The Ebonics Controversy

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2344014
AutoresRobert L Williams (0000-0003-1405-9292, University of Washington, autor de correspondencia)
Año1997
Volumen23
Número3
Páginas208-214
Fecha de publicación1997-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Black Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0095-7984 • E-ISSN: 1552-4558
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/00957984970233002
OpenAlexW2151767118
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas5
Referencias citadas2

The term Ebonics, coined by the author in 1973 at a conference on the language of Black children, was formed by combining ebony (black) and phonics (speech sounds). Two schools of thought on the origin of Ebonics are presented: (a) pidgin/Creole and (b) African retention. What sparked the national controversy on Ebonics was the Oakland school board's decision to recognize Ebonics as a legitimate language. The school board's primary goal is to discover more effective ways to improve African American children's acquisition of Standard English and reading skills. Three research studies are presented to support the use of Ebonics in the classroom as a bridge to Standard English. Many African American children speak Ebonics or a home language. Using the language children bring to school as a bridge to teaching new language systems is a widely used technique in second language acquisition

African american · American English · American Sign Language · Creole language · Linguistics · Phonics · Pidgin · Reading (process · Sign language · Sociology · Standard English · Anthropology · Education Systems and Policy · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology · Reading and Literacy Development