When it comes to teaching AAE speakers how to become effective SWE Writers there are some teachers who don’t even bother to SWE at all. They think that it is a waste of time, and that AAE speakers are too dumb or deprived to master it. Some teachers are motivated by the language barrier refrain from teaching SWE rather than force AAE speakers to adopt “a strange or hostile set of cultural values”.
Some argue focusing on SWE skills will stifle student’s fluency and creativity, so they just encourage students to “edit out” SWE errors on their own. Some teachers just simply gave up, because of conflicting theories. With these laissez-faire approaches, virtually the only AAR speakers who learn to “edit out” SWE errors are those who intensively read and write SWE texts outside of school. Students have to recognize SWE errors in order to “edit them out”, and such recognition normally requires some sort of instruction when Standard English is not the language of the home. There are variety strategies for teaching AAE speakers Standard Written English. The strategies range from the traditional approach, which excludes AAE from the curriculum and classroom, to the bridge approach, which uses AAE to build a “bridge” to SWE. These are only one aspect of writing instructions, like other composition students, AAE students need to read carefully, write frequently, and address different audiences for meaningful purposes.
After reading this article, and writing a summary on it I feel that there is too much emphasis on how to teach AAE speakers how to become effective SWE Writers.Creating custom programs, and trying to make the students feel comfortable is a good teaching tactic, but at the end of the day I think it boils down to whats correct English and whats not. These students need to be taught how to be effective SWE Writers, they are going to need these skills in higher education, and in the professional world so why not just teach them directly how to write, and speak properly.I think once students learn to do this, they slowly will stop using the Ebonics language less frequent.
ReplyDeleteUsing AAE as a "bridge" to help students learn Standard Written English is a positive factor because it allows students and teachers to communicate more effectively, however; it is a negative factor as well. Students who are brought up speaking AAE in the home need to adjust to Standard Written English as quickly as possible. The reasoning for this is because Standard Written English is the dominant language that is taught in schools and used in job settings. I believe that the more that a teacher uses and practices Standard Written English with the students, the faster the students will learn and catch on. AAE should also be eliminated from being taught in the classroom, as Standard Written English is the only correct way to speak grammatically in society.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of those frustrating aspects of the classroom, but this same conversation is also occurring on the digital front where "text speech" is similarily being viewed as a foreign language. How condescending is it to tell a youngster that the dialect his parents are speaking at home is a foreign language? At some point a teacher has to recognize that students use dialect off-shoots and suss out if that recognition can serve as a point of entry into teaching SWE. It should be established early that SWE in the lingua franca of the classroom and that is the grammar model that needs to be mastered for a good grade. That said, there are a number of talented writers who used AAE in their works. Letting students do some authentic writing exercises can heighten their interest in your class. SWE has to remain the baseline, though. Students should know it is the lingo of mainstream culture and one cannot go far if he or she lacks SWE skills.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jessica in the way that they will need this information for their future professional careers. For teachers to say something is dumb and not worth teaching is shocking to me because to just dismiss a style because they think it doesn't work is ridiculous. They should teach it because it is not the information it should be about the way a teacher creates excitement in the class room.
ReplyDeleteI believe that SWE is important to learn, but I also think that AAE shouldn't be ruled out as a way of speaking. No matter how much people say that Ebonics is not proper English, it's a part of the African-American community and that is a way that we communicate amongst ourselves. The word Ebonics derives from "Ebony Phonics" which something that is important to our history. SWE is definitely something that everyone has learn in order to succeed in higher education and the professional world but I don't feel like Ebonics or AAE should be completely ruled out of our vocabulary. There is a time and a place where Ebonics should be used, it's just a matter of determining what that time and place is and the professional world isn't it.
ReplyDeleteI like what Mike said about a number of creative writers effectively using AAE in their works. This is definitely true; however, I think those same writers also understand the rules of SWE as a basis for their writing skills. We can't just give up on our students; while AAE is certainly a part of their culture, they need to understand the rules of SWE just like everyone else, and giving up because it's "too complicated" is not an option.
ReplyDeleteI have read several articles on the subject of AAE. There is quite a bit of debate about the issue of whether it should be allowed in writing. However, there is limited opposition on whether AAE should be allowed. Most articles agree that AAE should be used as a teaching tool to children who speak AAE. I can see this teaching method helping at a school where all the students at the school only speak AAE. However, what if there is a mixed group of students. Some speaking AAE and some that do not, should the school teach using AAE in those schools. This is where the issues becomes tricky. I do not think that it is fair to the students that do not speak AAE to have to learn AAE to learn Standard English. I am sure that there is a compromise in this issue. I am not sure what that compromise should be.
ReplyDeleteThis article seems to be a great debate within the classroom. However, I do not see how this debate can ultimately end in anything greater than a matter of an opinion. An individuals freedom of speech holds a great deal of influence over what they HAVE to use. In the same breath, I say that AAE should not be incorporated within the classroom, it is not SWE, which is the known common measure of communication with the REST of the world... not just the U.S.A. Students have a right to be an equal education. In saying that, it is my intent to say that yes AAE should be used, as Janelle said, as a "bridge" to SWE but with the ultimate goal being to reach SWE in the quickest most efficient way. Once an AAE student is caught up with the rest of the students regarding SWE then AAE teachings should be dropped and SWE the main objective.
ReplyDeleteI think the best way to teach AAE speakers to write in SWE is to first teach them to speak American English. While AAE is a part of certain people's identity and way of life, there are certain situations that call for American English to be spoken. It would be very difficult for someone who does not speak American English to write in SWE, so the student should first learn to speak American English, then move on to learning how to write SWE.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hasty to disregard AAE, which techers shouldn't do. Teachers need to understand and respect where their students are coming from, so I think the "briding the gap" approach is the best, and I see AAE as something that shouldn't be barred from the classroom. SWE should be any teacher's first and foremost mission, and they should be making every attempt to get students to excel in that. The facts are that SWE is recognized by the whole world, because it was developed to be understood EVERYWHERE and not just certain groups. It's also, for the forseeable future, the language that students in America are goin to nee to get a grasp of if they want to do well in a professional setting. Like Mike said, it MUST be the baseline for English teachers.
ReplyDeleteI do not think AAE should be completely edited out because it is a part of their heritage. However, I think there is a time and place for that and a time and place to speak professionally. I do think it is important that they learn American English first before they try anything else.
ReplyDeleteI think SWE is very important in writing. I guess at times it doesn hinder creativity but like the comment about me stated, there is a time and a place for it. I belive that people who are creative still do know and SHOULD know the rules of SWE becuase its important to know how to write correctly and not just how we speak. For example, in my country, Albania; everything is written exactly how it is said. When you read a book or read something in a magazine there is no 'basic' Albanian rule that they follow. They just write how they speak. So yes, I think it is important to incorporate SWE in writing, most always.
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