topic: What should the language policies of the United States be? Should we have an official language? Should the US offer bilingual ballots? Should the US include bilingual education in its public school systems?

Source 1: Randall, Vernallia R.. "Race, Racism and the Law". Professor of Law The University of Dayton. November 19, 2009 http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/engonly1.htm.

• In this article the author discusses how the language someone chooses to speak often dictates the view of the listener. He believes that someone's, or a group of people's, language is their symbol."Different languages have very different prestige values in our society. These differences in prestige manifest themselves through bias, conscious or unconscious, for or against certain languages." he says. He later goes on to say that if people who speak a certain language have power and prestige then that the speakers of the particular language are, generally, looked at as having power and prestige. I intend to use this, and the way people view English, as a reason to make English the official language of the United States. There are many languages in America and can be described as a "melting pot", but I believe that English stands out as the most prestigious out of all the languages. Having said this, if we continue to call America a "melting pot" and do not designate English as the official language, American will not, fully, be seen as the prestigious power that it really is in the world.

Source 2:Krashen, Stephen. "Why Bilingual Education?." ERIC Digest. 2006. Stephen Krashen, Web. 19 Nov 2009. http://www.ericdigests.org/1997-3/bilingual.html.

• In this article Stephen Krashen discusses why America should offer bilingual education in public school systems. He argues that teaching an individual their primary language in turn allows them to better understand a second language more simpler. He discusses how someone who can speak in a language other than their other language is better equipped to succeed in life. I find this to be true and intend to discuss that teaching another language in schools, primarily Spanish-the second most spoken language in the US, will allow Spanish seekers to move towards speaking English. I believe requiring every US citizen, of a reasonable age, to be able to communicate in a basic, average, English conversation should be the goal of the US. Offering bilingual education would allow this to happen and would, in turn, designate English the official language of the United States.

Thesis: The United States should designate English as the official language of the country. This is because the majority of the country already speaks English. English is considered to be a very prestigious language. Therefore, making English the official language would make the US appear to be a very intelligent country and contribute to the fact that it is already a very powerful nation and many other categories. As prejudice as it may sound, the United States should do away with bilingual ballots that are currently offered in all elections. Also, bilingual education should be offered in public schools, nationwide, because it would allow non-English speakers to more easily learn to speak English and result in English speakers across the nation.

Annotated Bibliography

School systems should teach Standard English, but there should be a tolerance for different dialects. Teaching the Standard helps students learn that there is nothing wrong with cultural differences, and that all dialects are in some way tied to the Standard.

Hazen, Kirk. "Teaching about Dialects. ERIC Digest." Teaching about Dialects. ERIC Digest. (2009): 1-4. ERIC. ERIC Publications. Web. 16 Nov. 2009. .

This digest not only explores the difficulties in teaching a dialect, but it also looks at the best way to teach about a dialect. The Author, Kirk Hazen, makes the point clear that there is not a superior dialect. In my research paper I want to stress the fact that no one should be forced to get rid of their dialect. It is something that makes you different and its part of you cultural history. One should be proud of a dialect and not shameful. The Digest’s main point is to help teachers better educate their students about their certain dialects. Teaching these students that they are not wrong in the way they speak will also encourage them in their other school work. Also, students that do speak the Standard would not be prejudice towards the children with other dialects. Some of the teaching methods Hazen suggest teachers use consist of asking the students a number of true and false questions, and having them say different words aloud. These help the students see that there is nothing wrong with speaking different because everyone sounds different. I like this article because it not only tells you what can be difficult in teaching dialects, but it offers you solutions.

Christian, Donna. "CAL: Digests: Vernacular Dialects in U.S. Schools." Center for Applied Linguistics. May 1997. Web. 19 Nov. 2009. .

This article makes the point that the Standard should be taught because it can help students in the future, but also supports the idea that we should be more excepting of other dialects. Teaching the Standard will help students when they go out into the real world. Everyone has two way of speaking: the way you speak to your friends and family, and the way you talk to the people you work with or you boss. However, we should not tell people they are wrong when no dialect is better than the other. The author, Donna Christian, explores the fact that Standard and Vernacular have similarities, and people need to stop viewing them in a social matter. In my paper I want to discuss the reason for having a different dialect. This reason is due to the fact that everyone has a different cultural and community background. Also when children are little we should not discourage them in school by telling them that what they know now is wrong. Christian says, “Students will not do as well as a result of negative expectations.” This is why teachers need to have a positive view of different dialects. It will help the students become more confident in themselves and their school work.

Annotated Biblography

Schiffmann, Harold. "Linguistic Tolerance Policies: ." Paper for Roundtable Discussion (2001): n. pag. Web. 19 Nov 2009. .



This article discusses the tolerance of American society and also how tolerance is shown throughout other countries. This article was written by a professor named Harold Shiffmann who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania. He states that "The notion of ‘tolerance’ as an attribute of language policies can probably be traced back to the German sociologist of language Heinz Kloss (Kloss 1977) who was writing about the concept in terms of American policy towards its linguistic ‘nationalities.’". Along with tolerances that go along with language, Shiffmann goes over religious tolerances. But the main point of this article is the use of the broad scope,wide sphere,narrow sphere and narrowest scope that describes the language tolerance. Broad scope is defined as being the language used in all domains, public and private, secular and religious. Broad-scope tolerance was probably limited to Pioneer. Secondly it talks about the wide sphere which is defined as be the right to use language in all domains, public and private, secular and religious. Third would be the narrow sphere which is described as being the right to stay and assemble. Lastly, narrowest scope is the right to have a private school to practice the language that they so choose. All of these examples directly relates to language and the freedom to do it in the United States.



"LINGUISTIC VARIATION." Chapter 11 n. pag. Web. 19 Nov 2009. .


This article shows how linguistic variation can vary. it first states that there are many different variations of language in the world. The article goes on to tell that most of the linguistic variation of spoken language was therefore never attended to in any systematic fashion.During the article she criticizes English professors for being prejudice towards other languages other then English. This article believes that there should not be any hatred towards other linguistic features because it is not the same as yours. the article criticizes it because it thinks that the so called " English Whizzes" do not look at the linguistic value of other languages in its entirety. I agree with this article because I believe that it is not fair to judge other people, on how you perceive their language or even heritage. I believe that this article is right on when it is describing what should and can be done about neglecting linguistics.

Annotated Bibliography

Topic: Linguistic Profiling- Background and history (research completed by John Baugh) of the term and how and why it is a more subtle, but just as serious form of discrimination. Along with proof it exists and examples of linguistic profiling limiting the rights and equal consideration of others. A more in depth consideration of the consequences linked to linguistic profiling.

Erard, Michael. "Language Matters." Legalaffaris.org Jul. 2002. 18 Nov. 2009. <http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/July-August-2002/story_erard_julaug2002.msp>

Within this online article from a magazine that intersects law and life, Legal Affairs, Michael Erard acknowledges John Baugh’s term-linguistic profiling and gives the background on how Baugh realized this theory. The examples of his personal experience will be an excellent way to help readers connect to the idea and concept of what linguistic profiling is and not just the term. Baugh uses this theory to show the importance of recognizing the “subtle discrimination” within linguistic profiling and how it affects different ethnic groups and races, and this is not limited to African Americans, but a range of non-Standard English speakers. Also, there are statistics included about Baugh’s research that can be used as evidence proving people are capable and do identify who a person is based on hearing their voice. Erard states, “ …fair-housing advocates think that a firm legal precedent acknowledging linguistic profiling can’t do any harm, and will only make legislation easier.” Using this statement will show how linguistic profiling could become useful as assistance in the courtroom. He also points out how many insurance and home mortgage companies conduct negotiations and transactions entirely by phone. The importance of this observation will help to demonstrate how the linguistic profiling could easily happen in the business world. This article is a great resource of evidence and expansion of linguistic profiling, especially since it likewise includes John Baugh.

Johnson, Patrice. “Linguistic Profiling.” Theblackcommentator.com 5 Apr. 2002. 18 Nov. 2009. <http://www.blackcommentator.com/linguistic_profiling.html>

Patrice Jonhson confirms linguistic profiling and also uses the evidence of John Baugh to help readers understand and explore the process of linguistic profiling. Johnson endorses, “ Research by John Baugh and others has demonstrated that racial identification by speech takes place all the time, and it has had several legal implications.” Within “Linguistic Profiling” Johnson also parallels linguistic profiling with racial profiling:

“ ....a practice infamously employed by police officers, who stop and search Blacks simply because they fit a ‘profile.’ In linguistic profiling, however the racial cues are verbal rather than visual.”

A humorous definition Johnson uses is TWB- Talking While Black. This demonstrates how people use a telephone conversation to determine the race of someone based solely on the way the individual sounds. “Apparently if a speaker on the telephone sounds African-American, he is subject to the same kind of racial discrimination as he might be in a face-to-face encounter,” declares Patrice Johnson. The following questions are intellectually challenging questions proposed to make readers realize the significance in maintaining awareness of linguistic profiling. After all, they may be well educated, and gainfully employed; in other words they look great on paper. What could possibly put them at a disadvantage? These questions equally exemplify how linguistic profiling is not a fair act to anyone. At the close of this article Johnson proposes the following solution that will accommodate the conclusion in my paper to what can be done about linguistic profiling: “The only way to put a stop to linguistic profiling is for those who know about it to report it and make the offenders pay.” I believe the use of these vivid quotes and examples in correlation to the problem of linguistic profiling will be aid to prove linguistic profiling exists whether it is done consciously or subconsciously. Because this is a form of discrimination it is important to make the readers aware of the consequences and problems that derive from such an act.

An Example Annotation

Dear All,

This week, your blog assignment is to lay the groundwork for your final paper by doing research. By assessing and summarizing research, you prepare yourself to use it in your paper. This is what an annotated bibliography entry looks like (you will be doing two of these):

Topic: The use of dialect for humorous and moral commentary in nineteenth-century literature.

Cox, James M. “Toward Vernacular Humor.” Critical Essays on American Humor. Ed. William Bedford Clark and W. Craig Turner. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1984, 107-120. Print.

James Cox analyzes the humorous projection of Huck Finn's voice, asserting that Huck’s illiterate writing of the book is another element of the inversion that leads to the climactic statement of “All right, then, I’ll go to hell!” Cox links the ability to discover the right moral choice (to steal Jim out of slavery) with the lack of rationalizing education which is reflected in Huck's ungrammatical speech. Cox also traces Holden Caulfield's (from J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye) improvement of grammar as he matures and learns. However, Holden is not a typical bildingsroman because of his sexualized humor and his “protective” swearing. Cox's article offers nuanced arguments for the use of dialect in the nineteenth century (and the twentieth) as a way of establishing the “natural” morality of a character. I would use Cox’s article to suggest that one can romanticize a non-standard dialect to the point that it achieves a form of elitism – it is viewed as more natural, and therefore more moral. However, I want to argue that while this sort of romanticizing can do positive work on people’s language ideologies, I believe that the work of linguists to prove the equal validity of all dialects to be more important.

Extra Credit Blog:)

The decision to consider a person who speaks Ebonics as a bilingual speaker is completely absurd. Teaching Ebonics as a second language is just like teaching southern and northern dialects as a language. A dialect is a form of a language. Ebonics derived from English and is spoken as it has changed over time. Although a teacher can try and explain something to the students in Ebonics, normally, if a student speaks Ebonics, they learned English first because there is no Ebonics book like there is an English book.
Students who are taught in Ebonics would probably learn English much slower than a student who was taught only English in English. The student would have to learn the language so much faster because if they did not, they would not know what was going on in the class. Only speaking the language the student is trying to learn forces them to learn the new language much faster.
“Primary languages are the language patterns children bring to school. (313)” As a child is learning any language, they do learn it first at home. When the teachers are teaching the students, the teachers realize that different children have learned different information and also at different times in their life. One of the students may know all of the parts of speech when another student who is the same age is unable to determine the difference between too, two, and to. The school systems should not have different classes for the children who speak Ebonics at home. They will need to learn English no matter what.
These children who would be taught in Ebonics would be learning the same information but in a different way. If they were taught in Ebonics, the faculty of these schools would need to find teachers who are very aware of the Ebonics “language” as well as know how to teach in the form.

Ebonics: Dialec or Language?

There were many problems surrounding the Ebonics controversy of 1996, but the factor most responsible was the question of whether Ebonics is a dialect or a language. This is most responsible for the controversy because the treatment of a dialect is largely different than the treatment of a language. There are many languages in the world and when examined they are overall treated with a large sense of respect. This can also be proven wrong, though, by seeing countries, like the United States of America disrespect and attempt to dissuade new languages entering the country. The most prevalent example of this is the Spanish language coming from Mexico and other South American countries. When people enter the States speaking the Spanish language and having clear South American traits, they are automatically treated with less respect. This is because they are not conforming to the English language; they are forcing the Americans to conform to their language because we have more education so it will be easier for us. No; they should also have to take classes teaching the basic English language to compromise with the natives of America. If Ebonics became classified as a language there would be a ridiculous addition to the amount of controversy in language in the United States. This would fuel the argument of the non-English speakers to get their language integrated into the U.S. Also, the Ebonics language does not have a large enough difference from English to be classified separately. Yes, there are some major differences in word choice, pronunciation, and structure, but each of the dialects of America has these same alterations. The South has many different words, phrases, and structures of their grammar, but the language is still English; it is classified as the Southern Dialect of English, though.

The reason this conflict of language and dialect is the central idea behind the language controversy is that the people speaking the Ebonics language are of a different race. They are treated differently than the majority of people in America, so they feel they should have the right to call their way of speaking completely separate as well. This is a sensible argument, but they need to be consistent. If they, African Americans, wanted to be treated completely equal they should also treat themselves as equals. Making an excessive controversy because they want a language of their own is supporting the fact they are different than the traditional white race of America. If they would accept their way of speaking as a dialect like the rest of America, the majority of the controversy would settle because a dialect of the English language helps unite America, but keeps the identity of the person safe.

Ebonics Controversy

In the Journal of Black Studies, Ebonics is defined as, “A language (dialect) that is spoken by Black Americans living in low-income communities that has some specific characteristics observed in the phonological and grammatical system” (310). This definition shows the reader what “is really at the heart” of the Ebonics controversy. Is Ebonics a valid language or is it just a dialect. The Oakland Ebonics Controversy of, 1996, was when many people began to ask themselves if Ebonics was truly a language.

A dialect is an accent that one obtains usually from where they are raised. This dialect may affect ones language, but not a language unto itself. This is why the definition above can be misleading. The Journal of Black Studies first puts that it is a language and then adds that it is also a dialect. So which is it?

It sounds similar to English in the fact that it uses the same words and many of the same grammar techniques. English speakers can also usually understand quite readily what a person speaking Ebonics is trying to say. However, Ebonics has techniques that are specifically for this language/dialect. Do these rules make it a language? My answer to this question would be no.

I personally believe that Ebonics is just another dialect. One can still have a dialect, but know the Standard English. Southerners, for example, uses phrases and words that are not used in Standard English, but refrain from using such phrases in places like school. This is because we have been taught when and when not to use our slang or jargons. People who speak with the dialect of Ebonics should be viewed the same way. They should learn what the Standard is, and be able to use it for school or business situations. Just because you might have a different way of saying things does not mean it is a totally different language.

Da Ebonics Controversy

In the 1996 Ebonics controversy in California, the most important problem that was affecting the whole community was the power and the use of government spending. During this difficult time, there were questions raised because of the idea of paying school teachers more money. This would only happen if the teachers would learn the history and aspects of Ebonics. As you would expect, parents of these school children were enraged that school teachers would get paid more just by attempting to learn Ebonics. They were furious because no one knew where this money would come from to fund this action. The money that would have to be paid to the teachers would have most likely been obtained by taxes. One might not know, but the part of California that is in the middle of the Ebonics controversy is relatively lower class and lower middle class. The reason that economics had to do with this controversy is because money is hard to come by in this area. Also, there was a big question, “why do teachers get paid more for just simply trying to speak Ebonics”? Because of all this facts and situations the parents of these children were mad, along with celebrities such as Bill Cosby. I believe that this is the most influential aspect in the whole Ebonics controversy. I believe this because in this particular California community money is a big problem. It is hard to get the money and there is not a large amount of it in the community. The idea of the poor paying more money to teachers is ridiculous, not only are they paying teachers better but also to others to as the taxes would be raised. In conclusion, the most important point to the Ebonics controversy was government funding because of the angry that is had persuaded and issue of money.

Extra Credit Forshizzle.

Out of all of the problems with the Oakland Ebonics Controversy of 1996, I personally think the route of the problem had to do with the linguistic validity of Ebonics. By this I mean that many standard English speakers seemed to look down on Ebonics and consider it a lowly language. The reason they believed it to be lowly was because many of the grammatical rules almost make it sound incomplete or unintelligent. Also, many standard speakers who have racist roots look down upon the black society who speak Ebonics. Through typing, I’ve realized that racism is an even deeper context in regards to the linguistic validity of Ebonics.

What makes people think one way or the other on a language; and yes, i said language. I don’t believe it is simply just a dialect, but through all of these controversies has developed into a language that can’t be understood by someone who doesn’t speak it. Many of the speakers of this language are African Americans, often ones who live in “the hood” of their city, and don’t have much of an education, wear baggy clothes, and in general are looked down on. Living in the south my entire life, I’ve seen first hand the racism that still exists, and can definitely understand how that racism could effect the opinions on Ebonics.

The reason I think this sparked problems more than anything else is the underlying hatred involved. I don’t think the average person would care about Ebonics being taught in school if it had to do with government spending. Also, to the average American, I just don’t think there’s enough time in the day for someone to worry about whether or not Ebonics is a language or a dialect. It just doesn’t really matter.

ebonics blog

Major controversies rose from the Oakland Ebonics Controversy in 1996. These included teaching techniques, governmental funding, the linguistic validity of Ebonics, the question of whether Ebonics is a dialect or a language and questions of racism in education.
The question of whether Ebonics is a dialect or a language is most central to the controversy as some people simply could not comprehend the idea that Ebonics was another language. They argued that most of its components in the dimensions of grammar and pronunciation are widely shared with English, either with standard American English, or with Southern White English, or with vernacular dialects of English around the world. This means that Ebonics is simply another dialect of English as it can be in the most part, easily understood by English speakers unlike German, Italian, Chinese, etc can.
On the other hand many people supported the Oakland School Board by calling Ebonics another language. They said that it possesses its own grammar elements and rules, which make it just like any other language.
Teaching techniques and governmental funding are closely intertwined in this controversy if Ebonics were to be accepted as another language. Additional funding would have to be provided for the training of teachers in Ebonics, as they would have to learn the ins and outs of it.
Racism in education also sprouts out from the question of whether Ebonics is a language or a dialect. People argued that it was just another way of segregating the black population and that it is another way of saying how the black race is different.
In conclusion I believe the policy to teach Ebonics as a separate language at Oakland was central to people’s arguments about Oakland’s educational proposals as it produced more arguments about other issues, which inflated the controversy even more. People ignored what was firstly just a new way of improving educational standards in the area and condemned it instead. Reverend Jesse Jackson said, "I understand the attempt to reach out to these children, but this is an unacceptable surrender, border-lining on disgrace." The majority of people’s views mirrored Jacksons which eventually led to the fall of the proposal.

Debate Groups!

Group 1



Amber

Camden

Carol

Devin

Matt P.



Group 2



Dane

Cameron

Cayla

Ryan



Group 3



Sara

Tom

Taylor

Jack





Group 4



Matt W.

Merry

Caleb

Justin

Extra Credit Blog: The Ebonics Controversy

Dear All,

This week, you may choose to do this blog for extra credit. Each blog you write is worth about 2% of your grade. Therefore, an "A" on this blog will give you an additional 2% on your overall course grade. And "A-/B+" will get you 1.5. A "B" will get you 1%. A "C" will get you 0.5%. Anything lower than that... well, I'm not going to read it, because y'all are better writers than that!

You have a choice between two questions:

1. Choose a resolution from the Oakland Policy Statement (Baugh, pages 312-313). I recommend 2, 7, 9,12, or 13. Discuss whether you think that resolution is a good educational policy for students whose heritage language is Ebonics. Discuss, also, whether the changes that the educators made (the text in bold) weakened or improved the resolution.

2. As we've discovered, there were a lot of controversies within the Oakland Ebonics Controversy of 1996. People were debating:

Teaching techniques
Governmental funding
The linguistic validity of Ebonics
The question of whether Ebonics is a dialect or a language
Questions of racism in education

Which of these issues do you think is most central to -- is really at the heart of -- the Ebonics Controversy? Discuss why that issue is more important than the others.

Blog Notes :) AAE

AAE (African American English) there is no consensus as to exactly how is developed
Theories-
· When slaves we transported from Africa to America, they developed Pidgin (a simplified version of a language used for communication between those without a common language… developing into Creole which children acquired in their homes through their parents use
· Gullah = language used on the Islands of South Carolina and Georgia
· Slaves worked with servants those who spoke non-mainstream varieties of English
· Language development could have been based on factors such as# of slaves, servants, crops being grown, role overseers played
In search of better job and living conditions, African Americans began migrating (Great Migration) they sought out to settle in their own little communities, and some were forced to through racism
· AAE is a valuable resource and an important aspect of a group Identity
Features (Overview)
· Copula Absence: “They Hungry” “She Going” the forms of “to be” are omitted from standard
o But “am, as, and were” remain
· Habitual be: “We be playing basketball” “she be working late” using to be un-conjugated to signal a habitual or regular occurrence
· “s” following 3rd person – “I jump, you jump, we jump, she jumps”
· Double negatives “We don’t know nothing bout nobody” (also found used by white appalachin speakers and in Shakespeare)
· Stereotypically – replacing the these, with, and birthday with “d”, “t”, or “f” replacing “th” so (dese, wit, and birfday)
· “G-Dropping” at the end of –ing words “fishing and fighting” become “fishin’, and fighten’)
· Dropping of second or third contants

NOTES ON AAE

Two types of development:

A- First Theory- Slaves of different language backgrounds brought to the U.S. from Africa developed a "Pidgin".

Pidgin- simplified version of language used for communication between people or groups who do not have common language.

The Pidgin used by the African Americans developed into a "creole" which children acquired in their homes through the use of the "creole" by their parents.

*Gullah- Language used on the Islands of South Carolina and Georgia ( resembles the language slaves used on plantations)

B- Second Theory- AAE was learned by slaves who worked alongside indentured servants who spoke non-mainstream types of English.




Spread of AAE

The migration of African Americans from the late 1800's -1970's is responsible for the spread of AAE in the U.S.

African Americans looking to find better jobs and living conditions in Chicago, Philadelphia, and other large cities.

Naturally the African Americans settled in Communities. These communities were kept within geographical areas due to Racism.

AAE was/is a valuable resource and a form of group identity.

Features:

Copula Absense: "They Hungry"
Omits forms of "to be" from the Standard-

However, the words "am, was, and were" are never left out


Habitual Be: "We be playing basketball after school"

Use of the un-conjugated form of the verb "to be" to signal a habitual or regular occuring action
Only refers to regularly occuring or habitual actions


3rd peroson singular-"s" deletion: "He jump high"
Omitting "s" with verbs

Double Negatives: "Aint nobody can beat me"

- Used by WHITE Appalachian speakers; also found in Shakespeare and Chaucer


Pronounciation Features:

The replacing of "b/t/f" for "th"----Birfday
Dropping of "g's" in "ing"

Dropping of second or third consonants

Friday's Assignment: Read and Prepare!

Dear All,

This Friday we will have a short quiz in class based on some readings that will prepare us for next week. I am asking you to read, and take notes on, some background information on African American English. If you want to post your notes to the blog and discuss the reading through this medium, feel free! The reading can be found at this website:

http://www.pbs.org/speak/education/curriculum/high/aae/#background

Read the following subsections under "Background Information": "Brief History of AAE," "Features of AAE: A Brief Overview," "Grammatical Features," and "Pronunciation Features." You do not have to read about the Ann Arbor Decision.

This is not a long reading, and some of the information should look familiar. But we'll be talking about the Ebonics Debate thoroughly next week, and I want you each to have a good idea of what kind of dialect/language we are discussing.