Ebonics
Bilingual education has been a topic of concern among U.S. citizens for decades. Perhaps one of the most unnoticed areas of bilingual education is the use of Ebonics. Many people don't know what Ebonics is or where it came from. Ebonics is a language many African American youth use today. People tend to overlook Ebonics because they just see it as slang. However, according to Toni Cook a member of the Oakland school board it is not. Cook says "all I know is that it's not slang. The linguists call that lazy English. But our children come to school with this language pattern." The question that raises concern among people in the profession of education is whether to teach Ebonics in school. I feel strongly against teaching Ebonics in school since the language of Ebonics will promote miscommunication between social classes. Ebonics has been a constantly changing language since its origin in early slave times. Many people consider it slang but it is an actual form or dialect of English. It is also
The dialect of Ebonics has survived the test of time and is still used today. From my experience of viewing TV and music this dialect is used mainly as a form of social communication. Rap music uses this dialect as a form of artistic expression which influences a large portion of American youth. For example, some teachers in Oakland learned this program years ago. For example the nineteen nineties rapper "2 Pac Shakur" used Ebonics in his music to deliver his message of the need for change among his people. This is important today because as Toni cook says, "You can no longer drop your kid off in kindergarten and expect to pick him up in the 12th grade with a diploma that means he's ready for college. They need to learn Standard English to lead a successful life. However, this language will not prepare today's youth for societies future complications, such as the work force. A major part of America's youth understood his message due to this form of dialect. The program has taught many teachers how to instruct Ebonics speaking students in English. " In my opinion Ebonics has no place being taught in schools. Teachers using this program will have greater success teaching Ebonics speaking children Standard English. I feel that this is a step in the right direction.
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