As
speakers of the American-English dialect, we are entirely too quick to argue
that there is one single “correct dialect.” We believe depending on what region
one lives in, what community someone comes from or the group of people one associate
themself with, speak a slightly altered version of an all-mighty, correct
dialect of American-English language. This concept is one that is simply just
incorrect and because of this unfortunate thought process, those who speak the
various minority dialects present in the United States are falling behind early
in their education.
So who exactly is this effecting?
One group of speakers who have struggled
with this stigma on minority dialects are those who speak African American
English (AAE). Educators are teaching students using a curriculum geared
towards teaching Standard American English. Some scholars believe that the way
to fix this issue is to start by using authentic African American literature as
well as educating their staff and administration to accept and understand the
rules of African American English. By doing this they claim that those students
who speak AAE will feel be able to learn speech and literacy much easier as
they will feel more represented in the classroom and school.
As these are all a logical place start, how
far is changing literary materials to and conducting a quick lesson to staff
members going to take these AAE speaking students? Reading material with
content that they can relate to is incredibly important but something people
don’t always think about is how not all AAE speaking students are African American.
In her article, Cara Shousterman open’s readers eyes to the struggles of what
it’s like for these students to be forced to learn how to speak Standard
English. In many curriculums across the country, Black English isn’t considered
a “legitimate” form of the English language and those students who speak using
AAE at home and in their communities, struggle to learn how to read, write
and speak Standard English when they’re expected to understand it. Shousterman believes
that the best way to teach these students is by using and allowing their at-home
dialect in the classroom. Teachers shouldn’t be giving students low grades for
using statements like “y’all” instead of “you all” or “I be in the gym” rather
than “I am in the gym,” rather they should be allowing them to speak that way and pointing out the differences between SAE and AAE.
In a New York Times book review on
John McWhorter’s Talking Back, Talking
Black, Jamil Smith mentions discusses McWhorter’s question of why, as
Americans, are we so indifferent towards Black English when the dialect as a
whole follows rules and has a systematic structure like any other dialect or
vernacular? African American English, just as any
other dialect present in the United States needs to be appreciated, celebrated,
understood and accepted, as it is just as correct as any other dialect.
As stated, it’s
important that educators teach all student’s that the African American English
dialect is not considered incorrect not only for the students who speak it but
for those who don’t. If educators are constantly correcting AAE speakers,
non-AAE speakers will also believe that AAE is incorrect. These students also
might develop a stigma on Standard American English as being a negative way to
speak. Felicia R. Lee discusses research collected in New York City schools
stating that students were questioning their peer’s identities when they spoke Standard English. This is why it’s imperative that educators treat and use all
dialects equally according to the population of their class. As American’s who
have gone through the school system, will put our youth through the system and
teach in the system, we have to start recognizing that African American English
is a systematic, legitimate language that needs to be celebrated rather than denied.
