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>>Deborah Meltzer
StarQuest Software, Inc.
email: deborah -at- starquest -dot- com
said:
". . . My understanding is that students would be taught to translate
Ebonics into standard American English both verbally and in written
form. It would be a means to both empower students to excel in
mainstream (ruling class) society AND dignify Ebonics as a legitimate
form of communication that has ancient roots which should be preserved."
<<
How does bad English dignify and preserve African roots? Wouldn't
speaking proper Swahili (Kenya and Tanzania) or other African dialects
serve better? Bad English is bad English and it don't benefit nobody.
Plus who's to say what is standard Ebonics and what isn't? Standard bad
English?
Actually this whole topic reminds me of the movie "Tammy" (or one of the
Tammy movies, dunno if it's the one with John Gavin or Leslie Nielsen as
the boyfriend), where Tammy's working as a secretary for a rich family,
and even though her spoken English is very coloquial (and bad!) her
fingers know what to type correctly.
Diane Williams
DWilliams -at- dote -dot- osd -dot- mil
