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Ebonics: Joke Or Reality?

It's been many years since this issue was in the news, but it still lingers on as a sort of joke. "Ebonics" is a nickname for African American Vernacular English, and it's very real. It began as a big news item back in 1996 or 1997, when a school district in Oakland California recognized it as a separate, valid language "variety" or dialect.

Here are a couple of links for more information:
Center for Applied Linguistics

Linguistic Society of America

Reality Joke Ebonics

That is a laugh really... do they include Pig Latin in that? There is a bigger debate about differences between Queen's English and US English.

Ebonics: Joke Or Reality? UFO & Writing Art Education Sciences

Bleh, as a person who speaks and practices proper and formal English, I have never had so much trouble understanding ebonics when I moved to the South. It sorta made me smile and wish there was a class teaching it.

Reality Joke Ebonics

Ebonics may be considered a real dialect, but to admit that is to say that all other deviations of its type are also valid. Thus, we should campaign for classes in the study of Spanglish, the Irish brogue, the South African dialect, and ESPECIALLY the broken English spoken by the Punjabi men who never understand me when I call Tech Support.

Reality Joke Ebonics

Only in California could something so sad be dreamed up. While it is "slang" to the highest degree, to give this some sort of validity is amazing. I do remember this and just said to myself: I cant wait for the first "ebonics descrimination lawsuit". Imagine that you are a employer. Do you really want a employee using ebonics and representing your company? Unless you are the owner of a hip hop clothing shop, I dont think so! Howver, legally, you may not discriminate against this person. If we MUST have ebonics, make it a second language and force ENGLISH as a mandatory first language.

I still shudder at the thought of my tax dollars going for a class called Ebonics 101!

Just a thought,

Vincenzo