Lanaia Walker Elan Johnson Gina Groover

Bridget Lewis Sarah Castle Tyler Rowbotham

Dialect / AAVE
Terms
Dialect: a form of language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own
words, grammar, and pronunciations (Merriam-Webster)
Standard English: the English language in its most widely accepted form, as written and spoken
by educated people in both formal and informal contexts, having universal currency
while incorporating regional differences (Dictionary.com)
Ebonics: African American English; in its simplest form, it is a combination of the words ebony
and phonics--black and sounds (Rickford)
Code-Switching: the practice of moving back and forth between two languages, or between two
dialects or registers of the same language. Also called code-mixing and style shifting.
Occurs more often in conversation than in writing (Nordquist)
Dialectology: the study of the way sounds, words, and grammatical forms vary within a
language (Britain)
Stigmatized Dialects: AAVE, Appalachian English, Chicano English, etc. (Godley)
AAVE: African American Vernacular English

Problem
Negative attitudes toward the use of stigmatized dialects. This is not limited to teachers. The
belief that Standard English is logically, stylistically, an even morally superior to stigmatized
dialects is widespread in U.S. society (Godley).

Statistics
Very little information is available on the number of people who use AAVE. It was in the
spotlight back in the late 1970s (Ann Arbor Case) and mid 1990s, (Oakland School Board
Resolution) but society doesnt address it much now.
One longitudinal study was done between 1990 and 2007. Childrens use of AAVE was
measured at age 4, Grade 1, Grade 4, Grade 6, Grade 8, and Grade 10. Results showed that
childrens use of AAVE declined significantly from age 4 to Grade 1 and Grade 4. Usage
increased again during the middle school years and declined somewhat during high school.
Researchers concluded that socialization and language development in the early grades focuses
on the use of SAE, which caused a decline in the use of AAVE. (VanHofwegen and Wolfram)
According to the NCES, in 2007 12% of African American students received special
education services under IDEA. It has been suggested that black students are over-referred for
special education services due to language differences that are misunderstood as language
disorders.

Implications for students using AAVE

In School:
Unfortunately, many of the biggest obstacles and opposition for students who use primarily
AAVE, and which tend to hold them back from achieving, are teachers and our education
system.
AAVE speaking patterns can cause teachers to have lower expectations of these students,
and subsequently teach them less, believing that they are not able to achieve as much as
their Standard English (SE) speaking peers.
Differences in storytelling (many AAVE speakers to not rely on one linear storyline, but
jump around to different associated parts of the story) can cause many adults and
teachers with dissimilar backgrounds/cultures to assume that these students are low-
achieving and of a lower intelligence level.
In a test done, a child using AAVE told a story which 5 different adults listened to.
The adults who were white responded in a negative manner, assuming that the child
was low performing and possibly had family problems, while the adults who were
black assumed that the child was very intelligent and most likely successful in
school.)
Frequent corrections and interruptions from teachers while students are reading and
responding in class can lead to less time being spent learning and even a resentment of
school for students (Delpit).
Later on in life:
Many people regard the use of AAVE as a sign of limited education and sophistication, which
can affect many different areas of their lives (Rickford).
Many adults rely on code-switching in different situations, where they will speak using
SE when at work, and with certain groups of people, but then code-switching back to
AAVE when at church, with their family, or with others of their ethnicity (Harris).
This changing of speech can be very difficult and exhausting for some, and one slip
up could mean the loss of a job or worse.
Not everyone is as fluent in code switching, which can carry a heavy price:
People who speak using AAVE can be unfairly evaluated and misunderstood when
in court (Rigoglioso).
They can be seen as having poor character, being ignorant, and in turn, not
seen as a credible witness during a case.
Prejudices against this use of language can have a huge effect on court
rulings, as seen in the Trayvon Martin shooting case, where one of the main
witnesses was looked down about and discounted because her use of
 vernacular while testifying. She was not only misunderstood, but was also
ridiculed publicly by social media.

Implications for Teachers/ Educators

Over the past few years, many schools are now requiring educators to take at least one
course in Cultural diversity; however, dialect diversity is continuously ignored. All teachers,
including ESL teachers, need dialect knowledge in order to support students language
development.
Teachers who are exposed to basic sociolinguistic principles are more likely to reject the
most extreme stereotypes associated with stigmatized language (Godley) like AAVE and other
dialects. Teachers who take coursework that involves critical discussions of language and power
make positive changes in their belief system about the abilities of students who use AAVE.
Teachers who recognize the cultural and historical relevance of AAVE will build student
engagement and the students will feel that the instructor values and appreciates their culture
and heritage. Training programs have been developed to help teachers accurately assess the
writing of their vernacular-speaking students and respond with effective linguistically informed
classroom strategies. To make this possible teachers would have to have a working knowledge of
the structure of AAVE making professional development on the most common variances
between AAVE and Standard English necessary (Provost). Teaching students to make the
transitions between AAVE and ST as well as exploring successful AAVE authors is a good start to
addressing AAVE in the classroom.
It is the responsibility of the educator to provide all students, not just those who use AAVE,
with the necessary tools to put meaning and purpose behind the words they are using, in written
language and in speech.
References (APA)
Aud, S., Fox, M., and KewalRamani, A. (2010). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and
Ethnic Groups (NCES 2010-015). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education
Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Britain, David. (n.d.) Dialectology. Centre for Languages Linguistics and Area Studies.
Retrieved 21 January 2016, from https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/964.

Delpit, L. (1997). The Real Ebonics Debate. Retrieved January 19, 2016, from
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/ebonics/ebdelpit.shtml

Dialect. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 21, 2016, from http://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/Dialect

Godley, A. J., Julie Sweetland, Wheeler, R. S., Angela Minnici, & Brian D. Carpenter. (2006).
Preparing Teachers for Dialectally Diverse Classrooms. Educational Researcher, 35(8), 3037.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4124790

Harris, T. W. (2010, September 17). What's so wrong with "sounding black?" Retrieved January
19, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/colorstruck/201009/whats-so-wrong-
sounding-black

Nordquist, R. (2015, November 14). What Is Code Switching? Retrieved January 21, 2016, from
http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/codeswitchingterm.htm

Provost, A. (2014, July 13). Teaching in the AAVE classroom: A New Approach to Writing
Instruction. Retrieved January 21, 2016, from
https://definedbybodyheartandmind.wordpress.com/2014/07/13/teaching-in-the-aave-
classroom-a-new-approach-to-writing-instruction/

Rickford, J. R. (n.d.). What is Ebonics (African American English)? Retrieved January 19, 2016,
from http://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/what-ebonics-african-american-english

Rigoglioso, M. (2014, December 2). Stanford linguist says prejudice toward African American
dialect can result in unfair rulings. Retrieved January 19, 2016, from
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/december/vernacular-trial-testimony-120214.html

Standard-English. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved January 21, 2016 from

Dictionary.com website http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/standard-english

Van Hofwegen, J., & Wolfram, W. (2010). Coming of age in african american english: A
longitudinal study. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 14(4), 427. doi:10.1111/j.1467-
9841.2010.00452.x