Lost in Translation? AAVE Ideas and Expectations in a University Writing Center

1. Lost in Translation?AAVE Ideas and Expectations in a University Writing Center Matt Cox Michigan State University March 2008

2. Terminology: African American Vernacular English ver·nac·u·lar - “of, relating to, or being a nonstandard language or dialect of a place, region, or country” Simply put -- the structured, historically and linguistically rooted language of the African American community (having origins in both English and West African languages). Consultant -- also known as tutor Client -- also known as student, tutee, etc. Session -- 50 min. to 2 hour time slot

3. Why is language awareness important? “Writing centers are supposed to deal with heterogeneity—students who speak English as a second language, students who use a nondominant dialect, students who have learning disabilities, students who don’t follow assignment guidelines—and writing centers are expected to master and control this heterogeneity rather than interpret it.” - Nancy Maloney Grimm

4. “Students speaking nonstandard dialects have a difficult task in becoming comfortable with the language that is required for most projects in academic and business worlds. Writing centers can assist them much more efficiently and positively than we currently are able to, simply by adding to our training a bit of basic information about dialect and a lot of sensitivity to the is-sues that accompany it.” Bir and Christopher, “Training writing tutors to recognize dialectical difference”

5. So then… what is the status of attitudes about and approaches to student language, specifically African American Vernacular English (AAVE, AAL, Ebonics) in a writing center at a large historically white, Midwestern state institution?

6. I decided to ask clients and consultants… • What are the attitudes about AAVE among both clients and consultants in one writing center? • What are the expectations and desires in both groups for AAVE use in academic discourse? • And… what would be the emergent (if any) differences in these views?

7. Design: • Two online, anonymous surveys • Email contact • Survey Monkey online surveys • Anonymous, voluntary

8. Participation: • Consultants: 42%. (23 of 55) • Clients: 5% (502 of 10,054)

9. Consultant Survey Makeup: • African American 9% (MSU - 7.4%) • Latino 0% (MSU - 2.8%) • American Indian 4% (MSU - 0.7%) • Asian 13% (MSU - 5.1%) • Caucasian 74% (MSU - 84%) • Undergraduate 52% (MSU - 78%) • Graduate 48% (MSU - 22%)

10. Client Survey Makeup: • African American 8% (MSU - 7.4%) • Latino 3% (MSU - 2.8%) • American Indian 1% (MSU - 0.7%) • Asian 19% (MSU - 5.1%) • Caucasian 63% (MSU - 84%) • Other 6% • Undergraduate 59% (MSU - 78%) • Graduate 30% (MSU - 22%) • Other (please specify) 11%

11. Is English your first language? Consultants: • Yes 91% • No 9% Clients: • Yes 77% • No 23%

12. Consultants work (per week): • Less than 5 hours 22% • 5 to 9 hours 30% • 10 to 20 hours 48% • More than 20 hours 0% Clients visit (per semester): • 1 time 64% • 2 to 4 times 24% • More than 4 times 12%

13. Question: “I am familiar with either the label African American Vernacular English (AAVE) or Ebonics.” Consultants: • True 91% • False 4.5% • Unsure 4.5% Clients: • True 65% • False 24% • Unsure 11%

14. Question: “I speak Standard English either sometimes or most of the time.” Consultants: • True 96% • False 4% • Unsure 0% Clients: • True 94% • False 2% • Unsure 4%

15. Question: “I speak AAVE (or Ebonics) either sometimes or most of the time.” Consultants: • True 17% • False 83% • Unsure 0% Clients: • True 8% • False 85% • Unsure 7%

16. Consultant Question: “I have explained to users of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) how and when Standard (or Academic) English might best be used.” • True 57% • False 14% • Unsure 29%

17. Client Question: ”I have had a Writing Center consultant explain the uses of vernacular English (such as African American Vernacular English) versus Standard (or Academic) English.” AAVE Users: • True 2% • False 85% • Unsure 12% African Americans: • True 0% • False 89% • Unsure 11%

18. Consultant Question: “In writing center consultation sessions, I have explained to users of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) how and when African American Vernacular English might best be used.” • True 43% • False 43% • Unsure 14%

19. Consultant Question: “I have encouraged clients to use African American Vernacular English in academic papers or assignments.” True 43% False 43% Unsure 14%

20. Consultant Question: “I have discouraged clients from the written use of African American Vernacular English in academic papers or assignments.” • True 14% • False 72% • Unsure 14%

21. Consultant Question: “I tend to encourage the exclusive use of Standard English.” • True 14% • False 86%

22. Consultant Question: “I would appreciate training and resources to help me to teach clients about the uses of vernacular language forms and dialects in composition.” • True 78% • False 22%

23. Consultant Question: “I am familiar with the concepts of “code-switching” or “code-meshing” to mean a speaker’s mixing of Standard English and vernacular Englishes (such as AAVE) in speech or writing.” • True 67% • False 22% • Unsure 11%

24. Client Question: I have intentionally written academic papers or assignments at least partially in African American Vernacular English instead of Standard English. Among AAVE Users: • True 24% • False 76% • Unsure 0% Among African American clients: • True 25% • False 75% • Unsure 0%

25. Client Question: I am familiar with the concepts of “code-switching” or “code-meshing” to mean a speaker’s mixing of Standard English and vernacular Englishes (such as AAVE) in speech or writing. Among AAVE Users: • True 88% • False 10% • Unsure 2% Among African American clients: • True 89% • False 7% • Unsure 4%

26. Quick Refresher/setting terms: • Code-switching -- The bilingual ability to shift between languages in day-to-day literacy situations. • Code-meshing -- “based on what linguists have called code-mixing, to combine dialects, styles, and registers.” - Vershawn Ashanti Young, Your Average Nigga: Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity

27. Client Question: I would find useful Writing Center consultation sessions that help me to know how to more knowledgably use Standard English in my academic life (classes, assignments, etc.). Among AAVE Users: • True 27% • False 68% • Unsure 5% Among African American clients: • True 33% • False 63% • Unsure 4%

28. Client Question: I would find useful Writing Center consultation sessions that help me know how to more knowledgably use African American Vernacular English in my academic life (classes, assignments, etc.). Among AAVE Users: • True 46% • False 51% • Unsure 2% Among African American Students: • True 54% • False 46% • Unsure 0%

29. So what do we make of this data? • What does it mean that students seem to be resisting further instruction on “knowledgeable use”? • But resisting SE more than AAVE? • What does a high awareness of AAVE but a (seeming) reluctance to integrate it into academic use indicate?

30. Finding Meaning… • Smitherman: “this (survey work/finding) is a more realistic snapshot of African American and African American Language (speaking) Writing Center clients/students in college today. There is still lingering ambivalence--I call it linguistic push-pull-- about Black speech in the African American community. This ambivalence is probably even more pronounced among Black youth in college, particularly in historically white universities, than say among their peers who are not in college.”

31. Weaver: “writing centers often promote the idea of ‘colorblindness’ in order to purport racial equality, yet this approach often stifles discussion of the true issues at hand with racial differences in the writing center’s day-to-day activities.” • Colorblindness as a way to deal with “cognitive dissonance.”

32. Trimbur: “writing centers must and will become multiliteracy centers” • How? : ) • Questions, comments…

33. writing.msu.edu