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Language and ethnicity

Language and ethnicity. Laura W. McGarrity Dept. of Linguistics, UW LING 200, Spring 2006, Prof. Hargus. Overview. African American English (AAE) Misconceptions Facts Linguistic characteristics The ‘Ebonics’ Controversy. African American English (AAE).

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Language and ethnicity

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  1. Language and ethnicity Laura W. McGarrity Dept. of Linguistics, UW LING 200, Spring 2006, Prof. Hargus

  2. Overview • African American English (AAE) • Misconceptions • Facts • Linguistic characteristics • The ‘Ebonics’ Controversy

  3. African American English (AAE) • A continuum of language varieties that are spoken primarily by and among African-Americans But… • Not all African-Americans speak AAE • Not only African-Americans speak AAE

  4. Misconceptions about AAE • It is ‘black slang’ • It is a product of ‘lazy’ speech • It is an inferior, simplified form of English • It is grammatically incorrect, illogical

  5. Fact • AAE is systematic and rule-governed, just like Standard American English (SAE)

  6. AAE Phonology • Deletion of [r], [l] mo(re) ~ mow a(ll) ~ awe gua(r)d ~ god he(l)p ~ hep Pa(r)is ~ pass …except when followed by vowel in next word four o’clock all or nothin’

  7. AAE Phonology • Simplification of consonant clusters han(d), las(t), chil(d) …except when consonants differ in voicing… pant, belt, false, part …or when it carries meaning I got cats.

  8. AAE Syntax • Multiple negation AAE: He don’ know nothin’. • Russian: Oн ничегоне знает. (He nothingnot know) • Middle English: “He never yet no villainy not said In all his life to no kind of creature.”(Chaucer, 1400)

  9. AAE Syntax • Deletion of ‘to be’ AAE: He __ my brother. • Russian: Oн мойбрать. (He my brother)

  10. AAE Syntax • Habitual ‘be’: Refers to habitual, repeated action AAE: The coffee be cold (every day). The coffee cold (right now). They be late (all the time). They late (today).

  11. AAE Syntax • Absence of 3rd person sg. –s AAE: He eat_ five times a day. She want_ us to go. I want you want he/she want they want

  12. AAE and society • Many African-Americans code-switch between AAE and SAE since AAE often is subject to much prejudicial stigma and ignorance https://depts.washington.edu/llc/olr/linguistics/clips/CodeSwitching_ref.mov

  13. ‘Ebonics’ controversy • Background: • 1996: In Oakland, CA schools, blacks make up 53% of students, but… • …80% of suspensions • …64% of students held back each year • …71% of students in ‘special needs’ classes (for ‘language deficiency’)

  14. ‘Ebonics’ controversy • Dec. 1996: Oakland School Board passes ‘Ebonics resolution’ • Goals: • to formally recognize AAE • to change teachers’ attitudes about AAE • to implement usage of AAE as tool in teaching black students to read, write SAE

  15. Negative public reaction • Ebonics is… • “black street slang” -- NY Times • “just bad English” -- Chicago Sun-Times • “gibberish” -- Boston Globe • “a cruel joke” -- NY Daily News • “ridiculous” -- CA Gov. Pete Wilson

  16. Negative public reaction • Due largely to wording of resolution (see online supplement): • “instruction…to students…in [Ebonics]” • “[Ebonics] is genetically based” • “[Ebonics] is not a dialect of English”

  17. ‘Instruction in Ebonics” • Use of Ebonics as tool in teaching, not as object of lessons http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/standardamerican/

  18. ‘Genetically based’ • Popular interpretation: African Americans are biologically predisposed to speak AAE • Intended meaning: ‘Genetic’ refers to linguistic origins (or ‘genesis’) in African languages

  19. ‘Not a dialect’ • Popular interpretation: Ebonics is a separate language. • Intended meaning: Counters popular (but inaccurate) conception of ‘dialect’ as inferior/ substandard form of a language. Also addresses AAE’s non-English roots

  20. Summary • AAE is systematic, rule-governed • Has structures common to many other languages/dialects • Misunderstanding of AAE contributes to continued prejudice, stigma • Debate over use of AAE vs. SAE is ongoing • “Understanding is the key to tolerance.”

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