Who Am I If I Can't Speak? “Ghetto, Bad English, Slang.” These are a couple words often used to describe the dialect known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE for short), commonly spoken amongst African Americans. It is deemed inferior amongst society, seen as unprofessional slang. Consequently, this prompts the inquiry into the distinctive features that set African American Vernacular English (AAVE) apart from other dialects spoken globally. In Jennifer Cunningham's article titled “African American Language is not Good English,” she delves deep into the differences between AAVE and Standard American English. Her writing skillfully displays her comprehension of the societal misunderstandings Standard English speakers have with African American English speakers. Cunningham effectively breaks down linguistic practices used in AAVE and other dialects. She uncovers the history embedded in commonly used phrases within the African American community, drawing comparisons to other languages in an effort to reclaim and elevate the vernacular as a valid and deliberate language system. The author's primary objective in the article appears to be emphasizing the importance of refraining from judging and comparing African American Vernacular English (AAVE) to Standard American English. First, Cunningham states that Southern American …show more content…
For example, English is considered a Germanic language because its grammar follows Germanic rules, even though its vocabulary is largely French and Latin. Likewise, African American Language is more grammatically African than English, even though its vocabulary is English. Therefore, it follows logically that African American Language ought to be considered linguistically (according to scholars like Ernie Smith) an African language, separate from English, based on its grammatical origins in the Niger-Congo or western and southern parts of
people think reading is not necessary, since there are so many sources of information and types of entertainment, such as TV, cinema and the Internet. I believe they are wrong because reading is very beneficial in many ways. Good reading skills are very important in learning languages. Reading improves spelling because as students learn to sound out letters and words, spelling comes easier. It helps to expand the vocabulary, since the best way to acquire a large vocabulary is to read. Students learn new
1. The reason these three regions and genres of music were selected was to help us understand the problems of real current day and prior past Africans throughout the world and how even through war, genocide and slavery Africans still managed to resist in anyway possible through forms of different types of music that are highly influential today. From Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat in Nigeria, Reggae coming out of Rasta societies in Jamaica and Slave Spirituals/Hip Hop coming out of oppressed black communities
about American abolition and slavery, also this papers are old and a little difficult to go through. B. Next,
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple presents a fractured society in which African-American women are subjected to the discrimination from, predominantly but not exclusively, white and black men. Our protagonist, Celie, is reduced to domestic slavery from the tender age of fourteen, enforced by violence, psychological and sexual abuse. The opening line of the novel, the only one which breaks the epistolary form, ‘You better not never tell nobody but god’ induces a psychological strain on Celie, isolating
liberty, natural and moral. “Natural” liberty was liberty to do good or evil; it is based on one’s opinion. This form of liberty is less inconsistent
INTRODUCTION Language is the medium that has been used in transferring our thoughts which is produced in mind, in order to communicate with people around us. After World War 2, English language has become lingua franca because of the socioeconomic demands and the revolution of linguistics (Hutchinson and Water, 2001). In addition, English language is officially the most vital language in the world. Globalization has encouraged all the people around the world to use English language in their communication
GENERAL DESCRIPTION Mission and vision The mission of Girls Inc, as stated on their website is, “to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold” (girlsinc.org, 2014). This mission statement can be seen on nearly every publication and public image, it has remained central to the organization, and it continues to be a driving force in the future of the organization. The vision of Girls Inc is “empowered girls and an equitable society,” (girlsinc.org). Girls Inc. has also developed a Girls Bill
Oppressed In the article “The Intimately Oppressed” Howard Zinn follows the historical backdrop of women's roles from the colonial period to the Civil War, contending that women were one of many in the United States, along with whites, African-Americans, and Native Americans, that endured oppression during this period. Zinn claims that women were appointed a "special status...something akin to that of a house slave in the matter of intimacy and oppression, and yet requiring, because of that intimacy
Edition (TONI-4) is a measure of general intelligence relying heavily on a nonverbal format and limited motor responses. The TONI-4 is designed to assess abstract/figural problem-solving skills of children and adults varying from ages 6 to 89 who have language, hearing, and motor difficulties. The TONI-4 has two equivalent versions, Form A and Form B, each of which consists of 60 items listed in
Hispanics with incomes between 100% and 400% FPL had higher odds of a routine physical exam while those below 100% and above 400% FPL were not significantly different from Whites. African Americans in the middle of the income spectrum had higher odds of receiving blood pressure checks than whites of Hispanics. However, African Americans with either low or high incomes were not significantly different from Whites with low and high incomes. Hispanics followed a similar trend of rising odds for those between
Jamaica can be seen as triumphant in their resistance to the discrimination and adversity that has been placed upon them through their history. Jamaica has always been recognized as an island with rich culture and love for the arts, as well as their daily living techniques. Jamaica is one of the most beautiful countries on earth and will always be cherished for their exclusive atmosphere. History: The history of Jamaica has been through a tremendous journey throughout the past generations
Female_________ 12. Age: 18-20______ 21-25______ 26-30______ 31-35_______ 36-40_______ 41-45______ 46-50______ 50 and Above________ 13. Ethnicity: Works Cited California Department of Education “Educational Demographics Office Public School Summary Statistics 1997-2001.” 19 May 2003. Kerper Mora, Jill. "Staying the Course in Times of Change." JOURNAL OF TEACHER EDUCATION, Nov 2000 v51 i5 p345 National Center for Educational Statistics “NAEP State Profile California.” 19 May 2003. National
Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain
Civil Rights. (2004). Closing the achievement gap: The impact of standards-based education reform on student performance. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. U.S. Department of Education. (2006). No Child Left Behind executive summary report. Retrieved September 14, 2006 from http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/execsumm.html United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2004). The condition of education 2004. Washington, DC: United States
Aardema, Verna. Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale. Comp. Beatriz Vidal. New York: Puffin, 1981. Print. Fiction Plot Summary: Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale is based on a Kenyan folktale and is about how a young boy named Ki-Pat who ended a drought that ensnared his beloved plain. Topics: Kenyan culture, African Art, and Folktales Interesting Features: The art is vivid and matches the themes of the story. The rhythmic nature of the story enjoyable to read aloud and