Meagan Lund

Research paper
African American Vernacular English in schools
The social issue I have decided to do my project over is African American Vernacular
English being taught in schools. What is African American Vernacular English otherwise known
as AAVE? Known as English Vernacular or Vernacular Black English to sociolinguist,
commonly known as Ebonics outside the academic community. Ebonics is ebony and phonics
combined.
It should be taught in public elementary schools, high schools, as well as colleges. It is used
widely among the African American community and has been for hundreds of years. Many
people see it as broken English, but it is a language of its own. The teachers must be educated on
the subject as the first step of integrating into schools According to Geneva Smitherman; it is a
set of communication patterns and practices resulting from Africans appropriation and
transformation of a foreign tongue during the African Holocaust.
Ninety percent of African Americans use one or more aspects of AAVE some of the time
(Smitherman 19). Studies by researchers at Stanford University show that black children who
have been taught using the Ebonics program which recognizes so-called black English as distinct
from standard English have improved their ability to read and write standard English (Milloy,
par. 3; emphasis in original). Introducing multiculturalism is very important in todays society
and the schooling system. We should encourage code- switching in classrooms. Code-switching
is the ability to
Choose the language variety appropriate to the time, place, and audience and communicative
purpose. (Wheeler and swords 451; italics in original).
The articles I read that helped inform me of this issue and educate me on the subject were
very interesting to read. An article by Jessica Whitney called Five Easy Pieces: Steps
Toward Integrating AAVE into the Classroom. This article talked about steps of integrating the
language into schooling agendas and makes very valid points as to why it should be taught.
Another article that educated me on the issue is African American Vernacular English is not
standard English with mistakes. By Geoffrey k. Pullum, this article explains why AAVE is not
broken English and makes valid points as to why this is a real language, something that will help
in my forum on the subject when there is resistance from individuals who disagree that it should
be taught in schools. The third article that helped me with my research is what is Ebonics
(African American English)? By John R. Rickford where it explains everything about the
language. We need to inform people of the language and teach them before we ask them to form
their opinion on whether or not it should be taught in schools or not.
My documentary analysis over the subject helped me understand the subject because it
was showing a school actually incorporating it in their learning lessons and how the children
reacted to it, they seemed to really enjoy it and they do know the difference between Standard
English and AAVE. Seeing it implemented in the lesson and taking action is a valid point in to
deciding that AAVE should in fact be taught in schools, and to further diversify them more and
bring cultures closer together. Understanding the roots and reasons that this language exists is a
crucial part of convincing everyone it should be taught in schools.
My social issue needs an intervention because I feel that AAVE is used by more than just
African Americans and it is spoken by a large number of people everywhere, and a lot of people
code-switch as well, our older and younger generations need to be on the same page and learn to
understand each other in order to communicate more effectively.

My plan to inform people on this social issue is to hold a public forum at Salt Lake City
public library. The forum is open to any and every one; I could start off by introducing the
subject and what it is, who speaks it, and why it is important that we teach it in schools. First I
would need to advertise the event by printing out fliers and putting ads in the paper and also
reaching out to school faculty and the community around the Salt Lake area to urge them to
come and get educated on the issue and form an opinion on the subject and to possibly propose
the idea that it should be implemented into the local schools.
This Forum would cost about two- hundred dollars in total to happen. The advertisements
would be the main source of cost to get people to attend the forum, the other cost would be
renting a space from the library to hold the forum in, and lastly refreshments for the participants
would be the other cost.
The possible areas of resistance in this forum in the subject of African American
Vernacular English would most likely be from the parents of the students that the language could
possibly be implemented into. They might not understand why the language is important enough
to teach in schools, but that is why we need to introduce them to it in the introduction of the
forum and explain why it is important and how everyone could learn something from it.
Other areas of resistance could possibly come from some of the teachers who dont see
diversity in schools as important, but it is very important to understand all of your students and
not just some, AAVE is spoken at home and around friends and the teachers should be informed
on the subject to better their communication and relationships with their students.
My interview could change the social issue for the benefit of African American culture
by bringing acceptance of the culture and language into not just schools but society as well. The
language seems to be associated with being unintelligent and involving gang activity or not
speaking proper English but the more people we teach that those are not correct stereotypes
could bring a lot of people closer and make them change their opinions on a lot of things.
Bringing culture and diversity into schools could also teach children to be more accepting of
other races and nationalities and cut down on racism and oppression. If older generations and
younger generations understand the language it could also bring them together as well. African
American English can be used as a bridge to teach Standard English as well, which could
improve the social skills professionally and casually, and improve writing abilities as well.
There is evidence from Sweden, the US, and other countries that speakers of other varieties can
be aided in their learning of the standard variety by pedagogical approaches which recognize the
legitimacy of the other varieties of a language. From this perspective, the Oakland School
Board's decision to recognize the vernacular of African American students in teaching them
Standard English is linguistically sound.( Gadsden, V. and D. Wagner, eds. 1995.Literacy
among African American Youth. Creskill, NJ: Hampton Press.)

Sources :
1.
http://www.csun.edu/~krowlands/Content/Academic_Resources/Language/About%20Language/
Whitney-African%20American%20Vernacular.pdf
2.
http://www.stanford.edu/~zwicky/aave-is-not-se-with-mistakes.pdf
3.
http://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/what-ebonics-african-american-english
4.
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/ebonics.lsa.html