LANGUAGE: Black English

Black English vs Standard English. “That is not the proper way to speak English, but this is..”

"A misunderstanding that I had of the concept of Ebonics and African American Vernacular English led me to do research and find out that AAVE is a form of communication that is used amongst blacks who share the same culture, experience, tradition and history. Every language has come from somewhere else, different dialects branch off from one another. No matter where language goes, it will develop in it’s own way because the people speaking that respective language have their own experience and way of communicating with each other. Britain colonized various regions of the world, but these regions do not all share the same culture. So if in India they use one variation of an English word to describe a fruit, that exact variation of the word would most likely not be used in Jamaica (even though Jamaica was also colonized by Britain) to describe a similar fruit because the culture is not the same. Jamaicans would have their own interpretation of the word, although the basis is found in English. Dialect and aspects of culture override the initial word’s origin and meaning.

AAVE is argued to derive from a slave’s African interpretation of their master’s speech, it was how slaves communicated with eachother. A culture has developed as a result of these interpretations. So calling AAVE or Ebonics “improper” would be dismissing experience and culture that roots back to our history. It’s unfair to cal something that is meaningful to us illegitimate, just because one doesn’t understand it. It’s not meant for everyone to understand, it’s our own interpretation. Languages spread and go difference places, they have different lexicons and develop differently. So when people claim that Ebonics or AAVE is an inpromper technique of communicating, it’s insulting. Standard English might claim “ain’t” ain’t a word, but you have people worldwide who use it on a daily basis. It means something to them, they don’t feel stupid using it. So who is to judge what is improper and proper English? When you sum it all up, it all comes down to a power struggle.

To one, saying AAVE or Ebonics is improper might be their simple observation of a language that contrast against what they have learned to be “proper English.” But the more I look into it, completely claiming Ebonics or AAVE is not a legitimate way of communication is an attempt at dismissing the culture of the people who have grown accustomed to and adopted that respective branch of speech. " -

 

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