2/6 & 2/11-African American English & Culture Flashcards
What kind of immigrants have African Americans been described as being?
“involuntary immigrants” to the U.S
Have things gotten better in terms of discrimination w/ African Americans?
-Though times have improved, many African Americans still experience discrimination
What happened with Dr. Roseberry’s former student, Sharee McCoy?
- educated family in Elk Grove, She was called a N–
- N—was written in chalk in front of her house
What happened to Mark’s friend Jack?
(1/4 African American, 3/4 White) Harassed and bullied in junior high for being a N—-.
What did people tell Zenzele Shakir to do when she was in the military?
- When she was in the military, other African Americans told her to be “less threatening” and to “do what the White people tell you to do”
- In the south, there are certain places that Blacks just don’t go
What kind of work & family ethic do AA have?
African Americans have a strong work and family ethic
What kind of gap is there between African Americans and Ethnic groups?
an educational and income gap
What continues to be an issue for many AA children?
poverty
Who is the fastest-growing group of incarcerated young people in the U.S., why?
- African American girls and young women
- b/c of crimes like stealing food and milk for their children
How does religion play a role in African American people’s lives?
- They are deeply religious
- the church plays a major role in their lives
- of all ethnic backgrounds, African Americans are most likely to report a religious affiliation
- many hours a week may be spent at church, including all day Sunday
When we work with elderly African Americans who may it be especially helpful to work with?
a pastor, church members, friends from Bible study, etc..
Do African American families value education & literacy?
yes, it is important to them that their children work hard and do well in school. College may be another story
What did Latasha, N experience when graduating from our program with her B.S?
-friends would not attend graduation, family didn’t understand importance
What ethnic background are most teachers, how may this be a problem?
- most teachers are white women
- there may be some cultural differences between them and African American children; especially males (not using the “tone”)
What did Lautrell S., a recent student, say about working in the Oakland schools?
- one year they had a white teacher who didn’t use “the tone”
- the students had no respect for her
What did Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2012, say about people with Bachelor’s degrees?
- People with a Bachelor’s degree make 84% more $$ over a lifetime than high school graduates
- Translation: College graduates make $2.3 million over a lifetime; high school graduate makes $1.3 million
What do statistics show about high school graduation rates, and payment in terms of AA people compared to Asians?
- THe high school graduation rate for African Americans has increased in the last few years
- In 2011, Asians made $73,000 a year, African Americans earned $50,000 a year, (national Center for Education Statistics, 2013)
How can we address educational discrepancies which affect African American Children?
-One way to do this is to provide early intervention (e.g., Head Start, good preschool programs)
If AA students use AAE, what issues may they experience when they go to school?
-there may be issues with reading, writing, and spelling in mainstream English
What impact must we be aware of?
-The impact of use of AAE in mainstream schools where mainstream American English is the language spoken
In terms of worldwide dialects what dialect may be used in social/home settings compared to in schools/professional in the Philippines?
-Odionganon–Tagalog
In terms of worldwide dialects what dialect may be used in social/home settings compared to in schools/professional in Germany?
-Schweitzer Deutsch–Hoch Deutsch
In terms of worldwide dialects what dialect may be used in social/home settings compared to in schools/professional in Arab Nations?
-Colloquial Arabic–Standard Classical Arabic (Koran)
In terms of worldwide dialects what dialect may be used in social/home settings compared to in schools/professional in China?
Taishanese–Mandarin
In terms of worldwide dialects what dialect may be used in social/home settings compared to in schools/professional in the U.S.?
AAE–Mainstream American English
What did Craig, Zhang, Hensel, & Quinn study and find in terms of AAE and school performance?
- African American English speaking students: an examination of the relationship between dialect shifting and reading outcomes
- examined skills of 165 typically developing African American Children in grades 1-5
- AAE speaking students who learned to use MAE in literacy tasks did better than those who did not make this adaptation
What are some questions authors asked about working with students w/ AAE and don’t adjust to MAE?
- For AAE-Speaking students who do not automatically “pick up” on MAE, do we teach it explicitly? (no!We can’t b/c WE don’t treat differences!)
- Is this culturally sensitive and appropriate?
- Would it help them perform better in school?
What did Ivy, L.J., & Masterson (2011) find when they compared oral and written English styles in African American students at different stages of writing development, language, speech, and hearing services in schools?
-Studied the use of oral and written AAE in 3rd & 8th graders
- Question: Did kids use AAE less as they got older?
- Use of AAE was comparable for oral and written language in 3rd graders
- However, 8th graders use more AAE in oral language and less in written language
- Children who speak AAE eventually learn to switch to MAE in their writing
