Blog 5

I read and am responding to Geneva Smitherman's first chapter of Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America. The first thing I noticed in the reading was where Smitherman said that a black writer named Claude Brown referred to black english as "the language of soul" while a white writer named Norman Mailer referred to it as "the language of hip." It seemed like an interesting contrast to me in that the black author saw it as organic and genuine, and the white author seemed to think it was used to be trendy and cool. They directly contradict each other, and it seems to highlight the misperceptions of white professors and writers. The chapter relates to our Tea Party activity because we read an excerpt on Geneva Smitherman--specifically, the way she is combining black speech patterns with academic language. This spoke out to me because I love the idea of changing what is considered "academic" or "professional" speech, to allow a less racist implementation of language in schools. I appreciated the breakdown of some West African speech patterns and the way black english follows them, since it's a good example of the fact that language varieties aside from SAE have legitimate patterns and are just as valid. A challenge I might face with this concept is figuring out a way to balance academic and professional success with embracing home language varieties. Since I know that my students will be unfairly judged based on language, I want to help them develop their academic Standard Edited American English tools, without negating the importance of using their own language varieties and speaking styles. My own identity doesn't really intersect in that I don't have a different language variety specifically, aside from trends in social media slang. I have always used Standard English, and although my parents aren't the best with Edited Academic English, I grew up constantly reading, which gave me an innate sense for grammar and the basics of this English type. Because of this, I know that I need to continue to work on understanding the importance of and implementation of supporting other language types in the classroom--I simply got lucky in an inherently rigged system of language. I want my research topic to help explain why the idea of SEAE is unfair and linked closely with racial discrimination. From there, I'd hope that I can help broaden my audience's view of what makes language "academic," "correct," and "professional."

Pattern of the week: exclamations
We knew that these "new Negroes" (as they were often described in Colonial America) did not jump fresh off the boat doing the Bump and speaking White English! [exclamative to engage the reader and emphasize points, often with some pointed humor that also comments on the racism and forced assimilation of African Americans]. (Smitherman, 5).


5b)

Talkin' and Testifyin'
The Bilingual Advantage
Bridging the Gap

Blog #4

Suresh Canagarajah's The Place of World Englishes in Composition in the section “The Implications of Globalizing English” discusses some major points of the way English Language varieties. Canagarajah explains how a change in pedagogy--to globalized English--could benefit diverse language varieties in academic settings [an aside within two em dashes. It is an aside because the addition is not a complete clause on its own. Thus, it is not just a dependent clause in the midst of an independent clause. Here it is giving a clear name to the idea being explained. It is not crucial, but is something I wanted to add in. Thus, it is an aside]. Metropolitan Englishes (in the U.S., Australia, England, etc) are typically focused on as the "Standard" Englishes. He further explains that many other "minor" Englishes, such as Indian English, Nigerian English, and Trinidadian English have speakers who were raised speaking english, studying it in schools, and speaking it fluently for their whole lives. However, based on the typical rule of Metropolitan Englishes being the "correct" Englishes, those exceedingly proficient speakers would be considered nonnative. Furthermore, since communication forms are frequently based online and through technology, it is even more controversial to categorize students as native or nonnative speakers of English, since their performance in class can differ greatly from their English abilities online or in the written format.

One excellent realization Canagarajah led me to have is that, although teachers might have students read works written in World Englishes (a "minor" variety instead of "standard" English), the students will then have to do an analytical essay on the work--in a standard, academic Metropolitan English. It is important for me to consider this when I am forming lessons and deciding on student projects and major assignments. One way I could incorporate this thought process is by asking students to choose the variety of English that best suits their personal project, and with which they are most comfortable. Instead of requiring standard academic essays, I could ask students to use the most appropriate language variety or format depending on their home languages and on the text which is provoking the assignment.