Sunday, September 12, 2010
Blog Summary 6: Teaching Standard English as Foreign Language to Ebonics Speakers?
This article talks about a teacher who was transferred to a school called Prescott in Oakland, California. The school is not only notorious for having troubled youth, but it also has a student body that is ethnically diverse. While teaching at Prescott, the instructor focuses on creating a series of learning strategies to help African American students understand the English language better. One method in particular was using Ebonics to help increase the student's competency level in understanding English in general. Prescott also has a SEP program that helps teachers to understand the cultures of their students and using them as a learning tool to help them do better in the classroom. In your opinion do you feel that using Ebonics in the classroom is an effective learning tool for schools that are ethnically diverse?
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In the urban dictionary Ebonics is defined as a poor excuse for a failure to grasp the basics of English. When in doubt, throw an "izzle" sound in the middle of any word of just string random thoughts together and insinuate that they actually mean something. So I feel that using Ebonics in the classroom is not an effective learning tool for schools that are ethnically diverse because regardless of the ethnic group, Ebonics is still the improper way to speak and we go to school to learn things the correct way right?
ReplyDeleteI do not think that ebonics is an appropriate way of teaching the English language. Why would you expose a child to ebonics when you are trying to teach them the correct form of the English language? I can see where using ebonics may help the children connect with the material but I do not see this being an effective tool.
ReplyDeleteIn the article the teacher tries to teach students who were so accustom to using Ebonics the correct way of the English language. I feel as though that is a very good deed because many African american students forget that Ebonics and slangs isn't the correct way to use the English language at all. Most students can't help the environment they are in thats why it is very vital that the teachers try their hardest to keep the standard English alive.
ReplyDeleteIf ebonics is all that these kids know at Prescott then i think the use of ebonics would be a helpful way of teaching these kids correct English. The kids don't speak ebonics because they choose to, but because of the area they grew up in.
ReplyDeleteIf by using Ebonics, the teacher is better able to teach students the proper usage of the English language then I feel it is fine. As long as the teacher is not promoting the use of Ebonics in the classroom, I don't see the harm. Some students learn differently and come from different backgrounds so it is important to help all students.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that it is OK to use Ebonics to teach student to speak correct grammar.Its only teaching the student what the already know, by teaching the students Ebonics. However, I do think that standard English is sort of over rated and almost the complete opposite of standard English. So those students doomed to fail anyway.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't think it's appropriate to use Ebonics as a learning tool. Ebonics is a spoken language that uses incorrect English as a way of communicating. It's deemed okay when communicating amongst peers but not in the real world. In the real world it's deemed as ignorant. So why would they use it as an alleged educational tool to educate students? The answer is that their not educating them. Their keeping them ignorant so that they won't survive in the real world. If their kept ignorant they can't compete in society for adequate employment, education, and housing opportunities.
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ReplyDeleteNo, I do not think that teachers should use Ebonics as a way to teach students. Ebonics uses incorrect English, and does not prepare a student to write or speak correctly. Slang is always alright to use when you are by yourself or talking among people you know, but it is not acceptable when that student goes to turn in a paper or has to communicate with his/her teacher. We should all know how to use correct grammar. So teaching students slang would not help in the long run when they have to form this English into a written paper.
ReplyDeleteI think using Ebonics in a school system would be destructive to the students. Students are supposed to learn the correct English terms and writing skills. It's good that teachers are open minded and recognize that Ebonics is often used in some cultures. However, if the teacher’s job is to teach English then that is what they need to do.
ReplyDeleteIt is morally important to teach the younger generations the correct way to think, act, and talk. "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought, and not accept it"-Aristotle. The thought of using Ebonics is definitely an easy thought to entertain. It is much faster and can be simpler to explain you thoughts, however it is only increasing the death of our language. English was formed from Latin which was such an expansive language that it has been the inspiration of multiple other languages. We are losing ways to be able to explain ourselves in elegant rhetoric. It is almost sad that we are losing our own language right out from under us. Dats all I got ta say bout that. C u all n Class.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why you have to use Ebonics as a way of teaching. Yeah, there is slang everywhere and maybe there is more in Oakland than most, but how does that excuse someone from not learning proper english. This is what english class is supposed to teach you. When would you spend more money forming a class that you already have offered at schools?
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ebonics is not an appropriate way to go about teaching the English language. I think that if you were teaching in this manner, you might be hurting your students rather then helping them. If they already speak in a "slang" manner, teaching in that way would just be reinforcing the negative.
ReplyDeleteEbonics is very similar to SE which in turn is slang. Therefore, teaching ebonics, to students so they can better understand the English language is wrong. There is no way that a student could learn proper English if the teachers are teaching them any varity of slang. Proper English is something that takes time to learn and then perfect, thats why the only correct way to teach or learn English is to study every nook and cranny that it contains.
ReplyDeleteIn this article, the teacher emphasizes that ebonics is a common way of speaking amongst the African American ethnicity and students need to understand the proper way of speaking English. However, the teacher thinks that teaching ebonics helps students to understand that talking that way is the wrong way. The English way of speaking should be spoken the coorect way.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that there is anything wrong with the use of Ebonics in the classroom. I feel that it is apart of the African American culture that many African Americans refuse to accept. In my opinion, I feel that Ebonics in itself is its own language. So, I do feel that using Ebonics in the classroom is an effective learning tool for schools that are ethnically diverse. If someone from another country can use their native language as a ways to teach English to those of their own race, then why cant Ebonics be used as a ways to teach "correct English" to African American students, especially the students at Prescott. Also using Ebonics as a tool not only allows students to get a better understanding of the English Language but, as the article says, it allows the teachers get the chance to enhance their understanding of a different culture's language and furthermore understand that culture as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe it is necessary for teachers to teach ebonics. It is the wrong way to speak, so why teach it? It may be easier to speak or write, but the correct way is the only way. I think an elementary school age is rahter early too. Why try and confuse kids with two different dialects?
ReplyDeleteIn the business world, where most people are trying be incorporated in, slang isn't allowed in the office. Individuals learning how to speak Ebonics may not realize when to turn it on and off. Working for corporation, slang would not be acceptable when talking to your boss or giving a presentation to your boss and a room full of CEOS. Proper english should be taught, and learning slang should be on your own time.
ReplyDeleteEbonics in not the way to teach the English language, it is not effective at all. When You are a child u absorb alot of information that you will use in the future why have them learn the wrong form of English, there is no point.
ReplyDeleteI dont agree with using ebonics to teach students. Ebonics is bad English. How can students ever learn good English if they are taught bad English in their schools? This is a terrible idea.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the article and i believe that Carrie Secret's methods are very helpful for the children. It is helpful because she doesn't make the children think AAE is wrong, she allows them to use it but she also teaches them SE by having them translate thoughts they may have conveyed using AAE. I agree with her in that people that were brought up speaking AAE can become effective SE writers. I believe it is attainable for the children to learn to use SE because AAE is derived from it. This makes it much easier to the children than it would be if they were being taught a language that is completely different from the one they had grown up using.
ReplyDelete~Justin Jones~