Why Ebonics should not be taught in schools?

Why Ebonics should not be taught in schools?

One of the disadvantages is that the acknowledgement of Ebonics in the classroom could cause segregation, as educators would be teaching students of Ebonics and students of Standard English in different ways, ultimately creating a barrier between the students.

When was the Ebonics controversy?

In December 1996 the Ebonics controversy landed plumb in my backyard, however, before I could say or even think “NIMBY!” The controversy which erupted from the Oakland School Board’s December 18 resolution to recognize Ebonics as the “primary language of African American children” and take it into account in their …

Why is AAE important?

The reasons for this are many. Within the context of the community, AAE is a valuable resource and an important aspect of group identity. Not speaking AAE can lead to being considered an outsider. A person with in-group status will often have access to local resources and networks that outsiders will not have.

Is Ebonics being taught in school?

The revised resolution makes it clear that students will be taught standard English, not Ebonics. However, board members say they are not backing down from their intention to train teachers to recognize Ebonics. Ebonics, derived from “ebony” and “phonics,” describes speech patterns used by some African-Americans.

Should Aave be used in the classroom?

Similar to the SEP program in Oakland, studies have been conducted that show AAVE and other non-standard dialects can be used effectively in the classroom.

What happened with Ebonics?

And linguists agreed with the concept of Ebonics. By 1998, the Oakland School Board had dropped the word “Ebonics” and recognized it–now called African American Vernacular English–as one way for students to learn Standard English and “code switch.”

What is the linguists position with respect to the Ebonics controversy?

What is the linguists’ position with respect to the Ebonics controversy? Standard English should be taught in contrast with African American English, using AAE as a bridge to standard English.

What does Aave stand for?

African American Vernacular English
African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety formerly known as Black English Vernacular or Vernacular Black English among sociolinguists, and commonly called Ebonics outside the academic community.

What is the difference between standard English and nonstandard English?

Standard English is used in formal settings, for example when we talk or write to people we don’t know well, such as doctors or head teachers. We use non-standard English in informal settings, when we are more relaxed and with people we know well, such as family or friends.

What is Aave and why is it important?

African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is systematic, rooted in history, and important as an identity marker and expressive resource for its speakers. In these respects, it resembles other vernacular or nonstandard varieties, like Cockney or Appalachian English.

Is Ebonics a legitimate language?

The word of the year so far is “Ebonics.” Although it’s been around since the 1970s, few people had heard of it before last Dec. 18, when the Oakland, Cal., School Board unanimously passed a resolution declaring Ebonics to be the “genetically-based” language of its African American students, not a dialect of English.

What is true about the current situation of AAE?

What is true about the current situation of AAE? For contemporary AAE speakers, social and cultural identity seems to be more salient than their regional identity. Standard English should be taught in contrast with African American English, using AAE as a bridge to standard English.

Why was it important for black students to learn Standard English?

The Oakland proposal was explained as follows: that black students would perform better in school and more easily learn standard American English if textbooks and teachers incorporated AAVE in teaching black children to speak Standard English rather than mistakenly equating nonstandard with substandard and dismissing AAVE as the latter.

What is the role of African American Vernacular English?

African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) has been the center of controversy about the education of African-American youths, the role AAVE should play in public schools and education, and its place in broader society.

Why are there disparities in education between black and white students?

After controlling for socioeconomic status, the large disparities in achievement between black and white students were almost entirely due to differences in the qualifications of their teachers.

What does Ebonics mean in African American English?

At its most literal level, Ebonics simply means ‘black speech’ (a blend of the words ebony ‘black’ and phonics ‘sounds’).