Principles that teacher use in helping african american english Assignment

Principles that teacher use in helping african american english speaking student to become bidialectal - Assignment Example In order to learn and work well in America, this group is required to learn the standard American English that cuts across all cultures. There are guiding principles of teaching African American English speaking people to become bi-dialectal. The core principle to teaching them Standard English is combining culture, language, and literacy. Standard English should be taught as a second language and not taken as correcting or eroding the native language (Perry and Delpit 80). In order for the learners to appreciate the language, their culture must be studied and encompassed into the curriculum. This would produce a culturally responsive, appropriate, and relevant system of Education (Alim and Baugh 24). Educators that have attempted to teach Standard English to Ebonics as correcting the shortcomings of their native language either have failed to improve the Standard English speaking capability of this group or have achieved very little. In some cases, Blacks have dropped out of the sys tem in protest of the lack of recognition or respect for their culture. By studying the culture/language of the American blacks the following can be taken as guiding principles of teaching them Standard English (Hudley, Charity Ann and Mallinson 70-90). Development of Sensitivity of Rhymes For young learners, teachers can aid them practice nursery rhymes and games, such as hand clapping. To be able to appreciate both Standard English and the local dialect, they should rhyme in both dialects. Teachers may examine the rhyming differences that learners hear and use to increase their sensitivity to sound patterns and become acquainted with the linguistics. In the case of learners in higher grades, teachers may impart the rhyme sensitivity by introducing word games and some aspects of verbal play into the classroom. This should be done both in Standard and African American English. Students can also learn rhyming through composing poems and lyrics, analyzing them and writing reviews (Ali m and Baugh 19). Students should be allowed to compose songs in their dialect especially in hip hop style they are famously known of. They should recite these in front of the class. Learners should then discuss how words that rhyme in their native dialect are similar or different from those of the Standard English. They should also be encouraged to write reviews of songs or poems and take note of instances where the composer used Standard English or African American English. The exercise of composing, analyzing, and writing reviews of songs and poetry enhance knowledge, rhyme sensitivity, and word formation. In a nut shell the teacher is encouraging learners to express themselves both in their native language and the Standard English in order to develop language flexibility. Teachers can also come up with mechanisms that allow learners to compare and contrast lyrics/poems composed in different dialects including their own. Students should keenly explore the styles in the different p oems and also note the advantages and disadvantages of each style. By comparing and contrasting different styles, they appreciate the importance of each dialect and will be encouraged to learn the Standard English because they are aware that their dialect is also recognized alongside the Standard English. Grammar The use of ‘ain’t’ in African American English: - The African American English has phrases that are commonly used that are viewed by the rules of Standard English