Running head: ENGLISH DIALECT
English Dialect
Ted Abrams
01/16/2009
English Dialect
African American English (AAE) is a dialect of American English used by many African Americans in modern society. This language is very unique and serves as a reflection of the changes that have occurred in African American communities. There have been several different terms that have been used to identify this language; some of these being Negro speech, Negro English, or Negro American dialect. An additional term that has been used to identify this language is Black English, which was adopted as an acceptable name around 1970.
In 1996, a new and progressive term was adopted and is widely known as “Ebonics.” The common term used in referring to this language among most linguists is African American English; this aligns with varieties of English, such as British English, and Southern English. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Multicultural Issues Board (2002) “Although each dialect has distinguishing characteristics, all share a basic core of grammatical features that are common to all varieties of American English” (2002 pg.1). This finding is a popular topic for debate as there are many educators who feel that this form of language is not acceptable for expression in a classroom setting.
AAE possesses patterns of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and usage that extend beyond slang; it as having its own set of rules that is distinct from those of Standard American English. Speakers of AAE do not fail to speak Standard American English, but succeed in speaking African American English. It has been a common concern among linguists to address the systematic nature of AAE, rather than spending time trying to classify it as an actual language.
Latin has had a definite influence on Old English and this fact should not be ignored. As stated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Multicultural Issues Board...