Due by class time on: Friday, Feb. 4th, 2011 (although this class is off!!!)
The responses by the whole class are due by class time on: Monday, Feb. 7th, 2011
The text you need to read is here.
By: Shawn M. Good
The first chapter broadly contrasts many arguments that attempt to define AAE. AAE stands for African American English. The author sides with the argument that AAE is a dialect. This goes against the traditional belief that AAE is a form of broken English. The author gives a detailed description illustrating the differences between dialects and languages. The writer argues that, “dialects are variations of a language that are mutually intelligible but include some grammatical and/or pronunciation patterns that are unique to speakers in certain regions, social classes, or ethnic groups. Like other languages, English consists of dialects that possess distinctive features. Thus, even Standard American English is a dialect- just one member of the family dialects that constitute the English language (page 8).” Therefore, the writer constitutes AAE as a dialect. The author continues by explaining AAE has, “deep structure.” This means the dialect has rules to its syntax. The writer defends AAE by claiming, “AAE has been labeled broken English, slang, a dialect, and a language. These names both reflect and affect the status of AAE speakers (page 16).” AAE is believed to have emerged from Pidgin. When Africans were enslaved there was a need to communicate, lack of education and a shortage of bilingual speakers. As a result, the enslaved Africans used Pidgin to communicate because they did not speak Standard American English properly. Later, it evolved to what is now referred to as AAE. Due to the origin of AAE, politicians, the wealthy, and the school system will never adapt to AAE speakers and writers. The author concludes the chapter by writing, “While most agree that any classification will reflect politics as well as linguistics, those who consider AAE dialect point to the similarities that make AAE and English mutually intelligible most of the time. On the other hand, those who call it a distinct language single out certain differences in grammar and communicative strategies. Finally, there are those who question whether linguists should attempt to classify it at all (page 17).”
The second chapter is more detailed and focuses on the distinctive features of AAE. Due to the fact that AAE has many distinguishing features from Standard American English, AAE is a truly unique way of communicating. AAE has created many new words, pronunciations, and new spellings for Standard American English words. This chapter contains many example and charts that show the complexity of the AAE dialect. The author gives many examples that translate AAE to Standard English Language. For example, an AAE speaker might say something like, “They is some crazy folks. You was right (page 35).” To a Standard English speaker this may sound broken, the author translate its meaning to, “They are some crazy folks. You were right (page 35).” This example shows how AAE has distinct rules governing the use of subjects and verbs in disagreement. AAE has many other syntax rules that make it a distinct dialect. These rules are what separate a dialect from a form of broken English. The grammar created by AAE is “more streamlined (as it requires fewer word endings) (page 51).” Also, the author puts forth evidence that suggests AAE users, “…have developed rhetorical strategies that are interactive and narrative, direct and indirect musical and visual (page 51).” These rhetorical strategies can help writers that use AAE in school, because it is another “rhetorical resource” for the writers to take advantage of (page 51).
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by: Jordan Figura
AAE or "African American English" is described in this article as dialect of American English. In this case essentially AAE is Ebonics. The article explains reasons as to why it should be considered a dialect. For one, African Americans have gone to great links to preserve this way of speaking while creating words with new meaning and new spelling. "They have developed rhetorical strategies that are interactive and narrative, direct and indirect, musical and visual." (51) An example of this would be "I ain't lying". As opposed to I am not lying. Or, "cant nobody beat us" as opposed to, nobody can beat us. While many would say that this is not the correct form of speaking, the article explains that it has been made famous by Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Frederick Douglas, and has a correlation with higher scores on writing tests.
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ReplyDeleteFirst off, I would like to say that i really enjoyed this article.It speaks about AAE which has been around almost as long as regular English. The author trie s to touch on the fact that this way of speaking has grown abundantly and is starting to become a very common way of speaking. what I like about this article is that it touches a lot on what is going on today because the mass of growth of AAE is even being used in different forms of technology. For example, it is being used in our text messages, our facebook messages, our tweets, and most commonly how we talk to our friends on a daily basis. I believe Shawn good wrote a nice solid summary. It provided readers with a good sense of what the article talked and about the point that the author was trying to come across.
ReplyDelete"What is AAE?" was an article that contained an interesting subject. I agree that AAE is a dialect and it is interesting how African Americans started it and have chosen to preserve it. Just like the way people speak in the south, AAE is a preservation of culture. I agree that AAE is perfectly acceptable to speak, but to write in a formal setting. The dialect is definitely worth studying, just as in dialect is, so that people can better understand on another, especially non-native speakers.
ReplyDeleteThis article was particularly interseting because AAE is something that is apart of my everyday life. I never thought of it as a form of english in fact I thought of it as slang. I find interesting that although people say AAE is improper grammar this article actually goes through reasons why this is an acceptable form of language.
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about AAE and it has been around for a a long time and has been used by Martin Luther King Jr. It is a dialect of the African American culture.
ReplyDeleteI actually did not really understand the differences. I just thought the eubonics was just a short hand version of what should be used properly. Oviously there are always differences throughout cultures so what makes the language any different?
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of AAE prior to reading this article. It was interesting learning about the history of it and why it has been preserved. After reading through this article I must say that I don't necessarily think it should be considered a formal dialect from what I've learned in this article. Just because Martin Luker King and some other famous people smoke this way doesn't mean we should all speak this way. There are specific English and grammar rules that we should all follow to make the language universal. Basically, it is not considered proper English to speak with this "dialect" so we should respect the people that do but also strive to better our English-speaking skills to have the correct English dialect.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with almost every point made in this article. I do not think that "AAE" should be considered a language any more than "southern hillbilly yokel" speech should be considered its own language. I find them both mutually intelligible with standard English, and I find them both to be equally annoying and to sound equally uneducated. I consider "AAE" to be a dialect of English, and a substandard one at that. I consider it to be an English dialect that is mostly comprised of slang words and broken English grammar and pronunciation. A person who speaks "AAE" is not bilingual. For such a historically oppressed group of people who have continually been trying to be accepted on the same level and treated as equals, they are certainly not helping themselves by creating yet another barrier toward equality.
ReplyDeleteShawn Good wrote a thorough and informative summary of the article, "What is AAE?" My personal feeling is that ebonics should be considered a dialect and not a separate or substantial language. It should be appreciated for its historical and cultural relevance, but I don't believe that AAE should be accepted in the school system as a proper form of speaking or writing. To me, this isn't a matter of politics or the wealthy elite not being willing to accept something because of bias, but rather because AAE is just a form of English created due to a lack of available education at the time. There are different forms of English found throughout the world, from Australia, Ireland, Wales, America, and Canada. One thing that binds them all is an adherence to certain grammatical elements and sentence structures. As another commenter pointed out, we wouldn't consider southern colloquial, or "hillbilly," speech as grammatically correct, even though we all sometimes speak that way. As a writer, I understand the importance of understanding these different dialects for use in dialogue and characterizations, but I just don't think they are proper for formal writing.
ReplyDeleteOverall I enjoyed reading the article and the summaries about AAE. It was interesting to read and learn about the origins of AAE. Although I thought the article was interesting, I disagree that AAE should be thought of as its own seperate language. I agree with the point that Lauren McCully made that people don't consider "southern hillbilly yokel" a language, but instead a form of slang English. I believe that AAE is also a form of slang that is similar to today's version of standard English.
ReplyDeleteThis was really enlightening, I never knew there was a classification system such as this. I also agree that AAe should be considered a dialect, considering that it is widely used and accepted. If people can have a southern droll why can't African Americans have their own dialects?
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with AAE being described as a dialect as long as MAE (Mexican American English) is also excepted as one. Both make short cuts in dialogue, for example a user of MAE may say "I go eat at McDonald's" instead of "I'm going to go eat at McDonald's". Both sentences are understood by a standard English speaker.
ReplyDeleteI thought the article, "What is AAE" was interesting. I feel that AAE should not be considered a dialect. Dialects, all over the world are categorized by geographical regions. I personally I would refer to AAE as slang not dialect. I think just because AAE has a major influence on pop culture and socially acceptable isn't a good enough reason to call it a dialect. I understand dialects to be southern, mid-western, north eastern, etc. AAE is spoken all over the country by millions of people, the same way slang is spoken by people all over the country. I think that if we categorize AAE as dialect, then we must do the same for Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Italian Americans and so on. A lot of other American cultures misuse verbs and subject/verb agreements and we label it as broken English. If we are going to be held to a high standard in this country and expected to write and speak formal standard American English, then promoting dialects only hurts are chances of being able to write and speak correctly. Just like with any language the only way you learn is to practice. If you are practicing speaking incorrectly, then of course, you will not be able to write or speak correctly.
ReplyDeleteOverall, this article was fun to read and interesting. I also agree with the author on his belief that AAE is a dialect. AAE is not a language because it does not prescribe to its own syntax. That is how languages are classified. AAE is an extension of English because it uses the same sentence structure. AAE and Spanglish fall into this category of dialect because they feed of a primary language's rules. If AAE had it's own grammar, syntax and tone then it could be classified as one.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this article, "What is AAE?" article was interesting. I don't believe that the way many of us African-Americans speak, classifies as ebonics. If we really think about it, what is proper English? What makes how many people speak English proper? So is the way that Corporate America or the Middle Class talks, "correct English?" No, it comes down to environment and economic factors for people to say what "correct English" is. As many know, our Black heritage limited us from speaking "correct English." Us Blacks didn't have the advantage of learning how to speak "correct English" because of the limitations from Whites. Many Blacks learned through hearing and not being taught. We can't put a label on intelligence just by how people speak. Judge a person by the content of their character not by how they speak.
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ReplyDeleteReading this article brought back a lot of good memories from freshman year. My roommates and I bonded over the many cultural differences between us, one of them being "AAE" or as we refereed to it "Ebonics". They use to call it "Ebonics 101 for Nicole". I agree with the article, there are definitely rules (I know because we use to laugh about how I would break all of them) to this way of speaking. My one roommate wanted to be associated with AAE and with the culture; she was the first one to explain to me first how it was apart of her background and identity. In contrast my other roommate did not want to be associated with AAE (much of that having to do with the point brought up by Lauren McCully). Therefore, even though they are from the same area, same ethnicity, and have similar backgrounds, they are completely different people when it comes to the way they speak.
ReplyDeleteI think this way of speaking is fine at the right time. As long as AAE is not what is being taught in class, then I do not feel it is my place to tell someone how they should speak. In my opinion, when it comes to a person's intelligence it is the content of what someone says rather than the way they say it.
I stronly disagree with this article. Who determines "AAE"? Why does ebonics have to be linked to a certain race. If a caucasian speaks eboncis then what is it called. First, I believe it to be highly offensive that poor english must be linked to African Americans. When Africans spoke in this manner it was because lack of education. I don't think that speaking ebonics today is preserving that language. It is ignorent since people then were not able to receive higher education what so ever. Now that African Americans can be highly educated we should strive to set higher standards then previous generations.
ReplyDeleteI actually found this article very interesting. Mainly because I have never heard of "AAE" before reading the article. I have never known it to be called AAE, I always though of it to be called "ebonics." In my opinion there is no difference between the two because both are broken forms of language that's not properly spoken. I do some what agree with the article. AAE might not be considered proper english, but I am fine with it being considered its' own language. The point is to try to find a way that the world could communicate with one another. as long as we get our point accross and understand one another, what's the big deal?
ReplyDeleteI believe the article, "What is AAE" was great. I feel that "AAE" should not be considered a dialect but more of common grammar. Dialects, all over the world are of geographical regions in which we all talk based upon where we are from. I personally I would refer to AAE as some sort of slang not dialect. I think just because AAE has an influence on culture and is socially acceptable isn't a good reason to call it a dialect but in terms of where we are from and who we are in terms of how we speak. I understand dialects to be southern, mid-western, north eastern, etc. AAE is spoken all over the country by millions of people, the same way slang is spoken by people all over the country. I think that if we categorize AAE as dialect, then we must do the same for Mexican Americans. A lot of other American cultures misuse verbs and subject/verb agreements and we label it as broken English.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "What is AAE" was very interesting to read. I personally didn't know AAE existed. I think ebonics and AAE are related in some way because they are broken forms of language. I do agree with the article when it says that it is not proper english, because it's not. Overall, it all boils down to the individual because we cannot force people to speak a certain way. But at the same time they should know the proper way of speaking.
ReplyDeleteI thought the article argued many valid points about AAE. Black Vernacular English is a constant debate in the field of education. I think BVE should not be used in the classroom or any type of professional setting. If the grammar world wants to recognize BVE as a language or a dialect is ok,but I do not agree with the idea of BVE being used in any other setting other than casual conversation between friends or loved ones.
ReplyDeleteI think that I have previously read an article similar to this one, and I agree with both of them. I do feel that "African American English" is more than just a "broken English", I agree that it is a dialect. I understand that its orgins are not very spectacular, but that doesn't mean that it any less of a language. All languages have gotten inspiration from another, what makes this any different? This is how a group of people communicate and relate to one another. I do not feel that this is something that should taught as a written language, but I do feel that people should be aware of the fact that it is not ingorance that causes people speak this way, it's culture. As with anything, understanding is needed on this subject, it can change perspectives.
ReplyDeleteFinally something that genuinely grabs my attention. I completely agree with the author. AAE or "Ebonics", as most of us know it has, is much more than just "slang". It has been around for years, almost just as long as the English language and has contributed to the development and growth of the English language as well. However, for those who agree that AAE is more than simply "broken English", do you believe it should be taught in classrooms? I, am guilty of using AAE when talking to close friends or family members but when writing a research paper. I believe there is a place for everything, and AAE should be kept within a social setting.
ReplyDeleteThe article "What is AAE" was very interesting, and held my attention. I agree that AAE, African American English, should be considered a dialect, and not a form of broken English. The author had many good reasons as to why AAE is considered a dialect, and seems to know a lot about the subject. I think for one to claim that AAE is a form of broken English is an insult, because that would imply that there is no deeper meaning as to why it is spoken the way it is. The author provides many examples and sets of data to show that there is a structure and deeper meaning to AAE. Also, I think that Shawn did a very good job of clearly summarizing the article, and made it easy to understand.
ReplyDeleteThis article is the great article to talk about AAE which I have ever read. I agree with the author’s point to talk about AAE as a dialect of English languages. It is also new to me that AAE has its own vocabulary, slang and pronunciation. I have heard before that every dialect can become an official language mostly based on the policy of government. I like Shawn M. Good’s and Jordan Figura‘s posts. They have done a good and effective post in detail, especially Shawn M. Good.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally with this article "AAE". African Americans should have their own dialect. Each of the students who summarized this article did an excpetional job. This article really stands out to me obiviously, because I am African American. "AAE" is way more than a broken language. It is a way the Africans American pick up on language just like an Italian, or a Polish child. Yet these aren't seen as unexcpetable in a class room.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the summaries, I think they were both written very well. I definitely agree with the tone of the article. I agree with the point of view of AAE having their own dialect. I think it is important and a lot could be benefited from that. I understood what AAE was before reading the article and summaries in relation to their own slang ect.
ReplyDeleteAAE discusses the cultural differences between languages and how dialects are developed over time in specific areas. I agree that it isn't a broken language and that just because it is spoken differently does not mean there is something ungrammatical about the way they speak.
ReplyDeleteI found this article about AAE very interesting because before reading this I had never heard of it being said as AAE I had always known it to be speaking Ebonics. I do speak slang with close friends and family memebers on the daily but when it comes to the outside world I have a very different way of speaking. I don't believe this should be taught in class rooms only because it is not proper English nor grammar. I think both people did a great job with summarizing the article by actually breaking down what the author meant by his article.
ReplyDeleteThe article African American English is a very interesting article and the summaries was very well written and clear. I do believe I do not use the best grammar especially in my social life. Language is so diverse and it really depends on what culture you're in which what makes the world so interesting as it is. I agree with Brianna, I don't think this should be taught in the classrooms because it is not proper grammar.
ReplyDeleteThe author makes it clear that AAE is a dialect of American English. AAE (African American English) is an actual dialect because it was developed by a large group of minority Americans. The main reason why it is not considered a dialect to most is because it originated from slaves. These slaves needed a way to communicate and by being denied a proper English education they had to create their own. According to the article AAE is separated from other dialects because the written history for it is missing. At the time it was created there was no way for African Americans to keep written documents of the language. The AAE dialect does have recognizable distinctive features that makes it a dialect.
ReplyDeleteI believe that AAE was developed by minorities in a way to communicate with each other. No AAE is not correct as far as speaking and writing with the Standard English Language, but its just a way minorities communicate. Now if you were to write a paper for class using AAE you would be incorrect. AAE is a language that should be used at the appropriate time, like with friends, or texting.
ReplyDelete"What is AAE?" was an article that contained an interesting subject. I agree that AAE is a dialect and it is interesting how African Americans started continue to use it.According to the article AAE is separated from other dialects because the written history for it is missing.
ReplyDeleteIronically, as it seems, I feel there is no proper English. Every once in awhile people may use words properly. More often then not, people do use slang. The way we text these days is basically how we are now speaking to each other. So who is there that can say what “ Standard English” is.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this article; it was very easy to relate to as I am starting to know more and more people that are of African American decent. This way of speaking has clearly grown a lot in recent years and more people who are not aware of it so much have a hard time understanding it. However there are a lot of people that do understand the AAE and can speak it themselves. It is seen growing more abundant in technology and in real life. The summary of this article was well written and got right to the point and was easy to read.
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