Preparing Teachers for Dialectically Diverse Classrooms

The primary focus of this study is on African American Vernacular English speaking students in grades K through 12. Students who speak AAVE and other stigmatized dialects were believed to be academically challenged and teachers would often repeatedly interrupt students during oral reading to correct missing word ending or "improper" grammar. The article is concerned with the social and educational problems these teaching practices contribute to - that these practices are damaging and counter-productive. The article also recognizes that their research has revealed negative beliefs about the logic and even morality of stigmatized dialects and that these attitudes are difficult to change, among educators, businesses, government and the media - those most powerful and affluent in our society. The article argues that teacher education grounded in linguistic research and principles can change teacher's dialect related attitudes and practices.

Basically, the article points out that negative attitudes about stigmatized dialects ultimately lower academic achievement on the part of the students. In addition, teachers often overlook or underestimate the linguistic abilities of students who speak AAVE, Puerto Rican English, etc. The article goes on to suggest that these attitudes of teachers contribute to African American students' oppositional stance toward school culture. The authors stress the importance of insisting that teachers understand and respond appropriately to AAVE and other stigmatized dialects.

As a starting point, one suggestion is that university coursework involve critical discussions of language and power. Teachers who have taken courses in American dialects or on AAVE reported less prescriptive attitudes toward these students. Finally, the authors emphasize practical, pedagogical applications of research on language variation.

What also helps teachers to embrace language diversity is to ask teachers to study their own varied patterns of language use in their oral and written communication, and to recognize how context-dependent their own communication styles are. When teachers who self-identify as Standard English speakers recognize that they themselves vary their style of language depending on the setting, they tend to view student language variation more positively. Even in front of my own English classroom, I find myself communicating more informally than I may in a more formal setting. I point this out to my students. It allows them all to relax regarding their conversational "voice" in my classroom, and I believe I am able to enjoy more vigorous discussion as a result of this "allowed freedom." I believe that few situations would be more frustrating to students than trying to have a serious discussion with a teacher who cuts them off in mid-sentence in order to correct their grammar or usage. As a general rule, I do not do this for any of my students, even native speakers.

This article is not suggesting that teachers dismiss the teaching of Standard English; rather, it is recommending that it is presented as an addition to their student's linguistic repertoire, rather than as the more prestigious, more "correct" substitution for the varieties that students already speak. This is not difficult to do. When I discuss Standard English Usage with my students, I point out that there is a time and a place for speaking and writing in this way, and hanging out with their friends on a Saturday night, or "popping off" an e-mail to their girlfriend/boyfriend is probably not an appropriate use of it. I do want them to be able to "switch over", however, when the situation calls for this switch - i.e., some job interviews, formal presentations, formal research essays, etc. I do, however, encourage them to make use of this more "fun" dialect when experimenting with varied speakers in short stories, poetry, or personal letters. As an exercise in conveying the inappropriateness of Standard English in some circumstances, we role play formal language in informal situations, and it is much more obvious to the students how stilted and unnatural this language becomes.

I also share the story of my first year in Louisiana as a brand new English teacher, in a school that was predominantly African-American and Hispanic. I had moved there from living my entire life in Elk County, Pennsylvania. Adapting my own speech to the language of my students actually became a coping mechanism. I was difficult to understand when I arrived, and the dialect differences actually separated me - they put up a wall and created a distance between my students and me. It wasn't until I began to "sound like them" that I was finally able to get to know them and that true teaching and learning was able to take place. With my current students, I discuss non-verbal "mirroring" when communicating, and how verbal "mirroring" is based on the same concept. It is a way of connecting with the people you are communicating with.

Since my culture essentially changed as a result of me moving into Vernon Parrish, Louisiana, it was absolutely essential for me to change with it in order to survive. After having been in this situation, I fully agree with the concerns and suggestions targetted in this article.

Godley, Amanda et. al. "Preparing Teachers For Dialectally Diverse Classrooms." Educational Researcher. November, 2006: 30-37.