Poll: African American Vernacular English

[chronobreak]

Well, I was just thinking about the subject, and I decided to look it up on wikipedia to learn some more about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_Vernacular_English

I did not know it was such a controversial subject, but I am aware it is one that can elicit emotional responses from people. That being said, let's keep it clean. Do you think that it should be officialy recognized by everyone as a dialect of American English? Do you think it should be used in education to help black students who may be more familiar with AAVE rather than standard American English?

Personally, I have no problem with it being used in schools in areas where it could help young students better understand their subjects, but it should be used alongside standard American English and ultimately as a promotion of it. I have no problem with it being recognized as a dialect either, because after reading about it, it is actually quite structured. I guess I looked down on people for using it a lot before I read up on it, and it changed my views a little bit.

So, what do my fellow Escapists think of AAVE? Should it be promoted in schools? Do you recognize it as it's own thing? Does it bother you?

 

[The Kangaroo]

It's not a dialect, it's just a fad

 

[Space Spoons]

Sounds like Ebonics all over again.

 

[Amnestic]

I should think that African American Vernacular is a dialect of American, rather than English.

Which are two separate languages these days.

Thanks.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

Yeah I don't think this like some whole new language that's being set up, just a certain style, that will probably be changed

 

[chronobreak]

Thanks.

Welcome? I don't know what you're thanking anyone for.

I'm fixing it to say American English, just for you.

 

[CIA]

I should think that African American Vernacular is a dialect of American, rather than English.

Which are two separate languages these days.

Thanks.

American would be a dialect of English, no?
Let me answer that: American would be a dialect of English, yes.
Hence, they are not two diffrent languages.

Thanks right back at you.

 

[Amnestic]

I should think that African American Vernacular is a dialect of American, rather than English.

Which are two separate languages these days.

Thanks.

American would be a dialect of English, no?
Let me answer that: American would be a dialect of English, yes.

So now we have a dialect of a dialect?

Excellent. I'll be over here, not bastardising a language.

 

[Chester41585]

The language sounds very sloppy and lazy. It makes the speaker sound as if they're too simple minded or intoxicated to use proper sentence structure.

Wait a second, I'm having a flashback to Colonial times.

 

[CIA]

So now we have a dialect of a dialect?

Excellent. I'll be over here, not bastardizing a language.

Have fun learning lojban.

 

[Amnestic]

So now we have a dialect of a dialect?

Excellent. I'll be over here, not bastardizing a language.

Have fun learning lojban.

Thanks, I was never very good with learning languages, but I try my best.

Nice changing that my 's' to a 'z' in bastardising by the way.

 

[General Vagueness]

Heh, I was the first to pick "Possibly". Looking at it just linguistically-- which since it's a linguistic question is the proper way-- not with any hang-ups based on race, culture, or tradition (the last one is the hardest to overcome) there's some support but it's fairly shaky so... yeah, possibly.

 

[Flap Jack452]

That is the politest, most politcally correct way i've heard "slang" said.

 

[pyrod]

the problem is that this vernacular doesn't really have much respect for the english language. Mind you at has english words but really that's about it. I find myself scratching my head and staring at the people who spaek that way because there is so little well spoken english nor just the attempt to sound well spoken

 

[Xojins]

I don't have a problem with it being considered a dialect. I do think that it shouldn't be labelled as "African American Vernacular English"; I've met more white people than black that talk like this.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Thanks.

Welcome? I don't know what you're thanking anyone for.

I'm fixing it to say American English, just for you.

Yea America English is more accurate, because English and American are not two separate languages "these days", the language spoken in America is just a dialect of English.

I really have no opinion on this matter though.

 

[CIA]

So now we have a dialect of a dialect?

Excellent. I'll be over here, not bastardizing a language.

Have fun learning lojban.

Thanks, I was never very good with learning languages, but I try my best.

Nice changing that my 's' to a 'z' in bastardising by the way.

Wow. Okay. I'm sorry. That was amazing that you noticed that. You get a shiny friend request.

 

[Kenshuku]

I just don't think it's right to say that just because they're black, that they can have their own dialect of english. Not only is it racist, but it just doesn't make any sense.

 

[General Vagueness]

I should think that African American Vernacular is a dialect of American, rather than English.

Which are two separate languages these days.

Thanks.

The language sounds very sloppy and lazy. It makes the speaker sound as if they're too simple minded or intoxicated to use proper sentence structure.

Wait a second, I'm having a flashback to Colonial times.

Pray tell, what didst thou see in thine reverie?