Talking about Ebonics Can this be a bridgesupplement

Talking about Ebonics Can this be a bridge/supplement to standard U. S. English?

What is Ebonics? § Ebonics is also known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) § At its most literal level, Ebonics simply means 'black speech' (a blend of the words ebony 'black' and phonics 'sounds') § The term was created in 1973 by a group of black scholars who disliked the negative connotations of terms like 'Nonstandard Negro English' (Coined in the 60’s) § Both Ebonics and standard English—and issues of language diversity has shaped the school experience in significant ways (Alim & Baugh, 2007; Smitherman, 2000)

History of Ebonics 1 § Linguists are divided on the origins, the ones that support the English origin point out that most of the Ebonics vocabulary is in English § Examples of its pronunciation are pronouncing the final ‘th’ as ‘f’ and misplaced grammar (e. g. double negatives, "I don't want none") § The usage could have evolved from nonstandard dialects spoken by English indentured servants and other workers whom un-indentured Africans interacted with.

History of Ebonics 2 § Others emphasize Ebonics African origins, noting that West African languages often lack ‘th’ sounds and final consonant clusters (e. g. past), § Replacing or simplifying these consonant clusters occurs both in US Ebonics and in West African English varieties spoken in Nigeria and Ghana. § Linguists argue that the distinction made between completed actions ("He done walked") and habitual actions ("We be walkin") in the Ebonics tenseaspect system reflects those used in West African language systems § This applies to other aspects of Ebonics sentence structure as well.

History of Ebonics 3 § Other linguists are drawn to the similarities between Ebonics and Caribbean Creole English varieties § For example, both drop ‘is’ and ‘are’, and both permit dropping word initial ‘d’, ‘b’, and ‘g’ in tense-aspect markers (Caribbean examples include habitual/progressive (d)a, past tense (b)en, and future (g)on) § These traits suggest some varieties of American Ebonics may have the same simplification and mixture associated with Creole formation in the Caribbean and elsewhere. § Another possibility may be American Ebonics was shaped by the high proportions of Creole-speaking slaves imported from the Caribbean in early settlement periods of the thirteen original colonies.

History of Ebonics 4 § Arguments about and evidence on the origins issue continue to be brought forth. § A relatively new 'historical' issue has emerged in recent years: Is Ebonics converging or diverging from other vernacular varieties of American English? § One thing is for sure: This dynamic language phenomenon is intertwined with African American history and linked on so many levels with African American literature, education, and social life § It is one of the most extensively studied and discussed varieties of American English and will probably continue to be so for years

Should we Integrate Ebonics with Standard English? § We can set this as an example for preserving/maintaining other types of indigenous languages/dialects alongside Standard American English (SAE) § Quote from Perry and Delpit (1998), “I can be neither for Ebonics nor against Ebonics any more than I can be for or against air. It exists” (p. 17) § 155 of the 175 American Indian and Alaskan Native languages existing are on their way to extinction (Krauss, 1995). § Therefore, bilingual/bicultural schooling is critical for indigenous language maintenance, as it is for other linguistic and cultural groups (Banks and Banks, 2013).

Should we Teach Everyone Ebonics? § Many linguists and educators regard the Ebonics debate as being in the same realm as bilingual education. § The Oakland school board decided to pass the Ebonics resolution, which recognized the legitimacy of Ebonics (Oakland school board, 1996). § The board resolution stated that to facilitate the acquisition and mastery of English language skills we had to respect and embrace the legitimacy and richness of different language patterns e. g. , Ebonics. § The media, general public, and educators misconceived that Oakland was trying to teach Ebonics instead of Standard American English (Bing & Woodward, 1998).

Should there be a Law for EL programs? The following points show bilingual education is fading out in place of transitional programs for English Learner's (EL): § During G. W. Bush administration in 2002, Title III replaced Title VII of the Bilingual Education Act (BEA) as part of a the ‘No Child Left Behind Act’. § Title III carried with it a new name, “Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students. ” § The word bilingual was deleted from all government offices and legislation, signaling a shift to the assimilationist, English-first orientation of the 2000– 2008 Bush administration.

Should there be a Law for EL programs? § Though this law supports learning English programs, it does not require English-only programs. § Many scholars have wrestled that bilingual programs can be created with the new law (Freeman, 2004; Hornberger, 2006). § Teachers should have a grasp of the legal and political trends and policies that affect the environments of linguistically diverse students. § Teachers savvy of political and social movements can establish relationships with their students and influence program decisions at the school and district levels (Banks and Banks, 2013).

Concepts and Principles § The Ebonics resolution (Oakland School Board, 1996), legitimized Ebonics, thus aiding the district to obtain federal grants to use for the Ebonics/Standard English transition program. § The resolution stated its purpose was to “facilitate the acquisition and mastery of English language skills while respecting and embracing the legitimacy and richness of different language patterns”. § The rationale for the decision was that students could benefit from instruction that used their cultural and linguistic resources.

Concepts and Principles § To encourage success in learning a second language or dialect, scholars have identified a distinction between learning a language socially and academically (Cummins, 1981; Hakuta, Butler, & Witt, 2000– 2001; Valdés, 2001). § Programs types that lead to success have the following traits (August and Hakuta, 1997): § § § § School-wide supportive climate School leadership Customized learning environment Articulation and coordination within and between schools Use of native language and culture in instruction A balanced curriculum that includes both basic and higher-order skills Explicit instructions, opportunities for student-directed learning and understanding Opportunities for practice, student assessment, staff development, and parent involvement.

Outside references (including websites) § Effects of African American Vernacular English (Ebonics): https: //prezi. com/0 fhxy 9 r_4 db 7/effects-ofafrican-american-vernacular-english-ebonics/ § DYSA African American English (or Ebonics) in the classroom: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=x. X 1 Fgkf. Wo 8 § Center for Applied Linguistics: www. cal. org

Outside references (including websites) § What is Ebonics: http: //www. linguisticsociety. org/content/what-ebonics-africanamerican-english § Writings on the "Ebonics" issue: http: //web. stanford. edu/~rickford/ebonics § National Association for Bilingual Education: www. nabe. org

Do these instructional programs work? 1 Here are four of the five major program types that districts and schools have designed and implemented (August and Hakuta’s 1997): 1. Submersion. Ethnic students are basically thrown into an Englishonly setting with zero instructional support. Though illegal in the United States (Lau v. Nichols) many EL students are still placed in submersion-like settings. The hope is that they will ‘pick it up’ naturally. 2. English as a Second Language (ESL). No lessons regarding a student’s primary language is given. ESL content is taught through pull-out programs or integrated with academic content during the school day.

Do these instructional programs work? 2 3. Transitional bilingual education (TBE). Students are instructed in their primary language for some duration. But the goal of the program is to transition the students to English-only instruction as soon as possible, within one to three years. 4. Maintenance bilingual education (MBE). Students receive instruction in their primary language and in English throughout elementary school to achieve academic proficiency in both languages. These programs are oftentimes blended together with some of the programs becoming part of the great language debate; how effective are these programs or what needs to be modified? In fact most EL students are usually thrown into submersion type settings with little native language instruction (Kindler, 2002)

References 1 § Alim, H. S. , & Baugh, J. (Eds. ). (2007). Talkin Black talk: Language, education, and social change. New York: Teachers College Press. § August, D. , & Hakuta, K. (Eds. ). (1997). Improving schooling for language minority students: A research agenda. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. § Bing, J. M. , & Woodward, W. (1998). Nobody’s listening: A frame analysis of the Ebonics debate. SECOL Review, 22(1), 1– 16. § Kindler, A. (2002). Survey of the states’ limited English proficient students and available educational programs and services: 1999– 2000 summary report. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs.

References 2 § Krauss, M. (1995, February 3). Endangered languages: Current issues and future prospects. Keynote address, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH. § Perry, T. , & Delpit, L. D. (1998). The real Ebonics debate: Power, language, and the education of African-American children. Boston: Beacon. § Rickford, J. R. (1998). What is Ebonics? (African American Vernacular English), Stanford University, Stanford, Ca.