The subject of this paper is the variety African American Vernacular English (AAVE) formerly known as Black English Vernacular among linguists and often called Ebonics in the media. I will use the term AAVE throughout this paper. AAVE is a variant of English that shows some unique features no other variant of English shares. Aside there is a huge amount of commonalities between AAVE and Standard English (SE) and English vernaculars. Most of the commonalities AAVE shares with non-standard variants of the south of the United States. But even Caribbean languages resemble AAVE; a fact that has led to discussions about the origins of AAVE and its status. There are two theories in competition: the dialectal hypothesis and the Creole hypothesis. The discussion is not only linguistically interesting but also of political importance. This will be discussed in the first two chapters of this paper. It is very difficult to say how many people speak AAVE. There may be speakers who use AAVE pronunciation and vocabulary but none of the grammatical features. Others may use other distinctive aspects of the variant. Linguists generally use the term AAVE for those variants that show certain distinctive grammatical features like copula deletion, losing of third person singular -s or double negation. Since these grammatical features occur variably - that means in alternation with features of Standard English - it remains difficult to say how many people speak AAVE. This variability shows the complex social attitudes that surround AAVE. Among other things that is why it has attracted the attention of many sociolinguists and has been the main focus of several public discussions. Ten years ago a resolution passed by the Oakland School Board hit the headlines. In comparison to their white contemporaries black children come off badly in school. As a result the members of the School Board claimed that AAVE should be officially recognized “as the predominantly primary language of African-American students”. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The origins of AAVE
3. AAVE – a separate system?
4. AAVE in education
5. Afrocentric schools
6. Conclusion
Objectives & Core Topics
This paper examines the linguistic status, social perception, and educational implications of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), specifically analyzing the ongoing debate regarding its origins and its role within the context of Afrocentric school models in the United States.
- The linguistic origins of AAVE: The Dialectal vs. The Creole hypothesis.
- The classification of AAVE as a system versus a mere dialect.
- The performance of African American students in the American school system and the "deficit theory."
- The role and controversy of Afrocentric school systems in addressing educational inequality.
- Social attitudes towards AAVE and the necessity of pedagogical approaches that respect AAVE while teaching Standard English.
Excerpt from the Book
3. AAVE – a separate system?
A problem that follows the discussion about the origins of AAVE is the question of classification. Is AAVE a separate system, a language of its own? Or is it a mere dialect? Many linguists dealt with this problem. One of them is Labov. He soon established that it is absurd to look at AAVE as being completely different from other English systems. In one of his articles he compares the rules of AAVE to those of other English dialects and comes to the conclusion that the majority of rules are the same. Labov claims that
“the most striking features of AAVE syntax are shared by white Southern States dialects used by white speakers: negative concord, negative inversion, lack of inversion in embedded questions, double modals and more.”(Labov et al. 1998)
Furthermore there is no difference in forming the past tense or the simple present. Differences in forming the future are very small according to Labov. Moreover AAVE uses the same set of aspects as other English systems like the progressive or the present perfect. Apart from small modifications they are used the same way. Labov gives many more examples that show that the rules of AAVE and other English dialects are very similar.
Still many linguists think that it is wrong to place AAVE on one level with all the other systems of English. Labov supposes that there are subsets of rules in AAVE which can not be integrated into other English grammars and that some of these rules are very close the grammatical core of the language. That is one reason why AAVE is set apart from other English dialects.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the scope of the paper, defining AAVE and introducing the academic and political controversies surrounding its usage and status.
2. The origins of AAVE: Explores the competing linguistic theories—the dialectal (Anglicist) hypothesis and the Creole hypothesis—regarding the development of AAVE.
3. AAVE – a separate system?: Analyzes William Labov’s research on the grammatical structure of AAVE, discussing its relationship to other English dialects and the concept of "coexisting systems."
4. AAVE in education: Reviews the history of poor academic performance among black students, challenging the "deficit theory" and advocating for culturally compatible teaching methods.
5. Afrocentric schools: Investigates the principles and controversies of the Afrocentric school movement and its aim to better serve African American students by integrating their culture into the curriculum.
6. Conclusion: Synthesizes the arguments, suggesting that a balanced approach—incorporating African culture into standard schooling and training teachers in AAVE—is more effective than pure segregation.
Keywords
AAVE, African American Vernacular English, Ebonics, Afrocentrism, Dialectal Hypothesis, Creole Hypothesis, Education, Socio-linguistics, William Labov, Cultural Compatibility, Deficit Theory, Code-switching, Language Policy, Educational Inequality, Standard English.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this research paper?
The paper explores African American Vernacular English (AAVE), its historical origins, its grammatical classification, and the challenges its speakers face within the American educational system.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the debate between the Dialectal and Creole hypotheses of AAVE's origin, the social stigma surrounding non-standard dialects, and the attempt to address educational disparities through Afrocentric schooling.
What is the author's primary research goal?
The goal is to evaluate whether AAVE should be treated as a distinct language or a dialect and to investigate whether Afrocentric educational models provide a viable solution for the academic challenges facing black students.
Which scientific methodology does the author utilize?
The author employs a literature-based sociolinguistic analysis, examining existing academic studies (such as those by William Labov) and contemporary media accounts of school board resolutions to construct an argument.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the linguistic evolution of AAVE, the grammatical relationship between AAVE and Standard English (SE), the history of "deficit" theories in education, and the practical implementation and criticism of Afrocentric schools.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The most relevant keywords include AAVE, Afrocentrism, sociolinguistics, cultural compatibility, educational reform, and language policy.
How does the author explain the difference between the "dialectal" and "creole" hypotheses?
The dialectal hypothesis views AAVE as a branch of existing English dialects derived from British English, whereas the Creole hypothesis suggests it emerged from a pidgin language created through the contact of African languages and English during the period of slavery.
What role does the "coexisting systems" model play in the author's argument?
The model, referenced via Labov, explains that AAVE speakers can possess both a General English component and an African-American component, allowing them to effectively switch between codes depending on the social context, which supports the view that AAVE is not "broken" English but a systematic variant.
What is the author's final conclusion regarding Afrocentric schools?
The author concludes that while a fully segregated Afrocentric curriculum is problematic, there is merit in integrating African literature and culture into general education and training teachers to understand and respect the AAVE system.
- Quote paper
- Janna Falkenstein (Author), 2006, African American Vernacular English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/69920
