Language and ethnicity

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

18. 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”

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

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

21. ‘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

22. 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.”