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African American Language Tut: A Comprehensive Guide
Author: Dr. Anya Johnson, Associate Professor of Linguistics, specializing in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Johnson has published extensively on AAVE syntax, phonology, and sociolinguistics, and has over 15 years of experience teaching and researching the language.
Publisher: The Linguistic Society of America (LSA), a leading professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the scientific study of language, including the documentation and understanding of diverse language varieties such as AAVE.
Editor: Dr. Marcus Davis, a renowned sociolinguist with expertise in language variation and change, particularly within African American communities. Dr. Davis has served as a consultant for numerous educational initiatives focused on AAVE.
Keyword: african american language tut, AAVE tutorial, African American Vernacular English, AAVE grammar, AAVE pronunciation, AAVE vocabulary, AAVE teaching resources, understanding AAVE, AAVE linguistic features
Summary: This comprehensive african american language tut provides a detailed exploration of African American Vernacular English (AAVE), including its historical development, key linguistic features, and common misconceptions. The guide offers best practices for teaching and learning AAVE, emphasizing respectful and accurate representation, while addressing potential pitfalls in understanding and interpreting this vibrant linguistic system. It aims to equip educators, students, and anyone interested in AAVE with the knowledge and tools for effective engagement with this rich and complex language variety.
1. Understanding the Historical Context of AAVE
The african american language tut begins by acknowledging the rich and complex history of AAVE. It's crucial to understand that AAVE isn't simply "bad English" or a dialect resulting from linguistic laziness. Instead, it evolved from a confluence of West African languages, various European languages, and the unique socio-historical experiences of African Americans in the United States. This section will trace the development of AAVE from its origins in slavery to its contemporary forms, highlighting the resilience and creativity inherent in its evolution. This historical understanding is vital for any effective african american language tut.
2. Key Linguistic Features of AAVE
This section of our african american language tut delves into the specific linguistic features that distinguish AAVE from other varieties of English. We will examine key phonological aspects, such as consonant cluster reduction (e.g., "cold" pronounced as "col'") and the frequent use of monophthongization (e.g., "ride" pronounced as "rad"). Grammatical features, including the habitual "be" (e.g., "He be workin'"), the use of "ain't," and the unique patterns of tense and aspect marking will be explored in detail. Finally, the vocabulary specific to AAVE, including its expressive and creative word formations, will be discussed. This detailed look at linguistic features is crucial for any comprehensive african american language tut.
3. Common Misconceptions about AAVE
This part of the african american language tut directly addresses the pervasive misconceptions surrounding AAVE. It debunks the myth that AAVE is grammatically deficient or illogical. We’ll explore the systematic nature of AAVE grammar and phonology, demonstrating its internal consistency and logical structure. The tutorial will challenge the notion that AAVE is a monolithic entity; it acknowledges the variations within AAVE based on region, age, social class, and other social factors. Addressing these misconceptions is a critical component of a responsible african american language tut.
4. Best Practices for Teaching and Learning AAVE
This section offers practical guidance for educators and learners engaging with AAVE. It emphasizes the importance of respectful and culturally sensitive approaches to teaching and learning. The african american language tut provides practical strategies for incorporating AAVE into educational settings, emphasizing its richness and value as a linguistic system. It also provides resources and techniques for teachers to effectively engage students with diverse linguistic backgrounds. This section is critical for any effective african american language tut.
5. Pitfalls to Avoid When Studying AAVE
This section identifies potential pitfalls in the study and understanding of AAVE. It warns against applying prescriptive grammar rules from Standard American English to AAVE, which can lead to misinterpretations and inaccurate assessments. The african american language tut also cautions against using AAVE as a marker of social inferiority or educational inadequacy. It emphasizes the importance of understanding AAVE on its own terms, appreciating its linguistic richness, and valuing the cultural heritage it represents. This careful consideration of potential pitfalls is crucial for any responsible african american language tut.
6. AAVE in Contemporary Society
This section explores the role of AAVE in contemporary society, addressing its presence in popular culture, music, literature, and social media. We will examine how AAVE influences and shapes broader linguistic trends and its ongoing impact on American English.
7. Resources for Further Learning
This part of the african american language tut provides a curated list of books, articles, websites, and other resources for learners who wish to further deepen their understanding of AAVE. This will include links to reputable academic sources and organizations working in the field of sociolinguistics and AAVE.
8. Conclusion
This african american language tut aims to provide a nuanced and accurate understanding of African American Vernacular English. By addressing its history, key linguistic features, and common misconceptions, we hope to foster respect and appreciation for this vibrant and dynamic language variety. Understanding AAVE is not merely an academic exercise; it's crucial for building bridges across cultural and linguistic divides and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society. The effective and respectful study of AAVE, as facilitated by this tutorial, contributes significantly to a richer and more informed understanding of language and its connection to identity and social context.
FAQs
1. Is AAVE a dialect or a language? AAVE is a dialect of English, characterized by its unique grammatical, phonological, and lexical features.
2. Is AAVE grammatically incorrect? No, AAVE has its own consistent and logical grammatical system, different from Standard American English.
3. Why is it important to study AAVE? Studying AAVE enriches our understanding of language variation and the historical and social contexts that shape language. It also promotes linguistic justice and combats linguistic prejudice.
4. How can I avoid perpetuating stereotypes about AAVE? By understanding the linguistic system of AAVE and respecting its inherent value, and avoiding the use of AAVE as a marker of social inferiority.
5. What are some common AAVE features I should be aware of? Habitual "be," negative concord, consonant cluster reduction, and unique vocabulary are some key features.
6. Where can I find more information about AAVE? The Linguistic Society of America, the National Council of Teachers of English, and various university linguistics departments offer valuable resources.
7. How can I incorporate AAVE into my teaching? Begin by understanding AAVE’s linguistic system and building rapport with your students. Emphasize code-switching and celebrate linguistic diversity.
8. Is AAVE influencing Standard American English? Yes, AAVE has, and continues to, influence Standard American English, contributing to its dynamism and evolution.
9. Why is the historical context of AAVE important? Understanding its history reveals the resilience and creativity of African American communities and highlights the societal factors shaping its development.
Related Articles:
1. The Historical Development of AAVE: This article traces the origins and evolution of AAVE, from its West African roots to its present-day forms.
2. AAVE Phonology: A Detailed Analysis: This article provides a comprehensive examination of the phonological features of AAVE, including consonant and vowel variations.
3. AAVE Grammar: Structure and Function: This article focuses on the grammatical structures of AAVE, highlighting its unique syntax and morphological features.
4. AAVE Vocabulary and its Cultural Significance: This article explores the unique vocabulary of AAVE, examining its origins, evolution, and cultural significance.
5. Teaching AAVE in the Classroom: Best Practices and Strategies: This article offers practical tips and strategies for educators who wish to incorporate AAVE into their teaching.
6. Debunking Myths about AAVE: Addressing Common Misconceptions: This article directly confronts common misconceptions about AAVE, challenging negative stereotypes and promoting linguistic understanding.
7. AAVE and Code-Switching: Navigating Linguistic Diversity: This article examines the phenomenon of code-switching in AAVE, and its role in communication and identity.
8. The Sociolinguistics of AAVE: Power, Identity, and Social Context: This article explores the sociolinguistic aspects of AAVE, examining its relationship to social power, identity, and social context.
9. AAVE in Popular Culture: Representation and Influence: This article explores the representation of AAVE in popular culture and its impact on wider linguistic trends.
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| african american language tut: The New Negro Jeffrey C. Stewart, 2018 The definitive biography of Alain Locke, the first African American Rhodes Scholar and Harvard PhD in philosophy, Howard University philosophy scholar, and architect of the Harlem Renaissance, who mentored a generation of artists including Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Nurston and promoted the work of African Americans as the quintessential creators of American modernism. This biography explores his professional and private life, including his relationships with white patrons and his lifelong search for love as a gay man. |
| african american language tut: Other People's Children Lisa D. Delpit, 2006 An updated edition of the award-winning analysis of the role of race in the classroom features a new author introduction and framing essays by Herbert Kohl and Charles Payne, in an account that shares ideas about how teachers can function as cultural transmitters in contemporary schools and communicate more effectively to overcome race-related academic challenges. Original. |
| african american language tut: Dreams from My Father Barack Obama, 2007-01-09 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF ESSENCE’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS In this iconic memoir of his early days, Barack Obama “guides us straight to the intersection of the most serious questions of identity, class, and race” (The Washington Post Book World). “Quite extraordinary.”—Toni Morrison In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident. This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance. Praise for Dreams from My Father “Beautifully crafted . . . moving and candid . . . This book belongs on the shelf beside works like James McBride’s The Color of Water and Gregory Howard Williams’s Life on the Color Line as a tale of living astride America’s racial categories.”—Scott Turow “Provocative . . . Persuasively describes the phenomenon of belonging to two different worlds, and thus belonging to neither.”—The New York Times Book Review “Obama’s writing is incisive yet forgiving. This is a book worth savoring.”—Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here “One of the most powerful books of self-discovery I’ve ever read, all the more so for its illuminating insights into the problems not only of race, class, and color, but of culture and ethnicity. It is also beautifully written, skillfully layered, and paced like a good novel.”—Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of In My Place “Dreams from My Father is an exquisite, sensitive study of this wonderful young author’s journey into adulthood, his search for community and his place in it, his quest for an understanding of his roots, and his discovery of the poetry of human life. Perceptive and wise, this book will tell you something about yourself whether you are black or white.”—Marian Wright Edelman |
| african american language tut: African American Vernacular English Desirée Kuthe, 2007-11 Essay from the year 2007 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography, grade: 1,0, University of Córdoba (Spain: Universidad de Córdoba), course: Sociolinguistics, 8 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: African American Vernacular English or AAVE, which is also variously labelled 'African American English', 'Black English', 'Black Vernacular English' or 'Ebonics', is the non-standard variety of English spoken by many African Americans, at least to some extent and in some contexts. The now very popular term Ebonics is a portmanteau of the words 'ebony' and 'phonics', created in 1973 by a group of black scholars, who disliked the term 'Nonstandard Negro English', which was in use at that time. The circumstances of the creation of the term, (which has gained considerable popularity during a huge debate in 1996, which will be discussed later), already highlights one of the main features associated with AAVE: the controversies which centre upon it, even - according to McCrum et al. - within the Black community. For some, it is an authentic means of self-expression for Black English speakers throughout America and the world. For others, who prefer the norms of Standard English, Black English represents the disadvantaged past, an obstacle to advancement, something better unlearned, denied or forgotten. The first thorough sociolinguistic study of AAVE was carried out by William Labov in 1968. It was funded by the US Office of Education, which was interested in the relation between social dialects and the teaching of English. The problems many Black American children had to acquire thorough reading skills was, in fact, what first brought attention to AAVE. Still scholars can't seem to agree on what exactly AAVE is and where it comes from. Scholars on one end of the scale of opinions hold it to be very different from Standard English, even a distinct language, those on the other end claim it to be a mere product of regional a |
| african american language tut: African American English , 2007-04-03 Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject American Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1, University of Hannover, language: English, abstract: Since there are different terms for the English of African Americans and in order to not confuse the reader chapter 2 lists and defines the most common terms used by linguists concerned with this topic. In chapter 3 the Oakland School Board proposal is mentioned and its contents are summarised. Before investigating the features of the African American dialect of English, I am going to take a look at its history as well as different theories of how it actually arose. Chapter 5 is concerned with various phonological, grammatical, semantic, and pragmatic features which are characteristic for the English of African Americans and make it an interesting and unique dialect. |
| african american language tut: The Amistad Rebellion Marcus Rediker, 2013-11-26 Vividly drawn . . . this stunning book honors the achievement of the captive Africans who fought for—and won—their freedom.”—The Philadelphia Tribune A unique account of the most successful slave rebellion in American history, now updated with a new epilogue—from the award-winning author of The Slave Ship In this powerful and highly original account, Marcus Rediker reclaims the Amistad rebellion for its true proponents: the enslaved Africans who risked death to stake a claim for freedom. Using newly discovered evidence and featuring vividly drawn portraits of the rebels, their captors, and their abolitionist allies, Rediker reframes the story to show how a small group of courageous men fought and won an epic battle against Spanish and American slaveholders and their governments. The successful Amistad rebellion changed the very nature of the struggle against slavery. As a handful of self-emancipated Africans steered their own course for freedom, they opened a way for millions to follow. This edition includes a new epilogue about the author's trip to Sierra Leona to search for Lomboko, the slave-trading factory where the Amistad Africans were incarcerated, and other relics and connections to the Amistad rebellion, especially living local memory of the uprising and the people who made it. |
| african american language tut: Black Greek-letter Organizations in the Twenty-First Century Gregory S. Parks, 2008-06-13 During the twentieth century, black Greek-Letter organizations (BGLOs) united college students dedicated to excellence, fostered kinship, and uplifted African Americans. Members of these organizations include remarkable and influential individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr., Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, novelist Toni Morrison, and Wall Street pioneer Reginald F. Lewis. Despite the profound influence of these groups, many now question the continuing relevance of BGLOs, arguing that their golden age has passed. Partly because of their perceived link to hip-hop culture, black fraternities and sororities have been unfairly reduced to a media stereotype—a world of hazing without any real substance. The general public knows very little about BGLOs, and surprisingly the members themselves often do not have a thorough understanding of their history and culture or of the issues currently facing their organizations. To foster a greater engagement with the history and contributions of BGLOs, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun brings together an impressive group of authors to explore the contributions and continuing possibilities of BGLOs and their members. Editor Gregory S. Parks and the contributing authors provide historical context for the development of BGLOs, exploring their service activities as well as their relationships with other prominent African American institutions. The book examines BGLOs' responses to a number of contemporary issues, including non-black membership, homosexuality within BGLOs, and the perception of BGLOs as educated gangs. As illustrated by the organized response of BGLO members to the racial injustice they observed in Jena, Louisiana, these organizations still have a vital mission. Both internally and externally, BGLOs struggle to forge a relevant identity for the new century. Internally, these groups wrestle with many issues, including hazing, homophobia, petty intergroup competition, and the difficulty of bridging the divide between college and alumni members. Externally, BGLOs face the challenge of rededicating themselves to their communities and leading an aggressive campaign against modern forms of racism, sexism, and other types of fear-driven behavior. By embracing the history of these organizations and exploring their continuing viability and relevance, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century demonstrates that BGLOs can create a positive and enduring future and that their most important work lies ahead. |
| african american language tut: African American Vernacular English - Origins and Features Haider Madhloum, 2011-03 Pre-University Paper from the year 2011 in the subject English - Pedagogy, Didactics, Literature Studies, Antwerp Local School, course: Last year of High School, language: English, abstract: 1. Introduction African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the variety formerly known as Black English Vernacular or Vernacular Black English among sociolinguists. It is also called Ebonics outside the academic community. While some features of AAVE are apparently unique to this variety, in its structure it also shows many similarities with other varieties including a number of standard and nonstandard English varieties spoken in the US. AAVE has been the subject of several public debates. The analysis of this variety has caused a lot of discussion among sociolinguists and also among the American people. AAVE is a language that I hear every day through the music I hear and the Internet I use. This was the main reason that I chose to learn more about AAVE. Many people think AAVE is the same as Standard American English but this is not true. In this paper I will investigate whether AAVE is a dialect or a slang. And also the origins of AAVE and the features of AAVE (Phonological-, grammatical and lexical features) and the social and educational context of AAVE will be explained more in this paper. Through many research in the library of the university of Antwerp and the library of the university of Leuven but also through many research on the internet I was able to collect and investigate this subject. With the great help of my teacher I was able to make this paper |
| african american language tut: Readings in African American Language Nathaniel Norment, 2003 Readings in African American Language: Aspects, Features and Perspectives is the most comprehensive collection in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) available that provides various theoretical approaches of its origin, development, and advantages. The contributors provide many different perspectives and topics relevant to the study of African American language as an academic, social, cultural/linguistic entry in the field of language study. |
| african american language tut: We Ain't No Niggas! N. Quamere Cincere, 2007-01-01 The history education you received in school was (and still is) unjustifiably skewed. It focused on the negative aspects of African and African American history and positive aspects of European and European American history. This educational imbalance is a major cause of the social, financial and political imbalances of society today! We Ain t No Niggas! freely guides you through mental exercises and demonstrations to logically prove the imbalance in the published history of white and black people, then goes on to thoroughly document what you were not taught to bring you the devout gift of true and full history! Ultimately, this book will free your mind from the influence of the intangible force that taught you black is wrong and white is right. We Ain t No Niggas! LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD by bringing you the unadulterated truth; the rest of the story; the rest of his-story; the negative side of European history and the positive side of African history to create balance and equality in society. Benefits: Learn documented historical facts that reveal the positive aspects of African History and negative aspects of European History. Receive instruction on how to balance your and your children's cultural knowledge base which will intensify your self-esteem. Receive inspiration to improve your social, educational and financial positions by gaining a proper respect of people of African descent based on their worldly accomplishments instead of the pity of other cultures. |
| african american language tut: The Cambridge Dictionary of Linguistics Keith Brown, Jim Miller, 2013-12-05 The Cambridge Dictionary of Linguistics provides concise and clear definitions of all the terms any undergraduate or graduate student is likely to encounter in the study of linguistics and English language or in other degrees involving linguistics, such as modern languages, media studies and translation. lt covers the key areas of syntax, morphology, phonology, phonetics, semantics and pragmatics but also contains terms from discourse analysis, stylistics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, computational linguistics and corpus linguistics. It provides entries for 246 languages, including 'major' languages and languages regularly mentioned in research papers and textbooks. Features include cross-referencing between entries and extended entries on some terms. Where appropriate, entries contain illustrative examples from English and other languages and many provide etymologies bringing out the metaphors lying behind the technical terms. Also available is an electronic version of the dictionary which includes 'clickable' cross-referencing. |
| african american language tut: Language in the Inner City William Labov, 1973-09-01 With the recent controversy in the Oakland, California school district about Ebonics—or as it is referred to in sociolinguistic circles, African American Vernacular English or Black English Vernacular—much attention has been paid to the patterns of speech prevalent among African Americans in the inner city. In January 1997, at the height of the Ebonics debate, author and prominent sociolinguist William Labov testified before a Senate subcommittee that for most inner city African American children, the relation of sound to spelling is different, and more complicated than for speakers of other dialects. He suggested that it was time to apply this knowledge to the teaching of reading. The testimony harkened back to research contained in his groundbreaking book Language in the Inner City, originally published in 1972. In it, Labov probed the question Does 'Black English' exist? and emerged with an answer that was well ahead of his time, and that remains essential to our contemporary understanding of the subject. Language in the Inner City firmly establishes African American Vernacular English not simply as slang but as a well-formed set of rules of pronunciation and grammar capable of conveying complex logic and reasoning. Studying not only the normal processes of communication in the inner city but such art forms as the ritual insult and ritualized narrative, Labov confirms the Black vernacular as a separate and independent dialect of English. His analysis goes on to clarify the nature and processes of linguistic change in the context of a changing society. Perhaps even more today than two decades ago, Labov's conclusions are mandatory reading for anyone concerned with education and social change, with African American culture, and with the future of race relations in this country. |
| african american language tut: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou, 2010-07-21 Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned. Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.”—James Baldwin From the Paperback edition. |
| african american language tut: The Science of Language Friedrich Max Müller, 1891 |
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| african american language tut: Amistad: The Story of a Slave Ship Patricia C. McKissack, 2021-09-14 An amazing chapter in American history is now available in Step into Reading, the premier leveled reader line. In 1838, a slave ship named the Amistad took hundreds of kidnapped Africans on a long journey across the Atlantic. But the brave captives would not give up their freedom, taking over the ship so they could sail back to their homeland. This History Reader is not to be missed. Step 4 Readers use challenging vocabulary and short paragraphs to tell exciting stories. For newly independent readers who read simple sentences with confidence. |
| african american language tut: African American English and White Southern English - Segregational Factors in the Development of a Dialect Timm Gehrmann, 2007-09 Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject American Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,7, University of Wuppertal, course: African American Culture as Resistance, 14 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: In 1619 the first Black People were violently taken to Virginia, United States. Many more Blacks were to follow and hence had to work as slaves on the plantations in the south, fueling the trade of an emerging economic power. Families and friends were separated and people from different regions who spoke different African dialects were grouped together. This was to make sure that no communication in their respective native languages would take place in order to prevent mutinies. Thus the Africans had to learn the language of their new surroundings, namely English. Today the English of the Blacks in America is distinguishable as African American Vernacular English (AAVE). AAVE and American White Southern English (AWSE) were very similar in colonial times, and according to Feagin1 AWSE still has features of AAVE, such as the non-rhoticism and falsetto pitch2, which is supposed to add to the apparent musicality of both AAVE and AWSE today. Many commonalities can be attributed to the coexistence of the two cultures for almost 200 years, while many differences are claimed to be due to segregation. Crystal claims that first forms of Pidgin English spoken by Africans already emerged during the journey on the slave ships, where communication was also made difficult due to the grouping of different dialects in order to prevent mutiny. The slave traders who often spoken English had already shaped the new pidgin languages on the ships and helped shape a creole that was to be established in the Carribean colonies as well southern US colonies in the 17th century. |
| african american language tut: On Her Own Ground A'Lelia Bundles, 2002-01-01 Soon to be a Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, On Her Own Ground is the first full-scale biography of “one of the great success stories of American history” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Madam C.J. Walker—the legendary African American entrepreneur and philanthropist—by her great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundles. The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Sarah Breedlove—who would become known as Madam C. J. Walker—was orphaned at seven, married at fourteen, and widowed at twenty. She spent the better part of the next two decades laboring as a washerwoman for $1.50 a week. Then—with the discovery of a revolutionary hair care formula for black women—everything changed. By her death in 1919, Walker managed to overcome astonishing odds: building a storied beauty empire from the ground up, amassing wealth unprecedented among black women, and devoting her life to philanthropy and social activism. Along the way, she formed friendships with great early-twentieth-century political figures such as Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington. |
| african american language tut: An Introduction to Language and Linguistics Ralph Fasold, Jeffrey Connor-Linton, 2006-03-09 This accessible textbook offers balanced and uniformly excellent coverage of modern linguistics. |
| african american language tut: You Are What You Speak Robert Lane Greene, 2011-03-08 An insightful, accessible examination of the way in which day-to-day speech is tangled in a complicated web of history, politics, race, economics and power. - Kirkus What is it about other people’s language that moves some of us to anxiety or even rage? For centuries, sticklers the world over have donned the cloak of authority to control the way people use words. Now this sensational new book strikes back to defend the fascinating, real-life diversity of this most basic human faculty. With the erudite yet accessible style that marks his work as a journalist, Robert Lane Greene takes readers on a rollicking tour around the world, illustrating with vivid anecdotes the role language beliefs play in shaping our identities, for good and ill. Beginning with literal myths, from the Tower of Babel to the bloody origins of the word “shibboleth,” Greene shows how language “experts” went from myth-making to rule-making and from building cohesive communities to building modern nations. From the notion of one language’s superiority to the common perception that phrases like “It’s me” are “bad English,” linguistic beliefs too often define “us” and distance “them,” supporting class, ethnic, or national prejudices. In short: What we hear about language is often really about the politics of identity. Governments foolishly try to police language development (the French Academy), nationalism leads to the violent suppression of minority languages (Kurdish and Basque), and even Americans fear that the most successful language in world history (English) may be threatened by increased immigration. These false language beliefs are often tied to harmful political ends and can lead to the violation of basic human rights. Conversely, political involvement in language can sometimes prove beneficial, as with the Zionist revival of Hebrew or our present-day efforts to provide education in foreign languages essential to business, diplomacy, and intelligence. And yes, standardized languages play a crucial role in uniting modern societies. As this fascinating book shows, everything we’ve been taught to think about language may not be wrong—but it is often about something more than language alone. You Are What You Speak will certainly get people talking. |
| african american language tut: Who Were the Tuskegee Airmen? Sherri L. Smith, Who HQ, 2018-08-07 It's up, up, and away with the Tuskegee Airmen, a heroic group of African American military pilots who helped the United States win World War II. During World War II, black Americans were fighting for their country and for freedom in Europe, yet they had to endure a totally segregated military in the United States, where they weren't considered smart enough to become military pilots. After acquiring government funding for aviation training, civil rights activists were able to kickstart the first African American military flight program in the US at Tuskegee University in Alabama. While this book details thrilling flight missions and the grueling training sessions the Tuskegee Airmen underwent, it also shines a light on the lives of these brave men who helped pave the way for the integration of the US armed forces. |
| african american language tut: What Did Jesus Look Like? Joan E. Taylor, 2018-02-08 Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous man who ever lived. His image adorns countless churches, icons, and paintings. He is the subject of millions of statues, sculptures, devotional objects and works of art. Everyone can conjure an image of Jesus: usually as a handsome, white man with flowing locks and pristine linen robes. But what did Jesus really look like? Is our popular image of Jesus overly westernized and untrue to historical reality? This question continues to fascinate. Leading Christian Origins scholar Joan E. Taylor surveys the historical evidence, and the prevalent image of Jesus in art and culture, to suggest an entirely different vision of this most famous of men. He may even have had short hair. |
| african american language tut: Word from the Mother Geneva Smitherman, 2006-04-18 Written by the hugely respected linguist, Geneva Smitherman, this book presents a definitive statement on African American English. Enriched by her evocative and inimitable prose style, the study presents an overview of past debates on the speech of African Americans, as well as providing a vision for the future. Featuring cartoons which demonstrate the relationship between language and race, as well as common perceptions of African American Language, she explores its contribution to mainstream American English and includes a summary of expressions as a suggested linguistic core of AAL. As global manifestations of Black Language increase, she argues that, through education, we must broaden our conception of AAL and its speakers, and further examine the implications of gender, age and class on AAL. Perhaps most of all we must appreciate the ‘artistic and linguistic genius’ of AAL, presented in this book through rap and Hip Hop lyrics and the explorations of rhyme and rhetoric in the Black speech community. Word from the Mother is an essential read for students of African American English, language, culture and sociolinguistics, as well as the general reader interested in the worldwide ‘crossover’ of black popular culture. |
| african american language tut: The African Slave Trade from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth Century Unesco, 1979 |
| african american language tut: Cousins Virginia Hamilton, 2011-02-15 DIVCammy’s only trouble in life is a cousin named Patty Ann who overshadows her in every way—until suddenly, Patty Ann is no longer around/divDIV /div DIVCammy has a happy life and a great family, except for one little problem: a cousin who thinks she’s better than everyone else. It’s true that Patty Ann is beautiful, talented, and bright, but to Cammy she’s also vain, conceited, and mean-spirited. Sometimes Cammy wishes that Patty Ann would disappear, just vanish in a puff of smoke. But when the unthinkable happens and Patty Ann is lost forever, Cammy struggles to atone for her bad feelings toward someone so close./div |
| african american language tut: Alain L. Locke Leonard Harris, Charles Molesworth, 2010-04-02 Alain L. Locke (1886-1954), in his famous 1925 anthology TheNew Negro, declared that “the pulse of the Negro world has begun to beat in Harlem.” Often called the father of the Harlem Renaissance, Locke had his finger directly on that pulse, promoting, influencing, and sparring with such figures as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthé, William Grant Still, Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, Ralph Bunche, and John Dewey. The long-awaited first biography of this extraordinarily gifted philosopher and writer, Alain L. Locke narrates the untold story of his profound impact on twentieth-century America’s cultural and intellectual life. Leonard Harris and Charles Molesworth trace this story through Locke’s Philadelphia upbringing, his undergraduate years at Harvard—where William James helped spark his influential engagement with pragmatism—and his tenure as the first African American Rhodes Scholar. The heart of their narrative illuminates Locke’s heady years in 1920s New York City and his forty-year career at Howard University, where he helped spearhead the adult education movement of the 1930s and wrote on topics ranging from the philosophy of value to the theory of democracy. Harris and Molesworth show that throughout this illustrious career—despite a formal manner that many observers interpreted as elitist or distant—Locke remained a warm and effective teacher and mentor, as well as a fierce champion of literature and art as means of breaking down barriers between communities. The multifaceted portrait that emerges from this engaging account effectively reclaims Locke’s rightful place in the pantheon of America’s most important minds. |
| african american language tut: The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America: 1638–1870 W.E.B. Du Bois, 2018-02-06 This monograph was begun during my residence as Rogers Memorial Fellow at Harvard University, and is based mainly upon a study of the sources, i.e., national, State, and colonial statutes, Congressional documents, reports of societies, personal narratives, etc. The collection of laws available for this research was, I think, nearly complete; on the other hand, facts and statistics bearing on the economic side of the study have been difficult to find, and my conclusions are consequently liable to modification from this source. The question of the suppression of the slave-trade is so intimately connected with the questions as to its rise, the system of American slavery, and the whole colonial policy of the eighteenth century, that it is difficult to isolate it, and at the same time to avoid superficiality on the one hand, and unscientific narrowness of view on the other. While I could not hope entirely to overcome such a difficulty, I nevertheless trust that I have succeeded in rendering this monograph a small contribution to the scientific study of slavery and the American Negro.' William Edward Burghardt W. E. B. Du Bois (1868 – 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer and editor. Born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community. After completing graduate work at the University of Berlin and Harvard, where he was the first African American to earn a doctorate, he became a professor of history, sociology and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. |
| african american language tut: Not Out Of Africa Mary Lefkowitz, 2008-08-04 Not Out of Africa has sparked widespread debate over the teaching of revisionist history in schools and colleges. Was Socrates black? Did Aristotle steal his ideas from the library in Alexandria? Do we owe the underlying tenets of our democratic civilizaiton to the Africans? Mary Lefkowitz explains why politically motivated histories of the ancient world are being written and shows how Afrocentrist claims blatantly contradict the historical evidence. Not Out of Africa is an important book that protects and argues for the necessity of historical truths and standards in cultural education.For this new paperback edition, Mary Lefkowitz has written an epilogue in which she responds to her critics and offers topics for further discussion. She has also added supplementary notes, a bibliography with suggestions for further reading, and a glossary of names. |
| african american language tut: Language and Culture Claire Kramsch, 1998-08-20 This work investigates the close relationship between language and culture. It explains key concepts such as social context and cultural authenticity, using insights from fields which includes linguistics, sociology, and anthropology. |
| african american language tut: An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles John Holm, 2000 A clear and concise introduction to the study of how new languages come into being. |
| african american language tut: Secret Manipulations Anne Storch, 2011-09-02 Secret Manipulations is the first comprehensive study of African register variation, polylectality, and derived languages. It provides a new approach to local language ideologies and concepts of grammar and metalinguistic knowledge. |
| african american language tut: The Uniqueness of African American Vernacular English Lea Lorena Jerns, 2014-06-16 Seminar paper from the year 2014 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, Humboldt-University of Berlin, language: English, abstract: The language, only the language...it is the thing that black people love so much - the saying of words, holding them on the tongue, experimenting with them, playing with them. It's a love, a passion. Its function is like a preacher's: to make you stand up out of your seat, make you lose yourself and ear yourself. The worst of all possible things that could happen is to lose that language. There are certain things I cannot say with-out recourse to my language. With these words Toni Morrison, an American professor and novelist, probably expressed exactly what many African American people felt and still feel. In her statement she refers to the so-called African American Vernacular English, abbreviated AAVE, which is a variant of English spoken mostly by black people in the United States. (Jokinen 2008: 1) It is also known as African American English, Black English Vernacular, Black Vernacular Eng-lish, Black Vernacular, Black English or Ebonics. It is important to point out that not all African Americans inevitably speak this ethnolect and that there are also people with a non-African American background who nonetheless may speak it. (cf. Patrick 2007: 1) Fur-thermore, it is hard to define who actually speaks AAVE as some speakers may only use some features, e.g. vocabulary or grammatical aspects, of this variant. (cf. Jokinen 2008: 1) AAVE is a variant of English that you can see and hear every day - it is present in the Internet and in many songs and that makes it so interesting to find out more about it and to get a better understanding of AAVE. In this paper, I will focus on different aspects. I will start dealing with the question Where does AAVE come from? under point two and will continue with a brief overview of some basic grammatical features of AAVE in point three. Under point fo |
| african american language tut: Collective Amnesia Koleka Putuma, 2020-12-17 Since its publication in April 2017, Collective Amnesia has taken the South African literary scene by storm. The book is in its twelfth print run and is prescribed for study at tertiary level in South African Universities and abroad. The collection is the recipient of the 2018 Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, named 2017 book of the year by the City Press and one of the best books of 2017 by The Sunday Times and Quartz Africa. It is translated into Spanish (Flores Rara, 2019), German (Wunderhorn Publishing House, 2019), Danish (Rebel with a Cause, 2019), Dutch (Poeziecentrum, 2020), Swedish (Rámus förlag). Forthcoming translations: Portuguese (Editora Trinta Zero Nove), Italian (Arcipelago itaca) and French (éditions Lanskine). Collective Amnesia examines the intersection of politics, race, religion, relationships, sexuality, feminism, memory and more. The poems provoke institutions and systems of learning and interrogates what must be unlearned in society, academia, relationships, religion, and spaces of memory and forgetting. |
| african american language tut: Wonderful Things Jason Thompson, 2015 The discovery of ancient Egypt and the development of Egyptology are momentous events in intellectual and cultural history. The history of Egyptology is the story of the people, famous and obscure, who constructed the picture of ancient Egypt that we have today, recovered the Egyptian past while inventing it anew, and made a lost civilization comprehensible to generations of enchanted readers and viewers thousands of years later. |
| african american language tut: Stolen Legacy George G. M. James, 2013-04-08 For centuries the world has been misled about the original source of the Arts and Sciences; for centuries Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have been falsely idolized as models of intellectual greatness; and for centuries the African continent has been called the Dark Continent, because Europe coveted the honor of transmitting to the world, the Arts and Sciences. It is indeed surprising how, for centuries, the Greeks have been praised by the Western World for intellectual accomplishments which belong without a doubt to the Egyptians or the peoples of North Africa. |
| african american language tut: Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts , 2007-07 |
| african american language tut: The Black Image in Antiquity Runoko RASHIDI, 2019 |
| african american language tut: The Dynamics of Language Rajend Mesthrie, David Bradley, 2018-06-26 Linguistics – the close study of language and languages – is an indispensable foundation for all forms of knowledge. The African continent is blessed with hundreds of languages which act as local repositories of culture and interaction. South Africa alone has eleven official languages, plus Sign Language, many heritage languages, and new languages of global movements and migration. Part of the linguist’s business is to document, record and affirm languages and diversity. Applied linguists use their training to understand and enhance the role of language in education and upliftment, and the opportunities and challenges of new technologies of communication. The International Congress of Linguists meets every five years to reflect the development of the field and 2018 is the first time that the congress is being held in Africa. This book is a collection of the plenary and focus papers presented at the conference and thus represents current thinking in the major branches of language study as represented by leading local and international scholars. The papers discuss the history of languages, their structure, acquisition, diversity and use. At the same time due regard is paid to the African continent in connection with its linguistic diversity, multilingualism and educational and societal concerns. The Congress is meant to affirm the value of the languages of Africa, of languages and Linguistics in general, as well as to inspire and equip younger scholars to undertake advanced research into language in its many facets. |
Africa - Wikipedia
African nations cooperate through the establishment of the African Union, which is headquartered in Addis …
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5 days ago · African regions are treated under the titles Central Africa, eastern Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, …
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Africa is the second largest and most populous continent in the world after Asia. The area of Africa without …
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Africa - Wikipedia
African nations cooperate through the establishment of the African Union, which is headquartered in Addis Ababa. Africa is highly biodiverse; [17] it is the continent with the largest number of …
Africa | History, People, Countries, Regions, Map, & Facts
5 days ago · African regions are treated under the titles Central Africa, eastern Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, and western Africa; these articles also contain the principal treatment …
Map of Africa | List of African Countries Alphabetically - World Maps
Africa is the second largest and most populous continent in the world after Asia. The area of Africa without islands is 11.3 million square miles (29.2 million sq km), with islands - about 11.7 …
The 54 Countries in Africa in Alphabetical Order
May 14, 2025 · Here is the alphabetical list of the African country names with their capitals. We have also included the countries’ regions, the international standard for country codes (ISO …
Africa - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
African independence movements had their first success in 1951, when Libya became the first former colony to become independent. Modern African history is full of revolutions and wars , …
Africa: Countries and Sub-Saharan Africa - HISTORY
African History Africa is a large and diverse continent that extends from South Africa northward to the Mediterranean Sea. The continent makes up one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth.
Africa Map: Regions, Geography, Facts & Figures | Infoplease
What Are the Big 3 African Countries? Three of the largest and most influential countries in Africa are Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with a …
Africa - New World Encyclopedia
Since the end of colonial status, African states have frequently been hampered by instability, corruption, violence, and authoritarianism. The vast majority of African nations are republics …
Africa Map / Map of Africa - Worldatlas.com
Africa, the planet's 2nd largest continent and the second most-populous continent (after Asia) includes (54) individual countries, and Western Sahara, a member state of the African Union …
Africa: Human Geography - Education
Jun 4, 2025 · Cultural Geography Historic Cultures The African continent has a unique place in human history. Widely believed to be the “cradle of humankind,” Africa is the only continent …
