Bridging the Gap in Education with Language Accommodation

Nicole GestwiteAdrian, MI

What is African American English?

dictionary.com

Black English(noun)Also called African American Vernacular English, African American English, Afro-American English, Black English Vernacular, Black Vernacular English. a dialect of American English characterized by pronunciations, syntactic structures, and vocabulary associated with and used by some North American Black people and exhibiting a wide variety and range of forms varying in the extent to which they differ from standard English.2.any of a variety of dialects of English or English-based pidgins and creoles associated with and used by black people.

A History of African American English Anglicist Theory: A result of the early retention of British English features that have not been retained in other varieties of American English.

Creolist Theory: Extreme circumstances of subordination and segregation lead to the development of a creole language.

DEA

A History of African American English Substrate Hypothesis:

An early regional influence as well as persistent influence of language is the base of Black American English.

The Author’s Thoughts: African American English started as a creole (blend of languages from early slave trade times) and eventually developed into a pidgin (common language spoken primarily by African Americans in certain regions) that has many dialects (ex: Erie street in Adrian, MI is different from Chicago, IL.)

DEA

A History of African American EnglishMartin Luther King Junior Elementary School Children et al.

v. Ann Arbor School District

• Lack of parental or other home support for developing reading skills in standard English.

• Students experience difficulty in hearing and making certain sounds used discriminatively in standard English.

• The negative attitude of teachers toward the home language causes a psychological barrier to learning by the student.

languagepolicy.net

African American English Debated

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African American English Debated

Google Images

African American English Debated

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African American English is a Language.“As evidence by the spate of caustic, hateful responses on Internet websites, so many Americans continue to believe that the language variety of African Americans is nothing but

‘substandard’ ‘a bastardization of English’

‘or just plain ignorant’ H. Samy Alim and Imani Perry, Society

for Linguistic Anthropology

African American English is a Language

H. Samy Alim and Imani Perry, Society for Linguistic Anthropology

In fact, linguists note that such commentsrepresent mere social judgments based in classist, racist views of black people (even if made by black folks themselves.”

Why Does African American English Matter?

Why Does African American English Matter?

contemporaryfamilies.org

African American English in the Elementary Classroom

dictionary.com

Laisia Code Switcher

African American English in the Elementary Classroom Communication Accommodation Theory “When humans talk to each other, they tend to change the way they talk to match the way the listener talks.

Whether you realize it or not, and it can be either conscious or unconscious, you match your accent, your speed, your rhythm, your vocabulary and even your stance and gestures to that of the person you are talking to.”

Communicationstudies.com

African American English in the Elementary Classroom Communication Accommodation Theory For students in the elementary classroom, having a teacher who converges to their dialect will show:

an increase in the student’s respect, understanding, trust, and cooperation

as well as increase the student’s self-esteem, mutual understanding, and felt supportiveness.

Giles & Soliz, 2015

African American English in the Elementary Classroom

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African American English in the Elementary ClassroomTRADITIONAL APPROACH: CODE-SWITCHING

APPROACH: “For this audience, how would we want to speak?” “What is the most effective way for us to speak in this situation?” “Let me help you code-switch this for the person who we are giving this to. Right now, the person is ___________.”

“That language is improper.” “That language is bad.” “You must speak ‘English.’” “You need to fix this. Go back and bring me a proper assignment.”

Wheeler and Swords

African American English in the Elementary ClassroomWe must remember that:• The students are following the speech patterns of their

home life. • The students are using a grammatical pattern different

than that of Standard American English.• All students, not just African American English speaking

students, can benefit from code-switching.

Wheeler and Swords

African American English in the Elementary Classroom

In order for code-switching to be successful, it must be introduced in the beginning stages of schooling.

As educators encourage cultural differences visibly, cultural differences must also be encouraged through code-switching.

Thank you.

Nicole Gestwite ngestwite@adrian.edu