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Kryssi
Lv 6
Kryssi asked in Society & CultureLanguages · 1 decade ago

Should "ebonics" be taught as a recognized language in public schools?

Some larger cities are trying pilot programs of "Afrocentric Schools". These are public schools for black children to learn about the culture and traditions of their own history in a public school system designed "by them, for them".

These schools exist in both the US and Canada and they seem to be getting mixed reviews from all sides. One of the trial subjects being covered is "ebonics"...which some would call gang slang and others would defend as an African American/Canadian language. Others would call it simply poorly spoken English and bad grammar.

What are your thoughts on this being taught to your children? Languages constantly evolve and adapt. English has certainly changed over the last 600 years and change can be good. All answers appreciated, this is purely a curiosity thing :)

5 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I think instead of wasting the students' time and taxpayer dollars teaching "ebonics", they should be spending more time on math, sciences, history and Standard English reading, writing and comprehension.

    I think learning other languages is a valuable use of school time, but they should be teaching languages that will help today's kids succeed in the multinational world of the 21st Century -- Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Russian. What use is "Ebonics", except to make it easier to talk to gangbangers and other uneducated losers? I mean, really -- what's the point?

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    Okay, well everyone has been preaching that morals should be taught in school and some people have even had the presence of mind to say that teachers are just the enforcers while parents should be teaching those things. You can say that parents should be doing a lot of things but the fact of the matter is that lots of parents out there didn't even want to have children in the first place and are unlikely to change. Well I believe that religion, english and extracurriculars are most important to teach in schools. Even in a public school teaching about a variety of different reigions gives children a look at different cultures and, if taught properly, can give many lessons on morals and respect. As a child learns english and literature they expand their vocabulary and read more. By reading more you can get many different insights on people and the world today. You expand your mind and you learn so much, whatever it is you read. Extracurriculars (art, music, gym) allow one to express themselves, release pent up emotions and these unforced subjects allow students to enjoy themselves. Children can open up their minds and lives through these classes (music is food for the soul-and other such cliches). And in the very least they keep kids off the streets and getting into drugs..things like that.

  • 1 decade ago

    Ebonics is a languege that is taught as a bridge for children raised in black families to aspire to the common tongues.

  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

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  • 5 years ago

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