by Lauren Pearsall
Language in the educational classroom, which is then carried into the work field is becoming a controversial topic. Why has standard English continued to be the only “right” way to communicate and educate? Language and vernaculars have never been taught nor discussed in the educational classroom. Since standard English has always been the “right” way to speak, new languages and vernaculars feel uncomfortable. More specifically why has African American Vernacular English (AAVE) never been taught or discussed in the educational classroom? How can we change the standard English into a diverse classroom discussing AAVE and teaching young students that there is more than just standard English? This is when code switching in classrooms happens. “Code switching is the adjustment of one’s style of speech, appearance, behavior, and expression in ways that will optimize the comfort of others in exchange for fair treatment, quality service, and employment opportunities” (McCluney, Robotham, Lee, Smith, Durkee 1). Code switching is one of the key dilemmas that many black employees are facing in the workforce. There are social repercussions of code switching constantly in today’s society more directly in the workforce. Through Fish and Youngs essays, it proposes the questions of “Isn’t this something to be taught in school? What is the form of learning to write? What would a composition of a course based on this method look like?” AAVE is important communication style and should not be demolished in the classroom, but teaching English literature is important to get into work fields and be respected in today’s society. Language is part of identity and should be acknowledged and accepted not judged and shut down.
AAVE is simply “black speech”. This term was created in 1973 and has been a linguistic of the African American speech. Although this has been a term since 1973, many teachers still struggle and dismiss their language. In an English classroom AAVE is viewed as “poor literature or lack of education”. Code switching, is when a person changes how they speak based on who they are around. An example of code switching could be the use of two languages in a sentence or discourse. When looking at AAVE and code switching, there is a misconception of communication in the educational classroom. Students who speak AAVE, speak in a professional standard English literature in classrooms to be looked at as educated. But rather, education should not be shown in the form of communication. As Vershawn Ashanti Young says, “But don’t nobody’s language, dialect, or style make them “vulnerable to prejudice”. It’s attitudes. It be the way folks with some power perceive other people’s language” (Young 112). Standard American English was created on old American literature. When the Civil Rights movement ended, many white American literature professionals denounced AAVE as “improper” and “uneducated”. Since then, it has continued to be stereotyped into that same category. Language should be used to advantages rather than being shut down as less valuable than other.
The African American speech is a major part of the systematic and institutional racism that many people deny today. African American speech, AAVE, is often times not acknowledged in professional places. This has always been a major discrimination factor and leads to code switching in today’s society. As a whole, code switching happens normally without thought. In professional settings, AAVE should be considered, not demolished, but also continue to teach the Standard American Literature (SAE). There are huge benefits that come from children learning multiple languages. It allows children to have more experience and higher communication levels. With only one form of communication and language being accepted in classrooms, children lose their other languages. The ability to speak two different languages slowly dies because there is only one form of communication accepted in schools. Standard American English is important because it is how professionals in the workforce will value one as an employee, but it is also important to accept the diversity and honor the ability to speak more than just one language.
In an article written by William Brennan called “Julie Washington’s Quest to Get Schools to Respect African American English’, she talks about the important of narrowing the gap of the black-white literacy gap and how it can help kids learn the dialect of school, while also helping schools accept the dialect students bring. As Brennan says in the article “Washington believes that dialect may very well account for a significant part of the black–white literacy gap. At the start of kindergarten, she notes, research finds a relatively small academic gap between black and white children, and what little gap exists can be entirely explained by controlling for socioeconomic status. Yet by first grade, the gap between them has widened considerably. If recent research on the effects of mismatched dialects is right, Washington reasons, one way to narrow the gap is to help kids learn the dialect of school, while also helping schools accept the dialect students bring with them” (Brennan 2).
There is a huge gap in education due to the fear of setting students up to fail in the real world, but also the lack of knowledge in the vernacular to confidently teach others. Teachers are not sure on how to approach code switching because they might not be familiar with it. In that sense, it can be scary, but without acknowledgment and acceptance, there will be this constant discrimination on any language because it is not standard English. In an article titled ‘Know Your Terms: Code Switching’, the teacher goes into depth of what it might look like from a teacher’s perspective and how to intergrade code switching and other languages into the classroom. “Once students develop the ability to recognize the differences between their home dialect and formal English, they can then practice code switching — using the appropriate language in the appropriate context at the appropriate time. Instead of looking at one language form as “correct” and another as “incorrect,” these lessons address the differences in terms of what is going to be most effective in which context” (Gonzalez 2). Gonzalez is preaching that there should be no right or wrong in a language or classroom setting, but rather educating kids on AAVE, how it is different, and when it might not work in certain situations is important. This shows that the first step into integrating code switching into classrooms is educating the teachers. When teachers become educated in code switching, it allows them to confidently and accurately teach their students early in education.
Another step is incorporating AAVE into classrooms. Multicultural education can be practiced in classrooms through lyrics, advertisements, books, samples of writings, etc. Bringing these pieces into the classrooms allows students to see another form of writing and speaking. Rather than just acknowledging there is a difference between standard English literature and African American Vernacular English. Jessica Whitney wrote a piece called ‘Five Easy Pieces: Steps towards Integrating AAVE into the Classroom. In this she states, “True multiculturalism does just the opposite – it provides students with a more accurate view of Western culture and allows experiences and voices that have been ignored to be heard and appreciated. Every student needs to understand the rampant inequities in our society based on different language, gender, and race” (Whitney 65). When texts are read aloud to students, they can identify the differences between their home Vernacular and standard English. It is important to encourage and demonstrate code switching in classrooms. When this happens, students can understand the differences, become educated, and different forms of speech and writing can be better accepted.
Code switching should be practiced and acknowledged in classrooms, especially early education such as elementary school. When AAVE and other vernacular are so common at home, students should not feel less worthy because the way they write or speak is different than standard English. Rather, standard English should continue to be taught and used, but we shall not demolish one’s primary vernacular. As Fish said in his article “What Should Colleges Teach”, he states “You’re not going to be able to change the world if you are not equipped with the tools that speak to its present condition. You don’t strike a blow against a power structure by making yourself vulnerable to its prejudices” (Fish Part 3). Teachers can help students understand the different languages in classrooms and but also students should recognize when to use certain languages in certain situations. Teachers can bring in many different aspects and encourage it in the classroom. Teaching students how to adapt on the content will allow generations to learn how to respect one another without the pressure to constantly be code switching.
Citations
Brennan, William. “Julie Washington’s Quest to Get Schools to Respect African-American English.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 12 Mar. 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/04/the-code-switcher/554099/.
Fish, Stanley. “What Should Colleges Teach?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 25 Aug. 2009https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/what-should-colleges-teach/.
Gonzalez, Jennifer. “Know Your Terms: Code Switching.” Cult of Pedagogy, 14 June 2017, https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/code-switching/.
McCluney, Courtney L., et al. “The Costs of Code-Switching.” Harvard Business Review, 28 Jan. 2021, https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-costs-of-codeswitching.
Whitney, Jessica. “Five Easy Pieces: Steps towards Integrating AAVE into the Classroom.” The English Journal, vol. 94, no. 5, May 2005, pp. 64–69.
Young, Vershawn Ashanti. “Should Writers Use Their Own English?” Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2010, pp. 110–117., https://doi.org/10.17077/2168-569x.1095.