Language and ethnicity

Language and ethnicity

Laura W. McGarrityDept. of Linguistics, UW

LING 200, Spring 2006, Prof. Hargus

Overview African American English (AAE)

Misconceptions Facts Linguistic characteristics

The ‘Ebonics’ Controversy

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

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

Fact AAE is systematic and rule-governed, just

like Standard American English (SAE)

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’

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 meaningI got cats.

AAE Syntax Multiple negation

AAE: He don’ know nothin’.

Russian: Oн ничего не знает.

(He nothing not know)

Middle English:

“He never yet no villainy not said

In all his life to no kind of creature.” (Chaucer,

1400)

AAE Syntax Deletion of ‘to be’

AAE: He __ my brother.

Russian: Oн мой брать.

(He my brother)

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).

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

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

‘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’)

‘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

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

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”

‘Instruction in Ebonics” Use of Ebonics as tool in teaching, not as

object of lessons http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/standardamerican/

‘Genetically based’ Popular interpretation:

African Americans are biologically predisposed to speak AAE

Intended meaning:

‘Genetic’ refers to linguistic origins (or ‘genesis’) in African languages

‘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

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.”