Ebonics is a major, 400 year old language variant, as old and as real as the black experience here itself. Questions of its acceptance are irrelevant. Its speakers will never master standard English, however, through the sloppy, worn and incompetent techniques embraced by our public education system. Linguistically, Ebonics is no more bad English than it is not English at all. An uninformed person may call it bad English because its vocabulary is essentially English. But a language is determined by its grammar, not its vocabulary. The grammar of Ebonics is substantially based on the mother tongues of Africans brought here as slaves 400 years ago. Forbidden from being taught to even read during their first 250 years here blacks created their on 'language' by superimposing an English vocabulary over the grammar of their mother tongues. If this process, known as reflexification, is allowed to reinforce itself without intervention for 250 years, the end result is effectively a new language. English, a romance language, is dramatically more foreign to the African languages than it is to its western European based sister languages. Persons whose mother tongues are any of these other romance languages should have significantly less difficulty mastering English than someone whose mother tongue is African, though they too will have to be formally and carefully taught English as a foreign language. With the grammar of Ebonics being fundamentally derived from African languages the need for a specialized, almost foreign-language like approach in teaching standard English to Ebonics speakers becomes evident. No informed persons have been suggesting teaching Ebonics, but linguists do argue that there are features of Ebonics which must be taken into account when teaching standard English to Ebonics speakers, or the efforts are likely to be wasted. Treating a student's Ebonics as 'bad English' is akin to treating Italian as bad Latin. Nothing inspiring and beneficial to the student can come of this approach, which explains the public school system's dismal failure in competently teaching standard English. Blacks who mastered standard English for the first time were able to do so because it was effectively taught as if it were a foreign language. This is one area where most of us, and especially those disparaging whites who know nothing about Ebonics, should listen more to the experts, as un-American as that may be for many Americans.
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Name : I. Moses., Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, City : Columbia, State : MD Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Ebonics is a media term for a perfectly legitimate dialect of English that linguists and concerned educators call African-American Vernacular English(AAVE) or Black Vernacular English (BVE). What most people think of as 'good' English is Standard American English (SAE), a separate dialect. Both of these dialects have evolved separately, with some crossover, and are the products of history, geography, culture, etc. One of the first tenets of linguistics is that all dialects are equally valid, complete, and useful for communication. Someone who speaks AAVE is not speaking SAE incorrectly, they are using a totally different dialect. Yes, it is important to be able to use Standard American English to succeed in the main-stream, which is probably why many African-Americans switch easily between AAVE and SAE depending on context, and many other African-Americans don't use AAVE at all (Interestingly, white teenagers are starting to use AAVE). Speaking a different dialect isn't laziness. Is it lazy for white people to use local slang?
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Name : Kelly26584, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 24, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, Ric, I think that you're missing the fact that not everyone is afforded the same opportunities and the same quality of education. Not every school is going to teach a child proper English. Many schools, especially inner city and rural schools, are underfunded and have faculty that do not perform their jobs and teach the students what they need to know to succeed. How is that a person's fault if they were raised by parents who also didn't know much better and taught by inferior schools, therefore not having experience with proper English? That isn't laziness, that's lack of opportunity. BTW - French and Italian, as well as Spanish, were 'vernacular' or local languages, not seen on par with Latin. This occurred in the medieval and modern Church up until a few decades ago, and also in the study and classification of medicine and the sciences. That isn't 'off the Internet.' This is told by the very linguists and historians you assume would laugh someone who said this 'out of the room.' You might want to consider going back to college.
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Name : JessicaJ, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Columbus, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Speaking 'ebonically' has nothing to do with being lazy. I use it often but when I am around friends and family to express familiarity and comfort. I do not use it when at school or at work. White people use slang all the time. As a matter of fact, American English contains deviations of British English words the same way ebonics contains deviations of American English. However, I agree with you in that it should NOT be taught in schools because no matter how it arose or who speaks it, it is incorrect English.
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Name : Monika, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : Software Developer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 'Ebonics' is a term used in an attempt to make legitimate, the slaughter of the English language. Supposedly having its origins in the language of slave ancestors centuries ago, it is just another albatross that some blacks wear around their necks(along with gaudy gold chains). How, then, is it that most African-born Africans' speech is crisp, sharp, and perfect? Come on black people, be honest and admit that in some circles, education and the speaking of American English by blacks is a no-no! I'm in my mid-50's and all my life I have been told by blacks that I was just trying to act and sound white by being 'proper'! I once knew a black woman whose last name was 'Huddleston', but she pronounced her own name incorrectly as 'Holliston'! And you know the athlete named 'Anfernee' Hardaway was, no doubt, inteded to be 'Anthony'! Now, let me axs you dis, eff ah be fidd'n to go an git me uh jahb, whutt you 'spec the man g'on do 'bout it? Up here in da Norf(North), my good frenn, Kennif(Kenneth) is g'on be havin' his birfday real soon. So there, which form of speech would you prefer to hear? The first on, or the ignornant one? Blacks, like all other races, have a choice. Unfortunately, all too often, it is the less-evolved on...which reinforces the stereotypes and behaviors. And causes well-intentioned whites to paternalistically say to me, 'you are very articulate!'ahm ...Know what I'm sayin'?
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Name : A.R., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black, Religion : Taoist, Age : 50's, City : Minneapolis, State : MN Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I dont see why a black person should need thier special language to be proud of being black. Nor do I see how you can consider Ebonics a language all its own. It uses the same words as English (plus a few), same (basically) sentence structure, and a person who only knows 'normal' English can understand someone speaking Ebonics. I agree English is the language of success, all around the world. I think Ebonics is hampering progress for black people, because its obvious in these forums some people think its lasyness. Ebonics seems to be merely a pride issue. The only thing I really HATE is pride. Its stupid. You're a human being, not a race, so sit down, shut up, and DO something right with this planet, because there are WAY bigger problems than racial or religious issues. The fact that this very site exists scares me. Why do we need such a thing? Shouldnt we be out being probuctive, instead of dwelling on the past, or harboring old hatreds?
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Name : Nick20017, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 16, City : Edmonton, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : sitting in school, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, it is not the black communities fault that many blacks have not made it. it is because of many discouragements by many people outside of my race and the history that we will never get over. blacks to this day still do not have the chance to make it in this society because of society. ebonics goes back to slavery days.slaves talked that way so their 'master' would not know what they were talking about. many other cultures have advantages over my race so you can say any thing that you made and my culture did not.
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Name : nikki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 20, City : wash, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : college student, Education level : High School Diploma, Ebonics is simply a dialect of English. It doesn't mean you're stupid or lazy. Sadly, people tend to consider 'intelligent English' to be either English with an English dialect, or 'Chicago English.' I mean, does a Southern accent sound particularly intelligent? That doesn't mean people from the south are stupid, it means they grew up speaking a different way. As for grammar... bad grammar really grates on my ears. Ebonics often does have bad grammar. But really, I don't know any 'white' English dialect in which everybody uses excellent grammar, either. I mean, look at the Internet!
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Name : Jakki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 18, City : Oshkosh, State : WI Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, The fact that blacks need a 'native tongue' in modern America - is an ignorant statement altogether. However, I realize, and accept, everybodys right to speak whatever language they want to in the privacy of their lives. English the primary language in the United States. Spanish is secondary. Both of these tongues sound eloquent (especially when spoken properly). When Ebonics is spoken by an individual - they sound uneducated and 'trashy'. But, hey! That's acceptable in todays society. This is what parents allow their children to be because they supposedly 'cannot stop their children' from doing what they want. GREAT PARENTING SKILLS! Eboncics is an embarrassment spoken by any race. But, I'm sure my statement will piss a lot of people off. I usually always expect ignorance from ignorance - and I'm never disappointed. Too bad. For them, I mean. LOL!
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Name : Wren, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 30, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Technician, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, I believe i'm speaking for a lot of people when i say that your wrong to think Ebonics is a black language or way of speaking. I'm a black girl,and when i was young i lived in new york. Though i grew up in a 'black' community i never used ebonics, when me and my family moved to the south everyone told me you sound like a white girl. People must understand that a person can't sound black or white. they can many different types of dialect and jargon, but these are not racial ways of speaking. Also i'd like to point out that black are not the only people that speak Ebonics. And there are no dialets that are 'better' than others, there just different.
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Name : Ty. P, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Columbus, State : GA Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, What you are saying is true to a certain extent. But Ebonics is not a way for African Americans to cheat to get As in school or anything. It's just a label placed on the way some African Americans speak. If the people who teach you language speak poorly, then you will learn poor language. Now in you case you noticed African Americans doing bad things while you did good things to eventually become successful. The thing is there are good PEOPLE and bad PEOPLE (to include those of all races) So African Americans are not the only ones that doe bad things and the only ones to speak 'Ebonics' for that matter. It's called selective exposure, people only see what they want to see and what is consistent with their current beliefs. Just keep in mind that no one race has members that all act completely a like. There is way too much involved in why African Americans are at the status they are now and the reputation they receive from being at this status, so these discussion could continue forever. Just please be open minded and do not generalize people. If you do then you totally prejudged myself and my family completely wrong and inaccurately due to how a portion of African Americans behave
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Name : Mike, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Age : 21, City : Norfolk, State : VA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
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