Abstract

When children start their education, more often than not they bring to school a variety of language that is different from the “standard” used in education. The greater the differences between the two varieties, the more challenges they have to overcome in order to be successful. It has often been asserted that the racial gap in academic performance of Caucasian and African American students in the United States is partly the result of an education policy that stigmatizes the Black English Vernacular (BEV) and forces students to learn a mainstream standard variety that is not part of their identity. This paper reiterates the merits of using the BEV in education by reviewing the attempts to use the vernacular in the curricula. It focuses on incorporating the communicative verbal practices of urban Black America into the education system since the vast majority of African Americans live in urban centers. These Black communities have a vibrant communicative style and a rich repertoire that includes verbal practices such as rapping, signifying, and marking. Properly channeling these practices into the classroom would help African Americans emerge from their mute state because they will be given a voice that is part of their heritage, identity, and culture.

Presenters

Yousif Elhindi
Professor of English, Linguistics Minor Director, Department of Literature and Language, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Communications and Linguistic Studies

KEYWORDS

Standard English, Medium of Instruction, Black English Vernacular

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