GRDG626: Language, Literacy, and Diversity in American EducationUsing Linguistic Analysis

Dr. Gloria E. Jacobs

Agenda•Sharing•Group Discussion•Break•Minilecture & IPA Instruction•Next Week

Sharing•Elliot of RCSD addressing NCTE

Small Group DiscussionThis week, you choose your groups!

Break 6:15 – 6:30

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation•Accents, dialects, languages – all linguistic variation

•Levels of variation▫Regional Association (“regional dialects) Pronunciation (accent) Vocabulary

▫Social Groups (“social dialects”) Grammar

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation•The greater the social distance, the greater the variation in language.▫Most apparent in how verbs are used

Those with less social power expected to know/understand

language of those of higher social power, but not vice versa.

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation

Rather Than These• Dialect

• Nonstandard English

• Proper English

Use These Terms• Language variation or linguistic variation

• Vernacular dialect

• Standard English(es)

Language, Learning, and Thinking•No evidence that linguistic variation interferes with cognitive development or reflects logical thinking (or lack thereof).

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation•Standard English(es): A composite of “socially preferred dialects from various parts of the US and other English speaking countries” (Adger, Wolfram, & Christian, 2007, p. 15).▫Consistent with critical race theory that recognizes the value of the African American experience and how the white experience has been historically privileged.

•Two views: Deficit versus Difference ▫Consistent with McDermott & Varenne (1997) Culture as Disability perspective.

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation•What’s a teacher to do?▫Develop knowledge and respect for integrity of linguistic varieties (Adger, 2007, p. 26).

▫Make dialect study part of your professional development

▫Teach students to appreciate their linguistic heritage by teaching them how to do dialect study

▫Explicitly teach code switching and audience/purpose for different Englishes

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation•Conducting dialect study▫Involve your students▫Listen closely and nonjudgmentally to your speech and that of your students

▫Learn the linguistic patterns of the community I which you teach

Listen for grammatical patterns Listen for pronunciation patterns

Vowel differences tend to mark region Consonant differences tend to mark social class

Minilecture: Linguistic VariationIs someone who speaks in the vernacular •“uneducated”Or•not socialized into academic or standard Englishes

Or•choosing to use a linguistic variant as an identity and group membership marker

Minilecture: Linguistic Variation•Implications for Literacy Instruction▫miscue analysis/reading instruction

The shortcomings of Dibels and similar out of context word lists

▫spelling development▫grammar instruction▫writing assessment▫mis-identification of students for Special Education services

We should of gone to are grandmother house.

Minilecture - IPA (Phonics Chapter)•Sound/letter correspondence•Vowels and consonants•Terms▫ Phoneme: smallest unit of sound that carries meaning.

▫ Dipthongs: Two sounds within one phoneme (bike)

▫ Digraphs: Two letters to represent one phoneme (that)

▫ Blends: Two letters/two phonemes that are smoothed together (bread/bleed)

Practicing the IPA•Handout

Practicing for the Oral Language Analysis• With a partner, analyze your speech▫ Listen to a portion of your recorded conversation then transcribe a few minutes. First capture the words, then relisten and transcribe using IPA.

▫ Use Adger et al (2007) and Freeman & Freeman (2004) to help you think about your Pronunciation Grammar patterns Vocabulary choices

▫ In casual conversation with close friends, how “standard” do you think your speech is?

▫ In classroom or other professional settings, how does your speech change?

Student Analysis•See syllabus•Data to be collected•Analysis•Implications

Next Week•Watch at least 6 "Full Poems" performances from Brave New Voices

•Compton-Lilly Chapter 10•Redd, T.M. & Webb, K.S. (2005). A Teacher’s Introduction to African American English. Urbana, IL: NCTE. Chapters 3 & 4

•Tatum, A. (2009). Reading for Their Life: (Re)Building the Textual Lineages of African American Males. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 1-21.

Examples of Spoken Word

•Hebrew Mamita•Taylor Mali - "What Teachers Make"