[annonymous]

Brian: I take exception to your comment that “I’ve always felt that the way you speak and carry yourself is very important, and if you change the way you speak/carry yourself to fit each situation, you are not being truthful to yourself or others.” Have you ever heard, “When in Rome, do as Romans do”? The purpose of language is to effectively communicate ideas from one party to another. In this light, Ebonics facilitates effective communication among its users. When you speak with a child, would you use the vocabulary appropriate for an adult audience? Or, would you use coloquialisms or provincial anecdotes in a conversation with a foreigner? Of course you wouldn’t. Consequently, we all do then make adjustments in our vocabulary and sentence patterns based on the arenas in which we are interacting with others. I am not a proponent for Ebonics being taught in the schools. In my mind, this makes as much sense as teaching Spanish-speaking children formal Spanish in an English-speaking school (teaching them formal lessons in their native tongue is a different matter). Dialects or sublanguages are fully understood by the speakers. What’s the point of formally teaching something that is already understood?

I’ve heard the arguments that formal recognition of Ebonics would bolster children’s self-esteem. I disagree. Teach them to be bilingual, enabling them to confidently interact with others for whom they feel are different from themselves, and you will bolster their self-esteem. Give them the tools to communicate effectively in circles outside of their comfort zones, and potential feelings of intimidation and the resentment that stems from not being taken seriously or understood will also be reduced if not eliminated. Author Merle Collins once said in an interview that at one point in her academic career she was at a crossroad regarding usage of her native tongue, Creole, specifically patroi(forgive my spelling), a combination of French and multiple African languages. Utlimately, she reconciled that she did not have to sacrifice one for the other. Instead, her writing is a masterful blend of the beauty of both Grenadian dialect and her formal British Standard English.

User Detail :  

Name : annonymous, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 34, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States,