Hooked on Ebonics?

I don't see how it helps to have it in the schools at all. I mean, you go to any normal English class and they won't accept Ebonics either, so what makes this so special? Sounds like a waste of time since you should be able to get the same effect by teaching proper English without having to involve Ebonics or whatever other slang is popular with the students.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by guyinrubbersuit

You know what I don't understand? Why single out ebonics as far as dialects go? There are dozens of dialects all around the states, yet no one has any beef with them.

Really? Could you educate us, or at least me since I don't know them? What are these other dialects of English which use notably different sentence structure to what is generally accepted?

I still don't understand why people would choose not to learn how to speak/write English properly when they have the option. Accents are one thing, but to butcher the language just for the hell of it.. Why?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

RacinReaver and Guiinrubbersuit, thanks. It's interesting to see what qualifies as a dialect. Even more so to see some of the official divergences that are recognized.

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around some examples such as spelling changes. Like that in Baltimore you would spell shower as sharr, eagle as iggle, oil as ull, wash as warsh, etc. But I guess that's just my ignorance. I don't know if these are accepted spellings in writing or not.

knkwzrd, of course languages change. But don't you think it odd that neighbours will one day speak the same language/dialect, and then the next one neighbour speaks ebonics while the other speaks standard english? That's not how things have happened in history, and *is* a deliberate attempt to speak the language incorrectly, though on a scale that legitimizes it. And is not at all the same as the examples provided where it was an influx of different languages that became part of the local english. Nor is it the same as one redefining one's language to reflect an accent that has developed. It's just changing shit for the hell of it.

Don't really mean to argue too much. I find it most interesting that there are all these dialects which are so well regarded. I always assumed that different accents or colloquialisms (sp?) were more or less ignored among those that spoke the same language. Didn't realize that such a divide occurs between those who speak different dialects within the same country.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I've never known someone to have trouble with it. Accents, sometimes, but that just takes a bit of effort on the listener's part, and some time.

There is certainly a stigma attached to someone who uses poor grammar for the area in the business world though. What is considered poor grammar in American Standard English might be perfectly acceptable in Ebonics for example. The different grammar may be acceptable in areas where Ebonics is the norm, but outside of those areas it'd be quite detrimental.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?