"Should" I Teach "Black" Slang?

[CreatorsCollege]

Peace!

it never fails during my coaching sessions (I teach Business-English and Interperaonal Communication) that a participant will ask me to teach them "Black" American Slang.

I to date have refused, usually getting around it by saying that it's not part of the course-outline and the company isn't paying for it.

Well, the other day I was on the company bus going back to downtown Cairo and this young dude from Brazil had about a good 10 words and phrases that he HAD to know the meaning of.

No, the dude did not identify as Afro-Brazilian, he mentioned that Afro-braziliams have their own "language," too and it sounds better than Standard Portugese. I tagged him as a cultural bandit.

I went ahead and told him 'cause they were references from songs. In doing so, I noticed or became aware of two things:

1. Teaching "Black" English is more difficult than "Standard" English from a grammar and syntax perspective.

2. 'Translating' "Black" English is almost as challenging!

I personally feel like Ebonics is "all" we have left, and if it were up to rappers and "entertainers," we would'nt or won't have THAT to ourselves much longer.

Being a "native" Amerikkkan-English speaker in the ESL market goes at a premium, and as soon as they "see" me, they automatically add "slang" to the list, which I promptly correct to be idioms and phrases.

Am I literally selling-out our language if I tell 'em? I refuse, though am interested in perspective.

Uhuru!

[NubianGoddez]

I don't think you should teach slang, ebonics is not a cultral trait, it stems from illiteracy and under educated. quite frankly I'am amazed you would even consider such an ignorant request, being in the proffession your in. the fact of the matter is the pale man has alway's found way's to insult us and used him black devil minstrils to further perpetuate this this abortion of our culture. I remember years ago the rap group kriss/kross wore their pants backward and this retarded trend caught on. now we see our young men looking like homeless bums an our young woman looking like strippers and this dsyfunction is deemed part of the *black culture* please resist the urge to get caught up in this madness. being well read and articulate has alway's been a part of our culture. ebonics is NOT!!

[CreatorsCollege]

Greetings Sister!

I def. disagree with you as to whether Ebonics is part of our culture. The grammar, structure and syntax of African language in America is a 'language' and furthermore is responsible for a great many new words added to Webster's Dictionary of American English yearly.

Language itself is the incubator and transmitter of culture, "Ebonics," or "Black-English" is the ROOT language of communication and shared-meaning amongst Afrikans of Amerika.

We are at-least a bi-lingual people, able to express in Standard and "Black" english given the audience and situation.


In coming to recognize and accept the fact of Afrikan colonialization, I resent that I even speak any form of "English." If you and I engage in oral-communication and understand one-another, we are speaking a LANGUAGE. The one that Afrikans in America speak happens to be one of mass global appeal and curiosity.

The "issue" that I have with it is that those who are interested are not motivated to learn how to communicate with "me," a native-speaker of the language, but to be perceived as "cool," or "in the know."

There's a thread on the forum about Afirkan language in America that Afrikans themselves termed "Ebonics." There's also a book called "Black English."

Peace & Love

P.S. Thanks for the feedback, If I understand you correctly, "slang" which I think is another "thing" in language altogether, should not be taught. I agree, though sometimes it's necessary to de-code it.

Do you perceive the Black-English of Africans in America as a negative? I think it's possible to be an "Educated" afrikan and not speak perfect "Standard" English, whether you are a non-immigrant Afrikan of America or native-born -whatever.

Also, NOT spealing Standard English is a form of RESISTANCE!!

Originally Posted by NubianGoddez

I don't think you should teach slang, ebonics is not a cultral trait, it stems from illiteracy and under educated. quite frankly I'am amazed you would even consider such an ignorant request, being in the proffession your in. the fact of the matter is the pale man has alway's found way's to insult us and used him black devil minstrils to further perpetuate this this abortion of our culture. I remember years ago the rap group kriss/kross wore their pants backward and this retarded trend caught on. now we see our young men looking like homeless bums an our young woman looking like strippers and this dsyfunction is deemed part of the *black culture* please resist the urge to get caught up in this madness. being well read and articulate has alway's been a part of our culture. ebonics is NOT!!

[Mekeda7]

Originally Posted by NubianGoddez

I don't think you should teach slang, ebonics is not a cultral trait, it stems from illiteracy and under educated... being well read and articulate has alway's been a part of our culture. ebonics is NOT!!

Greetings NubianGoddez, and Akwaaba (Welcome) to the site!

Sis NubianGoddez, your comments suggest u need to do further research on this issue.

First, there is a difference between "slang" and Ebonics- they are not synonyms. Slang is various terms or phrases that have metaphorical meaning and every cultural group has them. Black people have words like "hype" or "fresh," this is not Ebonics, perhaps we can say it is part of Ebonics.

Second, Ebonics is a language, meaning it deals with phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics- which corresponds to the phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics of various Afrikan languages. Using Phonetics (the sounds that exist in a language) for example: When Black people drop the 'th' and replace it with 'd' such as "the" --> "de",
it is because the languages of our ancestors did not have the sound "th" so we replace it with a sound that we do have in our languages, which is "d."

Third, the fact that Black people maintained this way of speech is not ignorance, but an act of resistance!

While I can see that you have a concern about issues of illiteracy, we cannot look at Ebonics as the cause of that, but external issues, mainly racism and yt world domination.

Once again, I urge u to do further research on the topic.

[Mekeda7]

Originally Posted by CreatorsCollege

Peace!

it never fails during my coaching sessions (I teach Business-English and Interperaonal Communication) that a participant will ask me to teach them "Black" American Slang.

I to date have refused, usually getting around it by saying that it's not part of the course-outline and the company isn't paying for it.

Well, the other day I was on the company bus going back to downtown Cairo and this young dude from Brazil had about a good 10 words and phrases that he HAD to know the meaning of.

No, the dude did not identify as Afro-Brazilian, he mentioned that Afro-braziliams have their own "language," too and it sounds better than Standard Portugese. I tagged him as a cultural bandit.

I went ahead and told him 'cause they were references from songs. In doing so, I noticed or became aware of two things:

1. Teaching "Black" English is more difficult than "Standard" English from a grammar and syntax perspective.

2. 'Translating' "Black" English is almost as challenging!

I personally feel like Ebonics is "all" we have left, and if it were up to rappers and "entertainers," we would'nt or won't have THAT to ourselves much longer.

Being a "native" Amerikkkan-English speaker in the ESL market goes at a premium, and as soon as they "see" me, they automatically add "slang" to the list, which I promptly correct to be idioms and phrases.

Am I literally selling-out our language if I tell 'em? I refuse, though am interested in perspective.

Uhuru!

Bro CC!
I feel u on this issue! How do you maintain some sense of cultural preservation, meanwhile obtain an "outsider" perspective of our languages?

Well the only thing I can think of to say is that it depends on the person who approaches you and what you beleive you will obtain from the exchange. Do u think this person's perspective will benefit you/Afrikan people in some way? Is there a way for you to get the info. without schoolin them on anything?

I am also wondering why you find Ebonics to be "difficult" to teach from a syntactical and grammatic perspective? I believe that if you understand Afrikan language- any Afrikan language (or at least West Afrika)- it will help u to explain Ebonics.

[josteele]

Originally Posted by NubianGoddez

I don't think you should teach slang, ebonics is not a cultral trait, it stems from illiteracy and under educated.

'ebonics is not a cultural trait', that is nonsense. If it traces back to our culture then it belongs to our culture. Just cuz our ancestors were not properly taught the english language and they did with it what they pleased, does not mean that it should be frowned upon in any way. How do you think the american language was formed, yes offshoots of other languages. This is all 'ebonics' is. In fact I dont even like to use the term 'ebonics' cuz it makes it look like we are talking a total different language when in fact we aint talkin wrong people just aint listenin right. Your taught in school to form sentences in certain ways but that form does not sell, nor is it widely used even among white people, they have their own 'slang' if we want to get technical. People use slang in books, movies, and in any other area used to get your point across. 'Ebonics' is a more comfortable way of talking without all the rules, and cannot be entirely taught because dialect plays a part in the way it is used. As far as ignorant goes knowledge is more useful in its contents, not how its expressed. If you dont get the message being relayed, then whose ignorant. No disrespect intended, but you should watch who your calling ignorant.

[Mekeda7]

Now that I think about it, CC, u may need to teach the concepts behind Ebonics to Afrikan people who may speak it themselves, but don't truly understand it's deeper meaning.

[CreatorsCollege]

Originally Posted by Mekeda7

Bro CC!
I feel u on this issue! How do you maintain some sense of cultural preservation, meanwhile obtain an "outsider" perspective of our languages?

Well the only thing I can think of to say is that it depends on the person who approaches you and what you beleive you will obtain from the exchange. Do u think this person's perspective will benefit you/Afrikan people in some way? Is there a way for you to get the info. without schoolin them on anything?

I am also wondering why you find Ebonics to be "difficult" to teach from a syntactical and grammatic perspective? I believe that if you understand Afrikan language- any Afrikan language (or at least West Afrika)- it will help u to explain Ebonics.

Great Feedback!

Ebonics is "difficult" for me to teach because I speak it, but don't know it's grammatical structure and all that. Also, I am not fluent in an Afrikan language which as you state would make it easier.

PLUS, these folks aren't interested in Ebonics "like that," they want to know what certain words and phrases mean, and I don't want to and don't feel like translating, which is really where the difficulty lies!

I don't perceive any benefit to me personally, because I resent any non-Afrikan trying to carry on a conversation with me with broken-English, 'cause it 'aint Ebonics.

I speak to my dude Patrick from The Congo, we get-down in English and I hip him to Ebonics as it's used, however French is is "native" tongue, and I am not trying to learn French, Portugese, Italian, Spanish or even Arabic. Just enough to get by.

In some of these people's defense, being knowledgeable about the slang of a culture to them indicates a higher level of fluency.

In respects to Ebonics, I at least explain that it is another language altogether, and it is the slang of Ebonics that they are trying to beocme familiar with.

I personally believe that Ebonics has kept the "English" language alive and growing. It has added to the imaginative and cognitive flexibility of "American English" and thus the world due to the global influence of American entertainment and media.

Honestly, I also need to learn more about Ebonics and an Afrikan language in order to teach it, seriously.

Uhuru!

[SpitfireLeo]

Akwabaa Abusuafoo (family)

I second that Mekeda7 and CC in response to NubianGoddez.


Here's an ealier post about AAVE
http://assatashakur.org/forum/showth...8503#post28503

[GoodRain]

Originally Posted by CreatorsCollege

Greetings Sister!

I def. disagree with you as to whether Ebonics is part of our culture. The grammar, structure and syntax of African language in America is a 'language' and furthermore is responsible for a great many new words added to Webster's Dictionary of American English yearly.

Language itself is the incubator and transmitter of culture, "Ebonics," or "Black-English" is the ROOT language of communication and shared-meaning amongst Afrikans of Amerika.

We are at-least a bi-lingual people, able to express in Standard and "Black" english given the audience and situation.


In coming to recognize and accept the fact of Afrikan colonialization, I resent that I even speak any form of "English." If you and I engage in oral-communication and understand one-another, we are speaking a LANGUAGE. The one that Afrikans in America speak happens to be one of mass global appeal and curiosity.

The "issue" that I have with it is that those who are interested are not motivated to learn how to communicate with "me," a native-speaker of the language, but to be perceived as "cool," or "in the know."

There's a thread on the forum about Afirkan language in America that Afrikans themselves termed "Ebonics." There's also a book called "Black English."

Peace & Love

P.S. Thanks for the feedback, If I understand you correctly, "slang" which I think is another "thing" in language altogether, should not be taught. I agree, though sometimes it's necessary to de-code it.

Do you perceive the Black-English of Africans in America as a negative? I think it's possible to be an "Educated" afrikan and not speak perfect "Standard" English, whether you are a non-immigrant Afrikan of America or native-born -whatever.

Also, NOT spealing Standard English is a form of RESISTANCE!!

You are right on brother.

Though I dont think every word that they say is ebonics has our original languages in its roots. I think I said that right. Some people are being radical in the name of making hip hop money and calling anything broken away a little from English Ebonics.

[New Dwaben Chief]

I don't think its a language that you're suppose to teach people. Its something you pick up in the streets, I've never heard of a Nigerian class called Pidgin 101because that language is for the community. If these people aren't in the community than whats the point in learning it?

[CreatorsCollege]

Originally Posted by New Dwaben Chief

I don't think its a language that you're suppose to teach people. Its something you pick up in the streets, I've never heard of a Nigerian class called Pidgin 101because that language is for the community. If these people aren't in the community than whats the point in learning it?

Peace!

I agree, I don't "teach" ebonics or slang, however I am constantly asked to decipher, (which I think is a better-fitting term to describe the situation). Hip-Hop, Rap and Afrikan movies that have MAJOR influence ova' here.

Gud question!

[Guerilla Black]

Peace,
I'm an english major in college and this semester i am taking 3 courses on linguistics. One is Structure of Standard English, another is development of the english language and last is stigmatized englishes. So yes i do know alot about linguistics and alot about African American English aka Black English or what some ignorantly call Ebonics.

Now, alot of people get Ebonics confused with Slang. Slang is just a small portion of AAVE, actually it is a small portion of the lexicon of AAVE. By lexicon i mean the vocabulary that is found in AAVE. Because AAVE is associated with Hiphop alot of our vocabulary crosses over to other dialects like Latino English or Standard English, however we still got certain lexical items like kitchen(naps), saddity, bougie, that other races may not know. For example, in my class full of white kids for the most part did not know what those words stood for but the few blacks kids did.

Also get out of your head the idea of a "correct" English or "bad" English because there is no such concept.

Also, do not say that AAVE is lazy english, bad english or has no rules because it has tons of rules. This is why it is define by linguists as a dialect and not a pidgin or bad english.

I'm not even talking about rules like Makeda pointed out with phonology, with dropping of consonant clusters or like pronounced "hand" as "han", or "post" as "pos", "birthday" as "birfday".

But there's also rules to syntax and grammer which proves to be more ADVANCED and LOGICAL/PRACTICAL than Standard English.

Got to get out of our Head that Standard English is some perfect language, its' not.

If anyone has questions, ill answer, because theres alot of stuff to say about AAVE.

[IfasehunReincarnated]

No. you shouldnt.

[Kweku_Omowale]

wow creatorscollege! was the" dude" white brazilian,question mark,

nah,i agree with the rest,most people want to learn slang,because what they have seen on tv,it is kind of sad that this guy identifies with the portuguese
in brazil,may he has some petty bougeoise vallues,ingrained in him,like all over afrika and the diaspora,we will find people with petty bougeoise values,as franz fannon mentioned" black skins white masks "
the state of brazil,with large afrikan population is BAHIA,@creators college,my ancestral tree in brazil goes back to sao salvador bahia,where people still speaks yoruba,and even some continental afrikans that i met in toronto,from nigeria,were impressed as well.
nah,dont teach a-rabs nuthin,because,they too,are cultural bandits as doctor ayele bekerie says on " ethiopic an afrikan writting system" way older and more ancient than arabic and kswahili,which have been mixed with arabic,
arabic and amaharic derives from ancient ethiopia