In class, we read and discussed a recent news article about a school district in Virginia that is teaching African American English as a separate language, with its own grammatical structures, in order to help its mostly Black students better use standard English on tests and in other formal situations. (I also linked to this article in my last blog post.)
What is your opinion on the argument taking place in the district? Write your response to the article here, and include a paraphrase of some aspect of Baldwin's argument at some point in your post.
I agree with the argument in the Virginia article for the reason that people are different. You can not force someone to be a way they are not in all situations. Having them learn the differences is smart as long as you teach them the different times to use each. Although I can see why this could be a bad idea, I could see students probably middle school/ high school aged not accepting say a white teacher telling them as a black student how to speak black english. Students and teachers could fine that awkward.
ReplyDeleteBaldwin argues, Language shows who a person is and where they are from sometimes without the speaker even knowing.
i agree with the article almost 100%. like we said in class, by pushing it on people we will just be wasting time and money but by using it when needed it can be incredibly helpful. if it helps students excel it should be used. school should do everything possible to help its students excel no matter what.
ReplyDeleteI see cassie's point, that we should do whatever possible to help students excel. But I think incorporating slang english into highschool curriulums is kind of oxymoronic. doing this is insanly contradictory to what a highshcool education is meant for. a highschool education is meant to get students ready for a professional life. trying to insert slag english would only confuse them.
ReplyDeleteI've got to mostly agree with Brook. I don't agree with teaching Black English in schools, but not just Black English. There are other forms, like Spanish English, and just general "slang" that everyone uses. I don't think those should be taught in the schools, either. I get the point of incorperating other dialects and think that it would be a great idea for the teachers to learn how to communicate better with those who speak dialects- however, English class teaches grammer, pronunciation, word usage, etc. for use in a professional setting. I think it should stay that way, but teaching it may be altered by learning how to communicate with students better.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't care who speaks what at home, but in a professional setting, I'd like to be able to communicate on the same level.
These are smart responses, folks, but don't forget to include your paraphrase of some aspect of James Baldwin's argument about Black English, too!
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the article is saying they are teaching Black English. The teachers are teaching them Standard English but they are not putting kids down who use Black English. They are teaching them when to use their dialect versus when to use Standard English and how.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good idea because I strongly believe teachers shouldn't show favoritism or discriminate against any of their students. As Baldwin says "A child cannot be taught by anyone who despises him." (111) I've seen it in classrooms before and it disgusts me. When a teacher tells a student that their language is wrong, they are discriminating against them.
I can see both sides of this. On one side I can see it helping kids better understand standard english. On the other side I can see how it can be not a language that should be tought I guess I'm on the fence this time
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brooke and Blair. Diversity is good but speaking in slang is not proper and should not be thought in schools.
ReplyDelete"It is not the black child's language that is in question, it is not his language that is despised: It is his experience"- Baldwin is saying that language comes from experience. Questioning whether or not Black English is a language questions whether or not the experiences of Black Americans are important.
I think that it is good to teach the difference between Standard English and Black English because the people who learned both did better on their test scores. I also think that since people expect others to talk in Standard English for jobs and other formal events, it is important to know the difference and to know when to use which type of language. In Baldwin's essay on page 110 it says "What joins all languages, and all men, is the necessity to confront life..." Baldwin is saying that sometimes languages join together so people can confront and continue through life and not be stopped by language barriers. I think that the schools are doing just that; teaching two languages, Standard English and Black English, so people who are having trouble with the two languages can continue through life, and not be held back because of bad grades or whatever else is in the way.
ReplyDeleteNathan
I think that the article is making a good argument because when kids are younger they are unaware of the difference between Standard English and slang English. Incorporating the childrens' home speech patterns will help them score better on tests because that way they understand because it's what they're used to at home. Although as they get older and progress through school it might be a good idea to show the difference between slang English and Standard English because that's what our society views as acceptable. As bad as that sounds it's true because, like Baldwin's argument, they-people-should be able to speak Black English if they want to because it's as much of a language as English is. But, newsflash, it's not exactly enjoyable to sit and listen to someone speaking slang at a job interview. As much as it sucks, it's true.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about it, the more I'm torn between sides-teaching Black English in schools, or not.
I do not agree with teaching Black English in any schools across America because in this day and age to survive in the real world you have to communicate properly with people. Standard English is a base in America because most people speak it and understand it very well. Teaching one form of English would just be easier.
ReplyDelete-Ted Merschman
I think it's a neat idea actually. It's working with what some people grasp, then expanding on that. The only problem is, I can't really tell from this context if they're actually doing better on the tests, or if the bar is just being lowered. It's hard for me to pick a side, because both seem to carry the risk of patronization, but I think whatever teaches people language adaptation overall is best.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a good idea if it is offered as an elective or an option for students. I think its true it helps to show the difference between when you should speak proper english and times when it alright to speak anything you may choose. I do not think that it should be necessary for students because some students would be against wanting to take the class.
ReplyDeleteIn his essay baldwin says "It goes without saying, then, that language is also a political instrument, means, and proof of power. It is the most vivid and crucial key to identify: It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity. There have been, and are, times, and places, when to speak a certain language could be dangerous, even fatal. Or, one may speak the same language, but in such a way that one's antecedents are revealed, or (one hopes) hidden."
He is saying that language is really a part of who you are in that the language you speak can differentiate you from other groups and classes in society. Therefore if you are speaking very terrible english in a professional setting you will be looked down upon, even if that is the language you speak and it is from your culture.
I think it's a good idea to help kids learn about the way they talk and communicate along with the way they should talk in certain situations. Telling anyone, especially a child, that the way they are doing something is wrong and the way you do it is right is not a very effective way of getting them to learn. They aren't speaking incorrectly, they're just speaking differently. By teaching them the rules of the way they communicate it may help them relate it to the rules of standard English and make it easier to learn. Baldwin says that a persons language identifies them, whether they want it to or not. The article brings this up when talking about how a person is judged, just like a book by it's cover, when they go to a job interview. The way you speak is going to immediately give the employer an opinion about you. This is why people are expected to learn standard English, so that everyone can have the same opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the paraphrasing. I'm not sure exactly if this is right, but deal with it :). In Baldwin's essay, he refers to the fact that White's have in some form ripped off Black English and made it their own. I got the impression that he did not neccessarily like everyone speaking Black English. I know in class we said he'd probably be all for teaching this in schools, but I wonder if he really would if that meant a bunch of other people taking on the dialect. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see how it would help. If I were a child, I would respond better to "Your way is just as good. Here's an alternative." than to "You're wrong, and here's the right way to do it."
ReplyDeleteBut I can see how Baldwin might be against it. It seems like it could be a case of white people only trying to educate black children "as this could serve white purposes." Although I wouldn't say I take that standpoint, I would understand if a man scarred by constant racism throughout his whole life would reach that conclusion.