Synthesis of the Two
Articles
Key Issues:
△ African American children do not do as well as white and other minority children due to dialectal differences between Standard English of the public school and the children’s home dialect or Ebonics.
△ There is a difference
between voluntary and involuntary minorities. Voluntary minorities are positive
about learning Standard English because they feel it will give them better opportunities.
Involuntary minorities are negative about learning Standard English because
they see themselves as a lower social/economic status than middle-class white
Americans. They also have a negative impression of their schools and relate their
inferior education to discrimination. This in turn leads them to distrust
teachers and their curriculum.
△ Involuntary minorities
like the African American speech community in Lafayette have collective
identities that are in opposition to Standard English and feel they would have
to give up their home dialect to learn it.
△ There could be
misunderstandings between dialects. Slang English may sound harsh or rude to
people who use more of a Standard English and the latter may sound too formal
and not the type of language that is used in everyday speech to the former.
△ Some speakers of other
dialects think that Standard English is the language of white people and that
they grew up learning that language.
△ Students may not be
getting support for learning Standard English from their parents and the speech
communities they are a part of. And using Standard English in their speech
communities might be frowned upon.
The readings show us
that both teachers, parents and students need to be better informed of
dialectical differences and how their beliefs have an impact on education. Teachers can build trust with their
involuntary minority students by showing them that they believe in them
academically. Educators need to be culturally sensitive and realize that
involuntary minority students feel learning Standard English is a treat to
their collective identity. Teachers
can debunk the myth that all white people grow up learning Standard English and
explain to students that Standard/Academic English needs to be acquired by
all speakers of other dialects. Teachers can also show their students that there is
a time and place for both dialects of English. Educators need to understand
that involuntary minorities feel both parental/peer pressure in regards to
learning Standard English. Teachers can open up communication with parents and
try to help them recognize the incompatible beliefs about Standard English. How
can we as educators bridge the gap between speakers of different dialects to
ensure that involuntary minorities have a better chance at acquiring Standard
English and being successful in school?
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