Ling AP Lit. and Comp. 2010-11 discussion
The Search for Identity
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Research and AAL
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Arielle
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Sep 20, 2010 02:52PM
Hi! Here is our group's (Gabe and me) summary:
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Oh no. I must have hit enter and it uploaded without the summary! Here it is: Harrison claims in his 1984 study of “Negro English” that “speaking negro” is like speaking “baby talk.” Late 19th century and early 20th century White scholars agreed with Nelson’s view. Lorenzo Dow Turner opposed this view and through studies of West African languages and Gullah (a Creole language spoken by African Americans living on the coast and Sea Islands) he explained part of the reason that African Americans who speak Black English sound like babies is because the “th” sound that exists in English does not exist in Gullah nor in West African Languages, thus, the African Americans would “substitute [d] or [t]” (Turner, 1949, p. 245) for this sound. As the times began to change and there was more social transformation in America, a new generation of scholars and linguists dismissed the belief that “AAL is illogical” or is a “collection of haphazard errors.” Scholars like Beryl Bailey, the first Black woman linguist, and William Labov, who “introduced the study of Black Language into mainstream social and scientific dialogue”, helped lay the foundation for a upcoming African American scholars to produce work that notably advanced the “analysis and understanding of AAL.”
The discussion question both me and arielle came up with was: "Should "Black English" be taught in schools?"We decided together that "Black English" shouldn't be taught as a replacement to "Standard English". However, "Black English" should be taught as an elective or in college classes where students can opt to take the class or not; this way, students who are truly interested in learning this separate dialect can learn it. We felt the understanding of "Standard English" is very important for communicating with others, as well as, for creating more formal, standardized, pieces of literature; and therefore, "Black English" shouldn't take precedent over it.
Gabe, I think you and Arielle raise a really great point. However, I would like to stress the point that "'Black English' shouldn't take precedent over ['Standard English.']" As opposed to teaching Black English as an elective in a university, I think Black English should be analyzed as a custom or culture. To be honest, Standard English is accepted across the United States for a reason; it represents education, understanding of comprehensive writing and a true appreciation of the rules of Standard English. We must not forget that most children who speak "Black English" are raised in an environment in which "Black English" is the predominant speaking language. While we can assume it is very difficult for "Black English" speakers to learn "Standard English," it would also be difficult to teach "Standard English" speakers the rules of "Black English." If students desire to appreciate the style of "Black English," then this language should be taught in a Literature or English class where students can analyze the importance of "Black English" and assess its presence within the United States.
Mod
Nowhere in the chapter does Smitherman advocate for replacing the teaching of Standard English with the teaching of Black English; nor do other supporters of Black English.
I repeat: no one said anything about getting rid of Standard English.
Hey everyone, sorry i was sick the day this assignment was due. However, here is my summary and discussion quesiton. Just something to think about:SUMMARY-Summary
In this section of African American Language, the author begins by comparing and contrasting Billy Cosby and reporter Pratt’s similar view on “Black English,” which were mentioned in the previous section. The author argues that Cosby is “older, black and male” while Pratt is “young, Black and female,” but they are both “higher economic,” which might be a contributing factor as to their views about Black English.
The author asserts that Cosby and Pratt feel as though Black English or Gullah is similar to “baby-talk,” and is not intellectual speech. She then goes on to say that many white scholars feel similarly about Black English, citing that it is a lazy version of Standard English. She cites the folklorist Gonzales as saying that it is “slovenly and careless speech.” The black people referred to are compared to white colonists when they first arrived in America.
The author quotes a linguist who argues that when the Africans came to America, they did what anyone else would do and substituted sounds from his native language for words he didn’t understand and sounded similar in English. The author also cites the roots of Black English as having a “Proto-Creole” background, native to Caribbean and West Indies nations.
The author also cites White linguist William Labov, who argues that Black English is grammatical and logical, because it is rule governed and systematic.
DISCUSSION QUESTION-
Based on this summary and the author's evidence of Black English as its own language, is it its own language, or is it still only a dialect?
Arielle and Gabe, my response to our (I was supposed to be in your group) discussion question:I don't think Black English should be taught in AMERICAN schools. "Standard" or "White" English has been the norm in school rooms and classrooms since this country was born. I'm not saying, necessarily, that this is the "correct" English or that Black English is incorrect, but I feel that it would be too confusing to change the dialect and/or language that our country has been taught/learned throughout the years. Communication would be substantially harder, especially between those of difference generations.
I agree with Rachel. I also believe that Black English should not take precedence over Standard English because it does, as Rachel said, represent education, understanding of comprehensive writing and a true appreciation of the rules of Standard English; it also effectively serves as a standardized means of communication that is nationally accepted, regardless of whether it is the most intimate or raw form of communication and self-expression. Additionally, I believe that Black English should be offered as a language, not culture, class in schools nationwide. Yes, it is true that Black English resembles Standard English, but as Smitheran emphasizes, the two languages are significantly different in terms of idioms, sentence construction, verb tense usage, and other areas. Supplementing this learning of Black English should be the learning of the cultural context of this new language so that students will learn how such a language developed and how social, historical, and cultural factors influence this development. In essence, I propose that Black English be taught as a language in the same manner as we Tenafly High School students learn Spanish, French, or any number of foreign languages.
Mod
Nowhere in the chapter does Smitherman advocate for replacing the teaching of Standard English with the teaching of Black English; nor do other supporters of Black English.
I repeat: no one said anything about getting rid of Standard English.
Alon wrote: "I agree with Rachel. I also believe that Black English should not take precedence over Standard English because it does, as Rachel said, represent education, understanding of comprehensive writing ..."
Mod
Diana wrote: "I need to reiterate here what I mentioned in class yesterday:
Nowhere in the chapter does Smitherman advocate for replacing the teaching of Standard English with the teaching of Black English; nor..."
In no way does Standard English more superior than Black English. It is just that we have set it as the standard and have grown accustomed to it. I do agree with Alon. If students wanted to learn Black English, they should have the chance. However, at the same time, students should also learn standard English because it is the accepted language and it is only through standard English that we can all communicate.
Mod
Nowhere in the chapter does Smitherman advocate for replacing the teaching of Standard English with the teaching of Black English; nor do other supporters of Black English.
I repeat: no one said anything about getting rid of Standard English.
Ling wrote: "In no way does Standard English more superior than Black English. It is just that we have set it as the standard and have grown accustomed to it. I do agree with Alon. If students wanted to learn B..."
