William Labov & Ian Malcom & his colleagues Flashcards
Labov (1927-) ideas were based on his work…
w/children from new York who spoke Black English Vernacular (African American Vernacular English AAVE).
Labov considered that AAVE was just as…
complex and rule-governed as standard English and hat it should be considered different, not deficient.
Labov 1970 quote
‘They are being taught to hear every natural utterance of the child as evidence of his mental inferiority. As linguists, we are unanimous in condemning this view as bad observation, bad theory and bad practice.’
Labov pointed out that…
several European languages use double negatives in the same way as AAVE
Linguists now accept that…
language styles are simply difference in language use, rather than one style being superior to another - prejudices against particular styles still exist.
Malcolm & colleagues (2003) considered…
that Australian Aboriginal children are still expected to submit to an education that only recognises standard English and in which teachers have little appreciation of difference not only in speaking style, but also in listening style.
Malcolm & colleagues pointed out…
that the news-telling sessions common in primary schools are based on the expectations that only one person speaks at a time and that the listener remains still and looks attentively at the speaker.
There expectations are foreign to an Aboriginal child’s understanding of sharing news
Interactions between teachers & students frquently involve…
the teacher asking questions and the student answering in front of the class.
Many Aboriginal children find threatening and embarassing.
In Aboriginal communities, a person who has been asked a question has the right not to reply.
Malcolm & colleagues point out that it is important to…
understand and respect differences in communication styles for effective interactions.
