Below is the reply to a letter in our local paper (the Madison Capital Times) supporting the teaching of Black English Venacular (BEV) to "certain" grade school students. EDITOR: The article about BEV as another language was very interesting. Perhaps a better acronym would be GJ (ghetto jive). It reminded me of the story of the hillbilly from Arkansas who was upset with the school because they were trying to teach his son to spell "taters" with a "P". Is the idea here to emulate a country like China, which has so many dialects that most of its people can't talk to each other? I suggest that Dorothy Reynolds see the musical My Fair Lady, or rent the video of the film or at least listen to the CD. Pay special attention to Professor Henry Higgins' theory that a persons success in society depends on how they speak the language. Listen twice to "Why Can't the English Teach Their Children How To Speak?", and think "Americans" for "English". Probably in the current version of the story, when Liza Dolittle is given the chance to improve her diction, she would reply "OOWWW 'enry 'iggns aym PROWD dat I kaint taak Ainglash". Standard English is not just the language for success in America, but in the world. Even before the internet, it was rapidly being adopted as the international language. In a decade or so, some sociologist may have an interesting example to prove how racist America is. When whites from the rural south did not speak proper standard English, the schools corrected them, thus preparing them to succeed in, not just American society but the world economy. But when African Americans did not speak standard English, the schools taught the teachers to understand BEV, thus helping the students to stay trapped in their linguistic ghetto. James E. Blair There was a reply from Betty who said that the teachers should decide what and how to teach. Betty, The US education establishment is not doing a very good job of teaching language. Any language. The US military found that even college graduates who majored in a foreign language could not speak that language well enough, so they created the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey California. There they approach the teaching of language the same way Hebrew is taught in the Israeli ulpon: by TOTAL IMMERSION. That is, I think it is a mistake to try to understand (and to accept!) why a student is getting it wrong. That provides an excuse for being wrong. Those who are serious about teaching a language concentrate on making the students do it right. Jim PS I have read that BEV is a carryover from African languages. But then why is it that I never heard in spoken in the 1950's or 60's? In those days the accent associated with African-Americans was southern. Also, I have never heard a trace of it in students I had from Nigeria or Bahamas (they have a distinct British accent), or when I was in Jamaica or the Virgin Islands. I have never heard it in TV interviews with Nelson Mandela, or the Zulu chief, or any other leader of an African country or tribe. Only in the US and only recently. Did you see the The NEW YORKER for the end of April/early May, 97? There is an interesting article by writer/professor Henry Louis Gates titled "Black London". Gates tells of his first trip to London, where everyone was White and he could not understand their accent. When he finally saw another Black man, he rushed to him, expecting to (at last) meet someone he could understand. Gates was suprised when the Black Brit talked JUST LIKE the rest of the British! He had expected some kind of British Ebonics, but learned that the idea that Blacks are supposed to talk different from Whites did not apply in England. Another Reply was a letter to the paper from Duncan Hamilton of Madison. It was printed under the title "Life not Speech, is Key to Success" Dear Editor, Jim Blair's letter (April 15) contends that BEV traps students in a "linguistic ghetto"...(He) declares "Standard English is not just the language for success in American Society, but in the world". "Language for success"--just what does that mean? To speak and understand English (or any other language) has nothing to do with success. Life, rather than language, takes care of that. Dig? Duncan Hamilton And my reply: From: "jim blair" To: tctvoice@captimes.madison.com Cc: BCc: Subject: language and life EDITOR: 5/14/95 The letter "Life not speech, is key to success" from Duncan Hamilton last Wednesday was the most spirited defence of illiteracy I have seen. "To speak or understand English (OR ANY OTHER LANGUAGE) has nothing to do with failure or success." Wow! If he is right, we sure are wasting lots of tax money on schools. He asks what I mean that English is the language for success in today's world. I suppose it would not convince him to present statistics that correlate income with literacy in the world, and especially with literacy in English. It would be seen as crass to suggest that income means success. In the middle ages, monks would take a vow of poverty so they could seek knowledge by reading. Language and literacy allow you to communicate with others, and to expand your access to information and ideas. Literacy was seen as more important than wealth. Today, students don't have to choose between them: wealth and literacy go together. Poverty goes with illiteracy. This applies to any language. So why ENGLISH? People who can communicate only with a limited circle of neighbors are handicapped. On a typical day, I can read and join into conversations going on between people in Finland, Singapore, India, England, Israel, Australia, Japan, Nigeria, or practically anywhere else. Because they all communicate in English. Standard English. Duncan says "Life rather than language". Language is not in competition with (or opposition to) Life: language enhances life. ,,,,,,, _______________ooo___( O O )___ooo_______________ (_) jim blair (jeblair@facstaff.wisc.edu) For a good time call http://www.geocities.com/capitolhill/4834