by Mary Hughes Lawrence
Code meshing and code switching are very similar and are both used in society every day. Code switching is changing the way you speak, behavior, and appearance in order to “fit in” and be respected. Code switching is used all the time and you do not even realize it, there is a difference in the way you talk to your professors than how you talk to your friends, that is code switching. Vershawn Ashanti Young describes code meshing as “the new code switching; it’s multidilectalism and pluarlingualism in one speech act, in one paper.” Through Fish and Young’s essays the questions are posed on whether to just teach standard english in classrooms or to incorporate other languages into the classroom. What would this look like and how would teachers do this? Teachers should encourage the use of different languages and not be too strict when grading. Teachers need to expose students to different kinds of writing and ways of talking and not enforce standard english. This will be a challenge for teachers but students will adapt very quickly.
AAVE is African American Vernacular English, also known as Black English. While this is not the only type of language or dialect that teachers should begin to teach and explore, this is the main one. Many people already speak and understand this language whether this was the first or second language they learned. In an article about using Black English as a bridge to Standard English by Samuel A Perez it talks about a district in California where Black English was named as the dominant language. Teachers in this district used techniques using Black English to teach standard english. While Standard English is still being taught and primarily used in the district the use of Black English is not completely tossed out the window. Teachers need to understand the rules and are knowledgeable about Black English to be able to use this to teach Standard English in a respectful way. Students also need to be willing to learn a new way of speaking which could benefit them for the rest of their lives. I agree with what is being taught in this California district, while it would be ideal to not have Standard English as the standard, I think this is a really hard goal to achieve and will take a long time. Allowing students to use their primary language (Black English) and then teaching Standard English based on that I think is very effective and does not shame Black English. Instead of introducing the language since it is already known by most of the population they start with Black English and then transfer over to Standard English.
Many people wonder if we should encourage the use of different languages and different ways of speaking at school. Many people have their school or professional voice and then a home voice. Fish argues to mix these two different languages together through code meshing. In an article by Sarah Dalmas Jonsberg she talks about her encounter with students who spoke both Standard English and Black English. In the article she says “They did not respect the Black English they could speak so fluently.” Black English is often looked down on because it is not the standard way of speaking in society so these students are probably ashamed of their language. In school Standard English has been forced down our throats, using another language or dialect was completely out of the question. Using your preferred way of speaking should not be looked down upon. There are times when Standard English can be beneficial, getting a job, writing scientific papers, ect., but teaching code meshing in school can change this. In school it is taught to use standard english, we write, talk, and read in standard english throughout the school day. It will be a challenge for teachers to adjust because the standards have been the same for so long. Introducing articles, books, and videos that use code meshing or AAVE all together would be very effective in introducing this language and encouraging the use of it.
Teachers were taught the same thing everybody else was in school about using standard English, so they are probably just as unsure of different languages as other people. When grading assignments where students have used code meshing and code switching teachers need to think about their grading so there is not an unfair advantage. Every language has a set of rules. Teachers should educate themselves on the different rules so people do not have an unfair grading advantage. If the teacher is still confused after looking through the rules, they should call the student who wrote it and ask them to explain what they do not understand. In an article by Rebecca Wheeler, Kelly B Cartwright, and Rachel Swords they talk about how students may be inaccurately assessed if teachers confuse dialect influences with reading errors. The article discusses how a teacher read The Cajun Night Before Christmas, while she is not used to this type of writing she was able to voice the Stand English equivalent of the words. While she was not used to this language she was able to adapt her language to the words she was reading and was able to read it in a way that made sense to her. Students are the same way, but instead of converting to Standard English they convert to AAVE or the way they are used to talking. Teachers should be able to pick up on if students are using dialect substitution or if they are actually making a writing error.
Students who are not fluent or students who have not been around different dialects and languages can be exposed to these things in a variety of ways. Teachers can introduce new readings to the class that use different forms of writing, students can watch videos or movies and will be able to pick up on the language change. In a younger classroom students can draw pictures and tell the class a story in their dialect. Not only does this expose students to different kinds of languages and dialects it also gives the students more confidence in their language and they are not forced to not use it.
In an article by Rebecca Wheeler, Kelly B Cartwright, and Rachel Swords they discuss factoring in AAVE in assessments and instructions. They discuss how reading assessments are designed for students to comprehend and decode standard english. The results on how students do this places them into a reading category. Teachers need to be able to understand the difference between dialect substitution and reading errors. Teachers need to understand the rules of different languages so students are not being “punished” for not speaking, reading, or writing in standard english. An example given in this article is, “First, Rajid successfully read the word wolves. Having seen and comprehended the meaning, he substituted the equivalen spoken form from his dialect, “woof.”” Rajid did not make a reading error, instead he substituted in his dialect. Teachers need to be able to understand the distinction between errors and substitutions in order to accurately grade and assess students. This could be a challenge because it is very time consuming to sit down with each individual student and assess them. If teachers do not take into consideration reading errors vs dialect substitutions the child may suffer through their school career and into adulthood. This is a very important issue that does need to be addressed but I do think it will take a long time to get the ball rolling on change.
Exposing students to other languages and dialects through videos, books, and articles can be extremely useful not only to the students but to the teacher as well. The use of code meshing and code switching in schools will be very effective if other professional places adopt this concept. Standard English is the standard because that is all that has been accepted in the past. I think code meshing should be used and encouraged in schools, but students also still need to be able to understand and use Standard English. While schools may be able to adapt to this change quickly I do not think other professional settings will be as welcoming to this idea.
Perez, S. A. (n.d.). Using Ebonics or Black English as a Bridge to Teaching Standard English. College of Charleston Libraries Off-Campus Access. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://web-p-ebscohost-com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=6&sid=fdcf65ad-530e-4bf7-9e4b-b9dd102b63ac%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=4786967&db=a9h.
Wheeler, R., Cartwright, K. B., & Swords, R. (n.d.). Factoring AAVE Into Reading Assessment and Instruction. College of Charleston Libraries Off-Campus Access. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://web-p-ebscohost-com.nuncio.cofc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=1eaee79b-37d5-4db9-8410-104d8584c6a2%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=72368266&db=a9h.
Johnsberg, S.D. What’s a (White Teacher) to do about Black English? JSTOR. Vol. 90, No. 4. March 2001. Pp 51-53. Retrieved November 9, 2021, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/821902
Young, V.A. Should Writers Use They Own English? Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies.Vol 12, Issue 1. 2010. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
Fish, S. What Should Colleges Teach? New York Times. September 7, 2009. Retrieve November 9, 2021