Precursor To Megan's presentation: "Language and Identity"
"I seen him," says the Black, blue-collar, high-school dropout. "I saw him," insists his White, college-educated manager. "I saw him" is Standard English, a sentence structured according to the grammar rules taught in educational institutions and demanded of in public society. Some people who hear a vernacular dialect different from Standard English may make false judgments about the speaker's acumen and ability. There is a prevalent notion that Standard English is proper English and superior to other forms; it is the dialect with greater social prestige and power. Those who speak Standard English are viewed as cultured and educated. Like race and class, dialect is a marker of group membership. Standard English is the dialect most often used in print and is what we and foreigners learn in school. In this sense, it is "better" in that it is more useful for wider communication and mutual understanding. In a language as widely spread and globally used as English, there is immense value in speaking the standard dialect. However, using another dialect is not "wrong" and should not be deemed inferior.
The speaker using the vernacular dialects in the wrong place at the wrong time with people who do not appreciate such differences will immediately be classified according to certain labels, most likely, pejorative ones of being uneducated and unrefined. Ebonics or "Black English" is often viewed as the inability of certain urban individuals, especially poor Blacks, to conjugate the verbs "to be" and “to see” (among many others) and to pronounce certain words incorrectly. People who speak a different dialect, whether it be Black English or British English, speak differently because they want to be able communicate with their peers, those whom they interact with on a regular basis (Jean Mills: "Connecting Communities: Identity, Language, and Diaspora"). They seek to be able to voice their opinions and thoughts in the most effective manner. They desire a dynamic flow of conversation and comfortable presence. Their communication variance does not make them any less of a person, a citizen, or a social being. They are merely not letting the constraints of language hold them back in free expression. These vernacular dialects are social dialects.
However, we cannot negate the historical reality that Black English did originate with poor Black Southerners in the Jim Crow era. They might have used phrases like "my baby's favva" and "I be chillin'!" However, these phrases and others have adapted through time, and have become expressions incorporated into certain individuals’ speech to make it more interesting and flow better. Black English symbolizes the comfort of home and camaraderie. Social dialects are unique and filled with colorful phrases and expressions. Just like American English is adapted from British English to fit the communication needs of this country, Black English should be understood and nurtured as a method of communication. Black English is simply a way of life. Those that speak it prefer to speak it most of the time and do not sense any “impropriety” in its usage. Those who prefer to be vegetarian are not any less human than those who are not. Many rich, educated and “cultured” individuals also speak Black English. Their choice of language is just another colorful marker about them. Dialect adds flavor and style to their day-to-day lives. They voice fresh perspectives and respond with unique ideas. The color of their skin, the texture of their hair, and the variation of their speech are all markers of beauty and the exquisite diversity that is America.
When users of Black English are in a different setting, say Downtowns and federal districts where there is a diverse mix of people, they are forced to speak Standard English. They are forced to conform to societal standards. The harsh reality is that for those who speak the dialect regularly, it is difficult to adapt because they feel a personal tie to their native dialect. Through this adaptation phase, these individuals are marked as “uneducated” because they have not fully conformed. They are forced to go into the work place thinking that the way they speak is fine and that it is acceptable. However, it is not acceptable in the work world and therefore, many of them cannot find decent jobs. The music and movie industries may make millions of dollars from exercising social dialects but even they are not immune to societal demands and have not done anything to improve the situation in the real ghettos or for the many poor folks who use this dialect for effective communication. By being exploited for their culture and dialect, Black English speakers can no longer thrive on being distinct and special because everyone is the same and one in speaking Standard English.
This is truly unfortunate. Dialects have been in existence for as long as language has been in existence. Dialects incorporates, borrows, and skews words and grammar structures of the standard dialect and renders them distinct and with specialized purposes. A dialect is an intelligent and insightful variation to the blandness of the standard language. Blacks and other speakers of the vernacular dialect, like everyone else, want a solid sense of their cultural identity. There is no scientific rationale to uproot Black English. Any professional linguist will testify that, as a language way of communication, Black English and Standard English are equal, in the same way that Italian and Chinese and French are all equal. They do things differently, in how they use words and grammar structures but there is no factual method to declare one is superior to the other.
To say that Black English is wrong and reflects uncouthness is erroneous and reflects the cultural ignorance of those who are making such shaky statements. It reveals the unwillingness of certain individuals, potentially white upper-class folks, to accept the idea of the “lower class” to have the intellectual capacity to actually develop a distinct and special dialect. Black English is neither the product of insufficient education nor counter-evolutionary. The proponents of such claims cannot be farther from the truth. Black English is not inferior but many people believe it is because its users, primarily black Americans, have a history of powerlessness. Society looks down upon the speech of the powerless. This has been demonstrated across history over and again. Of course, not all black Americans speak "Black English," nor do they all disdain Standard English. However, Black English is uniquely anchored in the black culture. We absorb this attitude unconsciously when we learn the English rules taught in school and view those who have not applied such “knowledge” as substandard.
The federal "No Child Left Behind" Act mandates closing the achievement gap between white and black students. However, why do black students score lower than whites on standardized tests in the first place? The reason lies in their nonconformity to Standard English, the language used in these tests. This also explains why there is a disparity even both groups are in equally wealthy and racially integrated schools. Intelligence needs to be analyzed in a more encompassing context. This is crucial as tests reveal other measures of intelligence beyond dialectal preference. For example, in the 1960s, the renowned sociolinguist William Labov discovered that some of the most brilliant, verbally gifted and socially skilled youths in the study spoke a dialect different from Standard English.
The misperception that Black English is bad English is scientifically baseless and it needlessly leads some students to under-perform in schools. Therefore, schools and other social institutions need to accept and embrace vernacular dialects while acknowledging the standard one. If we want to decrease alienation from school and mitigate stereotype threat, we should teach what is appropriate — that Standard English should be taught but that a student’s native dialect is also appropriate as a derivative base for adaptation, instead of rooting it out. It would be great if these students can be taught, "The school language here is called standard American English. It may be different from your native language or dialect but it is no better or worse than your language. Standard English serves to unite all Americans.” Students should be granted the opportunity to switch between the two dialects. The teaching of Standard English should be coupled with appreciation of dialect diversity (Students’ Right To Their Own Language). No dialect is better than the other; they all convey meaning in their own ways. By giving students information about various dialects, including their own, instructors can demonstrate the integrity that is language and the melting pot that is America. This approach elucidates the interrelationship between standard and social dialects, undermines the social basis for evaluation, and reinforces the pragmatic justification for using a standard dialect.
Fortunately, as Black English receives more and more worldwide exposure through multimedia, it bears the potential to transform itself from being perceived as American culture to being accepted as a foundation of American culture. However, since Standard English is the "common language" and one we are taught in school and used to intercommunicate with diverse Americans, we should be aware of its propriety and acknowledge what is taught and what is shared. If America wants to sustain as a melting pot, it is crucial that we assimilate under a unified language – Standard English. "I saw him" and "I seen him" reflect neither linguistic superiority, nor stupidity on the part of those who use "I seen him" but it demonstrates a literal and not derogatory sense of ignorance. By saying "I seen him," users are not acknowledging the grammar taught in school, the common dialect typing a melting pot of people, and at the fundamental level, all the efforts (hiring teachers, building schools, etc) and resources (financial and social) exerted to ensure the processing and application of the unified tongue. Rightly or wrongly, students are expected to master Standard English in order to perform well on standardized tests, succeed in school, and “move up” in the social ladder. For the sake of establishing and maintaining a career within corporate America or almost any career in this country for that matter, individuals need to be able to use the Standard American English. It is virtually impossible and an uphill battle to maintain a vernacular dialect considering the diversity of individuals among you in different situations when socially mobilizing. I do not believe that individuals should stop using Black English but rather have the ability to diglossically adapt depending on their settings.
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