Fishman and Bough

Because my knowledge about the origin of Ebonics is lacking, I found the article by Baugh to be very interesting. It saddens me that Oakland's recognition of Ebonics was rooted solely in an attempt to best teach the children of that city, and that, it was vehemently rejected by political figures because of the financial implications. I am interested in the methods of the teacher mentioned, Carrie Secret, as I think that acknowledgment of any and all student dialects and/or language in the classroom would seem the best way to teach those students. I can see at work in my own classroom in two ways, one being with regard to the population that I teach (African American, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Guatemalan, and Polish). It is difficult to cater to these different dialects and languages within one classroom, but they must at least be recognized. The second manner in which I could see this issue in my classroom is when we read texts that include dialect--texts such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Their Eyes Were Watching God. My discussion of dialect in these books has previously concentrated on the literary devices used by the writers--jargon, dialect, local color--and how these devices aid in characterization. As I reflect in light of these articles, I realize that I tread on solidly safe ground by sticking to general literary terms. It is obvious now, that a discussion of the origins of Ebonics, or AAE, would help my own students connect with and understand Jim's lines in Huck Finn and Janie's in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

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