[etni] Dialects of English
- From: James Backer <drjamesbacker@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 22:43:29 -0700 (PDT)
Glenda,
You bring up some good points, but you can use the song (which is a great
follow up to "The
Road Not Taken") to make the kids aware of different dialects of English.
The India Arie song has traces of AAVE (African American Vernacular English), a
dialect that the kids have probably heard on TV. There's nothing inherently
wrong with AAVE, but kids must learn where it can be used most effectively and
where it is counterproductive. Obviously, in an academic environment, Standard
English is the target dialect, but in other places other dialects are more
effective.
Cyber-English is another dialect I hear my grad students complain about.
There's nothing wrong with using Cyber-English when texting with friends, but
once again, it's not very effective or powerful in an academic environment.
By using the song you both re-enforce the message of the poem and lead into a
meaningful discussion of dialects.
Jimmy
From: Glenda Sacks <hagal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [etni] Re: Song - to follow A Road Not Taken
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:26:50 +0200
Hi Judi,
Thanks for sharing great lessons, however the song you mention takes huge
liberties with the English language as there are many grammar mistakes in
the lyrics. I worry about how you would explain these to the class.
Glenda
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