will improve the learning productivity rate of African American students. It also examines how detractors of Ebonics do not feel that Ebonics is a legitimate language or dialect and have consistently attempted to thwart all efforts of legitimizing the language due to its supposed lack of "educational benefits".
From the Paper "Prior to the 1996 Oakland, California school board controversy, few people had ever heard the term Ebonics. Of those who were familiar with the term, very few knew the actual origin and definition of the word. ?Many of the black supporters of Ebonics were aware of the term long before the Oakland school board introduced it into the global lexicon.? In Baugh's ?A Contentious Global Debut,? he discusses the "interpretive diversity" surrounding the educational, political, and economic views on Ebonics when it first became a subject of national concern."
Tags: african, american, dialect, education, english
A paper on the sociology and linguistic perspectives of "The Ebonics Resolution" a Californian plan to accept African-American language as the primary language of African-American students.
Abstract The paper shows that in 1996, the Oakland School Board in California passed the ?Ebonics Resolution? - a plan to accept African-American language, termed Ebonics, as the primary language of African-American students and to implement a system to teach them in their primary language as a means of assisting them to learn standard American English. The paper discusses the debate that followed involving the public and the media. It shows that while the linguistic experts in the field were in support of the Ebonics Resolution, the Resolution had a significant social impact. By comparing the meaning of the issue from a sociological and a linguistic perspective, the paper shows the real issues involved in their entirety.
From the Paper "In the Ebonics debate the part of culture involved is language, a very basic component of our society. Language is something that is taken for granted, with the belief of the general population being that the accepted language is the correct one. The social rejection of Ebonics and the rejection of accepting it as a primary language can be seen as a form of the majority group of society asserting their own belief in their superiority. This is not necessarily representing that the majority group do not want to accept others. Instead it reflects the basic principle of society assuming that the majority group is correct."
Tags: LSA, dialect, communication, AAVE, ethnic, groups
Abstract This essay looks at the debate about Ebonics. Ebonics is a language with its own rules, and not slang or inferior English. Acknowledging, recognizing and understanding Ebonics could help the teaching process and make it easier for students to learn Standard English.
Abstract Perhaps more than any other debate in education, the study of language brings up questions of power and identity. How teachers and classmates view the home language of students and their families plays a major role in teachers' expectations and respect for a student's culture, as well as how easily the student will be able to learn and meet long-term educational goals. The paper shows that solving the complex social and economic problems in the U.S. that limit the educational opportunities of African Americans, particularly males, is not an easy task. Still, many educators are introducing new practices targeted specifically to the unique needs of this group. The paper shows that many researchers agree that one of the first steps that must be taken in advancing the educational level of African-American students is to implement Ebonics into inner city curricula. This paper examines the role of Ebonics in cultural identity in an effort to determine whether or not Ebonics should be implemented in classrooms or curricula.
From the Paper "By implementing Ebonics into school curriculums, teachers are fine-tuning the learning process towards the unique needs of African American students, rather than drilling them on the proper use of grammar and dialect. For example, teachers could use mini-lessons according to the dialect learning needs that students demonstrate. If the students agree that Standard English is appropriate for classroom interaction and for writing, lessons like these would help students reach their language development goals."
Tags: Standard, English, Proficiency, SEP, AAVE, Kwanzaa, Maat
Abstract This paper discusses the "Ebonics" of African Americans as a viable alternative dialect. It looks at the nature of dialect in general and its effects on social status and perceived levels of education, talent and achievement. The paper shows the importance of the study of Ebonics as it is a true expression of African-American pride, values and history.
From the Paper "The struggle to understand and recognize Ebonics represents, first and foremost, the need to understand the effects of the dialect on African-Americans and their place in American society. Various aspects of African-American English have been traced to West African patterns of speech, among these the use phrases like "you still in slavery," where the verb "to be" is conspicuously absent from the sentence. In fact such phrasing has been taken as a sign that African-Americans continue to occupy a place in American society similar to that which they occupied in the days of slavery. Nevertheless, the social stigma attached to the use of such speech patterns, even in early childhood, has been taken by others as a legitimate attempt to help young African-Americans to advance in the larger majority White society. Opponents of Ebonics claim that the dialect is hardly African at all, and represents nothing more or less than "poor language habits." By claiming a false African origin for the dialect, supporters are merely attempting to get around the dialect's deficiencies by resorting to assertions of Black pride. In other words, any move to de-legitimize such speech patterns is tantamount to disparaging African-American history and culture, another example of the relegation of African-American cultural norms to the very bottom of the social scale."
An examination of the roots of Black American English ("Ebonics") and the current attempt to integrate it into educational system in the United States.
1,210 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 7 sources, 2000, $ 41.95
From the Paper "The controversy over Ebonics is a very serious one indeed. Many factors are considered in the battle over this dialect which is growing in controversy and popularity. Teachers and educators alike must consider the effects of the use of Ebonics in education and mainstream culture. The battle over Ebonics is very clear. The opposition speaks out strongly against Ebonics and its effects in mainstream education. Supporters of Ebonics, like the Oakland Board of Education, argue that more stable and well-rounded students will emerge from the acknowledgement and study of Ebonics as a separate language."
Tags:ebonics, education, african, american, black, english
Abstract In December 1996, the Oakland School Board decided that it was going to accept and recognize Ebonics, or what is known as African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), as a valid dialect and would use it in teaching African-American children. This paper examines the linguistic controversy surrounding this decision, showing the pros of using AAVE in schools across the United States.
From the Paper "AAVE is a fact of life and it is creating a linguistic and cultural disunity in the United States by allowing teachers to stereotype black students and by ensuring that black students do not acquire Standard English fluency. The introduction of AAVE as a tool language of instruction simply means accepting that fact of life and using it to correct current problems facing African Americans in the educational system." Educational psychologists, such as William Labov, have determined that the primary obstacle to academic progress for most African American students is their inability to fully understand what is communicated to them or, in turn, communicate what they are thinking in a dialect that teachers can comprehend (10)."
A comparison of the articles "Dell Hymes, Kenneth Burke's 'Identification,' and the Birth of Sociolinguistics" by Jay Jordan and "Do You Speak American?" by John Baugh.
Abstract The paper discusses how Dell Hymes and Kenneth Burke offer compelling insight into the foundations of sociolinguistics using the key term of "Identification". The paper then analyzes Jay Jordan's scholarly article "Dell Hymes, Kenneth Burke's 'Identification,' and the Birth of Sociolinguistics" and contrasts it to John Baugh's popular press article "Do You Speak American?" The paper shows how, while Jordan's article is based on hard research without taking any one side, Baugh's article on Ebonics is based on the author's opinions and fueled by media exposure and political impact.
Outline:
Background
Issue
Scholarly Article
Popular Press Article
Discussion
From the Paper ""Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and context on the way language is used. Sociolinguistics overlaps to a considerable degree with pragmatics" (Wikipedia). The study of sociolinguistics offers a view on how subtle or pronounced language variation can be a result of social variables such as ethnicity, religion, status, and level of education (Wikipedia). The importance of the study of sociolinguistics can be applied to a variety of applications; from legal precedence in a court of law to defining the true meaning, or as Kenneth Burke defined, the "identification" of the meaning of words in which context, setting, and other social factors are applied (Jordan)."
Tags:Ebonics, African-Americans, dialect, language
Abstract Every variety of language spoken, even that which is known as standard English, is a dialect. Many people believe stereotypes about certain dialects and thus treat people as they perceive them to be. This paper shows that one of the most common known dialects in the United States is Ebonics, or the dialect spoken by many African Americans. There are numerous assumptions regarding this dialect by people in community and educational life. This paper shows that there are, however, many techniques teachers and other officials may incorporate into their classroom activities to help lessen dialectical stereotypes and help to raise the self-esteem and grades of the children who speak them.
Paper Outline:
Abstract
The Societal and Educational of Dialects in The United States Today
Identity and Negative Attitudes
Ebonics Education
Conclusion
References
From the Paper "Despite the differences in the varieties of Ebonics, there are some features marked by all or most types. Ebonics has picked up many of its pronunciation from white, southern coastal dialects. This is seen especially with the use of the /r/-less word use (Bonvillain, 2003; Mufwene & Gilman, as cited by Chaika, 1994). Bonvillain (2003) and Chaika (1994) also discuss the trait of the dropping of final consonants in Ebonics. This characteristic makes rhyming words out of "field" and "wheel." Ebonics also uses the form "be" for all tenses of "am." (Chaika, 1994). Chaika (1994) gives the example of the Ebonics sentence "Do babes be willin'?" as translated to "Are babes always willing?" (p. 300)."
From the Paper EBONICS AND LITERACY
"Dialects in the United States are spread throughout the country. Not all members of a group speak the same dialect, and dialects among groups differ. he most controversial dialect in American English is Ebonics. In order to advance socially and economically, individuals must have access to the culture of power, and therefore, dialect use is often discouraged by teachers in favor of Standard English use. But, does sufficient reason exist to discard or devalue vernacular dialects in pursuit of literacy in Standard English?
There is "scarcely a country in the world today that could claim to be monolingual in any real sense…Furthermore, historical linguistic conflicts reemerge as minorities assert their identity" ("Literacy", no date, p. 1). In 1990, over 30% of the public school ..."
An examination of the attempts to diversify curricula to meet multicultural needs of students and society including definition, ebonics, public views, social divisions and values and morality.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 10 sources, 2000, $ 79.95
From the Paper "Ebonics
If people did not know about the attempts being made in American school systems to reach out to a multicultural population before 1996, they certainly found out about it then. When the public school system in Oakland, California, decided to treat the standard speech of black Americans as a separate language or dialect, the issue of multicultural education (which had been discussed and agreed upon and argued over at the local level for at least a decade) became an important part of the national dialogue. Ebonics became a symbol for nearly everyone who thought that something should be changed about the way American schoolchildren are taught, with some people applauding the idea and many others -- and not only conservative whites -- decrying it. An examination of this issue will serve as an introduction to the topic of..."
