Topic: Discussing the regulation of language in classrooms based on an example from 2017.
Banned words included words and phrases like "on fleek," "chill," "girl by," "boy by."
Raises issues of speaking "properly," origins in Black English, and punishment for language.
Language Variation
Definition: Regional, social, or contextual differences in language use.
Includes pronunciation, grammar, and word choice differences.
Example: Black English
Call and Response: "Yurt" as a greeting.
Contextual Understanding: Depends on age, region, socioeconomic status.
Focus on Black English (Ebonics)
Origins: Result of African enslavement in the U.S.
Primarily spoken by black people in the U.S.
Perceptions: Often stigmatized as bad or broken English.
Evidence: Shows legitimacy of Black English as a communicative system.
Features of Ebonics
Habitual Be: Describes habitual or repeated actions.
Example: "I be late to work" means usually being late.
Stressed Been: Refers to actions in the remote past continuing to present.
Example: "She been saw that movie."
Importance and Awareness
Impact: Hundreds of thousands speak Ebonics, but its legitimacy is often unrecognized.
**Obstacles in Schools: **
Ann Arbor Case (1979): Recognized teacher biases against Ebonics as a barrier.
Oakland School District (1996): Recognized Ebonics as a home language.
Result: Misdiagnosis, hypercorrection, low expectations, and hostility in learning.
Educational Implications
Consequences: Negative attitudes lead to academic failures and low self-confidence among black students.
Need for Awareness: Importance of recognizing Ebonics as legitimate in educational settings.
Teaching standardized English without awareness perpetuates oppression.
Conclusion
Reflection: Awareness is the first step to solving problems related to language variation.
Importance of adapting school settings to students' cultural and linguistic needs.
Quote by Dr. Geneva Smitherman emphasizes value in linguistic identities.
Key Quote: "We have kids in the inner cities who are verbal geniuses, but we call them deficient in school and attempt to eradicate their identity." - Dr. Geneva Smitherman