View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 4:19 am



Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
 Ebonics 
Author Message
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:43 pm
Posts: 26
After reading the article "Ebonics and Culturally Responsive Instruction," I was made aware of my own cultural biases about using Standard English. In this article, it discusses teachers that constantly correct their students who may be speaking Ebonics. From my experiences in schools, I have seen that this correction happens a lot from teachers. In this past, I had looked at Ebonics as a an uneducated way to talk because teachers and society would always correct this English. I have always thought it was best for all students to learn Standard English. I had always looked down upon Ebonics. Usually, when I heard this kind of speech, I assumed a lot of negative aspects about a person. I assumed they were poor, uneducated, and and had trouble learning. However, this article has helped me realize that Ebonics doesn't mean students are not smart or not capable of understanding literature, it only means that is just another way of speaking and is representative of another culture. I feel ashamed to have thought this and am so glad I have been given a new perspective on Ebonics. I hope to take this new perspective to help me use better teaching strategies for students who speak in many different ways.


Mon Feb 26, 2007 7:28 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:18 pm
Posts: 26
Post 
I have had many similar feelings as you Sarah, when it comes to Ebonics. I had a wake up call though over fall break. I was working with a church in Inner-city Philly and all the youth I worked with were african american or latino. They were amazing kids and taught me a lot, even though they spoke ebonics. I was amazed when I heard how good many of them could read, they could just snap out of the ebonics and into reading the bible or a book completely well. I realized that in fact I do the same thing. I do not have perfect english by any means, and when I am talking to my friends, I use my own little language just like them. Mine might not be as definiative as ebonics but I still make that switch. I am going to spend the summer in Philly in the same location and I am interested to see how much I pick up on the ebonics language.

_________________
~Brooke Newsome~
"When I fed the hungry, they called me a saint. When I asked why people are hungry, they called me a communist"
-Dom Helder Camara-


Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:21 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 10:32 am
Posts: 24
Post 
I am actually having a discussion about dialects in my Literacy,Technology and Instruction class, so this article really made sense to me after reading our assigned articles for my other class. We were talking in my other class and asking is there really standard english? I mean like Brooke said when talking with a group of friends you more than likely don't use standard english. We all have our own dialects, regionally, socially etc. I know when I talk to my friends I don't use standard english, but if I were asked to write a paper I would be able to write one in so called standard english. So these kids who speak ebonics are just as educated as we are, just because they don't speak in standard english doesn't mean they are unintelligent, but I know that is a common misunderstanding. It could go back to the fact that some people think southerns are stupid because of the way we talk.


Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:33 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:55 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
After reading the article and many other articles in other classes about Standard English and African American dialect I always wonder about the dialects of other cultures in the United States. What about the Hispanics and the Asians, they all have different dialects and cultures, which are equally as important but I never understand why their dialects and languages are never brought up in these articles.

I don't hold anything against people with other dialects, Southerns have very unique dialects but I do believe in code switching. I think there needs to be some type of "standard" for education so that everyone can understand each other and learn on the same level.

_________________
Alyse A. Bowden


Tue Feb 27, 2007 12:41 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:09 am
Posts: 24
Post 
I think it is really hard to get away from stereotypes associated with different dialects. There will always be different dialects in the world and I don't think that we should hold it against people. It is only when people use incorrect grammar that they sound uneducated. I agree with Alyse, that sadly, many people associate the southern dialect with ignorance. I love hearing new accents that represent people's cultures. It is hard however, if you are a teacher to teach someone you cannot understand, or vise versa if the students cannot understand you. It is worth working on the accent you have in order to get your students to understand you. In a profession like teaching communication is essential.

_________________
Rachel Tyler


Tue Feb 27, 2007 1:25 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:01 pm
Posts: 27
Post 
So after being in class today I need to summarize my thoughts. First of all I really liked how Dr. Turner said she would give her students a choice when necessary to speak or write in their own dialect. This really helps students learn the different dialects and down play the stereotypes that go along with those dialects. On the other hand do students really have a choice at the end of the year as to which dialect they get to use when they take an EOC? No, because every test is given in American Standard English. So I believe that while it is important to be respectful of ones own dialect it is equally important to realize that these students need to learn and understand American Standard English in order to be successful in school. At school students need to learn/speak American Standard English, at home they should be able to speak there own dialect.


Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:36 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:50 am
Posts: 24
Post 
I agree with you completely Clayton. I believe that it is important for us to understand that different cultures may have a distinct dialect. But, if we are going to teach that Standard American English is the "correct" way then I think it is important to emphasize to these students to practice Standard American English in school. Like Clayton said, they will not have a choice on standardized tests.

_________________
William Byrne


Tue Feb 27, 2007 4:07 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:25 am
Posts: 27
Post 
I agree with Rachel on this topic. I think that it is very hard to get away from our steryotypes, especially when it is based on dialect. We have placed so much emphasis in our schools in not judging people by their looks and the color of their skin that it has been neglected to consider other aspects. It is easy for me to overlook messy hair, imperfect clothes, or a different skin color, but when someone opens their mouth and sounds "less than perfect" or what we are calling Standard American English, it is hard not to judge. There are dialects all over the world in every language that imply many different things about the different people within that culture, but I wonder if those differences are as negative as we make ours out to be?

_________________
Sara G Marshall


Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:23 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2007 10:45 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
I also loved how Dr. Turner mentioned that we should let students use their dialects through certain ways in class. There have always been variations of dialect in a language, since the beginning of spoken history—even Chaucer degrades northern accents as unintelligent in the Canterbury Tales. But, say you let a student use their dialect in something like creative writing. This would show the student that their dialect is not a sign of unintelligence, but rather a gift in which they can express themselves.

_________________
Robert Chase Glenn


Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:22 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:34 pm
Posts: 29
Post 
I kept hearing the comment..."learn the language that is in power." This statement kept seeming so racist to me. I just think that children should be able to speak their dialects but also learn standard american english as everyone has been stating. I just think that children should learn the language that is easy for others to understand and what not. I do like that there is such a language that dominates this country. It brings more order. If I ever moved to Spain, I would learn Spanish just because it would be easier for others to understand me because that is the language that is most used. I do not think that learning the standard american english is racist...but it is hard to convince otherwise. I read a story in English class (can''t recall name) and it had an Indian that learned how to speak English fluently so that he could keep his job and be more accepted by Americans. He ended up losing his job and his wife felt that his whole English learning experience was meaningless and that he lost his culture in the process. So it is important for teachers to let students speak their dialects...culture is something I don't want my students to lose.

_________________
Jessie Carrigan


Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:53 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:43 pm
Posts: 26
Post 
I definitely agree that it is important to let children speak in their own dialect, but also in Standard American English. Dialect should not be viewed as a negative thing, but simply as something that is part of that person. Students just also need to have an understanding of Standard American English. Since I will be a music teacher, I was thinking that there are songs in many different dialects. I can chose repetoire that incorporates many different dialects to help students appreciate dialects instead of look at them as something negative. I was also going to let students write journals while I'm taking attendance and in these journals, I can have them write in their own dialects and then sometimes in Standard American English.


Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:07 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:51 am
Posts: 24
Post 
Speaking of dialects, in my Block I and Block II courses there were a lot of my peers that are from the mountains and have a strong accents and dialects depending on where they are from. My teachers constantly would tell them that they needed to loose their accents when they went into the classroom because it was not professional. I have mixed feelings about this because I do feel that they should speak in proper English, but not necessarily loose their background and history by speaking differently. One of the guys actually failed our internship part of the class because he had too much of an accent in the classroom and it wasn't "proper." I felt that the students probably related to him more because they felt that he was like them because he was from this area.

_________________
Amanda Jill Roberts


Tue Mar 06, 2007 8:33 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 15, 2007 11:06 pm
Posts: 24
Post 
I think that it is so important to allow students to be individuals and often speech can be a manner of allowing them to do just that. However, I feel an obligation as an English teacher to give all of my students the same opportunities and I truly believe that that means teaching them Standard written and spoken English. Like Chase said, allow your students to use their dialect in some instances to maintain that it is also correct. We need to help our students help themselves and I believe one way to do this is to teach them Standard American English.

_________________
Erin Nevitt


Wed Mar 28, 2007 2:07 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 13 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.