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Black Dialect
Term Paper ID:42684
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Essay Subject:
This paper provides an analysis of black dialect with a focus on African American ...... More...
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4 Pages / 900 Words
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Paper Abstract:
This paper provides an analysis of black dialect, with a focus on African American Vernacular English also known as Ebonics or African American English, a subgroup of Standard American English that continues to cause controversy and create confusion about the nature of language and its use.
Paper Introduction:
Black Dialect The concept of black dialect has changed over time According tothe Center for Applied Linguistics CAL The terms used by scholars torefer to the unique language variety of many African Americans reflects thechanging terms used to refer to African Americans themselves across thedecades Dialects p In the s African American English AAE was referred to as Negro American dialect but by the s was knownamong linguists as African American Vernacular English AAVE AAE remainsthe generally accepted term today but AAVE
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377). AAE is also known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) andis like other dialects of English in many respects. AAE remainsthe generally accepted term today, but AAVE is also routinely used. As Schneider (2 5) notes, "Early representations ofAfrican-American dialect by white authors of the Reconstruction periodconstituted a strategy of stereotyping and containment" (p. 1). The dialect dilemma. AAVE is a systematic language that has usage that goes farbeyond slang. AAVE fits within the category of a dialect, whichrefers to a "subgroup within a language which differs from another dialectin vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar" (Coppus, 2 8, p. 378). 2). 2). According tothe Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), "The terms used by scholars torefer to the unique language variety of many African Americans reflects thechanging terms used to refer to African Americans themselves across thedecades" (Dialects, 2 9, p. Journal of Pidgin & Creole Languages, 21(2), 377-38 . Speakersof two different dialects often understand each other, despite Cosby'scontentions, while speakers of two different languages often do not. It doesn't want to speak English.I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't?' 'Where youis?'...I don't know who these people are" (Hamilton, 2 5, p. An example of a phonetic difference between Standard AmericanEnglish and Ebonics shows how the same language differs among dialects butcan be readily understood. This clearly showsthat Ebonics or AAVE is not bad English but a subgroup systematic languagewithin Standard American English and communication. (2 5). 2). In this sense, among people of all colors, it seems thatsome believe only Standard English is good English and that dialects arebad. Many who criticizeAAVE have little understanding of the black dialect from a linguisticperspective. Retrieved January 23, 2 9, from http://www.cal.org/topics/dialects /aae.html65Hamilton, K. Center for Applied Linguistics. 2). Later,black authors like Paul Laurence Dunbar and Zora Neal Hurston used blackdialect for serious purposes. Despite the fact that linguists now view AAVE as one of manydialects of Standard American English, many remain outspoken about what isalso labeled Ebonics. It can't speak English. In many instances itappears that negative associations or impressions of black dialect likeAAVE stem from stereotypes or racial attitudes. The fact that Bill Cosbydoes not recognize Ebonics as a legitimate dialect and associates it withpoor conduct in African American youth shows how misled some people areregarding AAVE. Cosby has harshlycriticized the use of AAVE among African American youth and has blamedparents for failing to ensure their children learn how to speak what hecalls proper English. For this reason, many preferred to use the term African AmericanEnglish. In the 196 s, African American English(AAE) was referred to as Negro American dialect, but by the 199 s was knownamong linguists as African American Vernacular English (AAVE). 1). As one linguist argues, for this reason "Characterizations ofAAVE as bad English are incorrect; speakers of AAVE do not fail to speakStandard American English, but succeed in speaking African American Englishwith all its systematicity" (Dialects, 2 9, p. ReferencesCoppus, S. AsSchneider (2 5) reports of the character of Jim in Mark Twain'sHuckleberry Finn, "Many of the features observed in Jim's speech are alsoreported for African American English (irrespective of differences ofplace, time, social status, style, and usage frequencies)" (p. In the 199 s, an Oakland School Board decided to use the term"Ebonics," a blend of "ebony" and "phonics," in a proposal to use AfricanAmerican English in teaching Standard English in Oakland Schools (Dialects,2 9, p. Black Dialect The concept of black dialect has changed over time. It is readily apparent that black dialects like AAVE are oftenmisunderstood by those without linguistics training. Portrayals of it as bad English are incorrect, becauselinguists argue its rules are distinct from those of Standard AmericanEnglish. One of the most outspoken individuals opposed toEbonics is African American entertainer Bill Cosby. Despite either portrayal or uses, blackdialect of this era shares many features with African American English. As Cosby maintained in one interview, "It's standingon the corner. This is clearly not the case, as evidenced by this analysis. 34). For instance, Coppus (2 8) maintains that oneof the "phonological features" of the Ebonics dialect is the tendency toomit certain sounds (p. Cosbyassociates the use of AAVE with poor behavior among African Americans. Thisanalysis will explore black dialect, with a focus on African AmericanVernacular English. Black dialect has most often been portrayed by white authors inAmerican history. For example, the R, L, and T in various wordsare omitted so that within the dialect of Ebonics "guard" and "car" become"god" and "cah," "tall" and "help" become "taw" and "hep" and "past" and"desk" become "pass" and "des" (Coppus, 2 8, p. (2 9). 1). As the CAL maintains,"AAE is a regular, systematic language variety that contrasts with otherdialects in terms of its grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary" (Dialects,2 9, p. Dialect and dichotomy: Literary representations of African American speech. The phrase Ebonics was coined in the 197 s, but its usecreated controversy because many misunderstood the term to imply that whatthey viewed as incorrect or slang language was acceptable as StandardEnglish. Irrespective of Cosby's criticism of Ebonics, the dialect has itsroots in West African and Niger-Congo languages and is generally consideredsynonymous with "Black English" or "African American Vernacular English"(Coppus, 2 8, p. Black Issues in Higher Education, 22(5), 34-36.Schneider, E.W. A. 1). (2 5). Ebonics: African American vernacular English. Research Starters, 1-12.Dialects. (2 8).
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