Monday, February 15, 2010
Teaching Standard English as a second language
Carrie Secret is a teacher in Oakland, California who teaches Standard English as a second language to her students who speak Ebonics as their home language. She teaches Standard English in a manner that brings Ebonics up to its own level. Her view is that Ebonics is not necessarily broken English, but a language all in its own. With Ebonics as the language that is spoken in their homes, the students are taught to translate their spoken language into Standard English. With this method she teaches that what her students know is not wrong, but a different language. She sees this as more of a positive reinforcement in that it does not negate what they know but instead encourages them to add to their repertoire. When the students speak in class they are 'encouraged' to speak in Standard English because she does not want them the believe that what they know is a bastardized form of the common language. By being encouraged the students are motivated to follow what is taught instead of required which Ms. Secret sees as important. The students are taught in a manner of 'cognitive flow'. This means that one lesson plan will lead to another and then move on to another. She also does not believe in teaching Ebonics to the students in that this will even more solidify the language in them and also impede their progress when outside of class. I do agree with her methods of teaching. A lot of teachers would say that their students are wrong but teaching as a different language would make a student more open to the ideas of another culture.
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This teacher from California, Carrie Secret, has delved into the idea that ebonics is no longer mumbo jumbo, but a language all within itself. Since she is a English teacher she formulates ebonics into a higher level. She makes it become something more than a street slang, she focuses on making it a language. At least a style of language. What she is trying to do is make the ebonic speaking people learn proper English. Apparently it's along the lines of learning a new language.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with her style of teaching, but that's the only way I've been taught, or so it seems. I have always been taught this "cognitive flow" from K through High school. Its not a revolutionarily new style of teaching, its called a lesson plan. I disagree with her on the principle of calling Ebonics a language on its own. Its a different flow of our already rooted English.
This reminds me a lot about Shakespeare and approaches that many teachers take to teach this to students. King's English is not a broken language either; it is just so far removed from everyday English that it basically needs to be translated to be understood. This approach works for teaching Shakespears, so I would have to think that it would be just as, if not more, effective for teaching Ebonic speaker to better understand Standard English.
ReplyDeleteCarrie Secret made a great point with her findings. She found out that all students learn differently and there are multiple ways to teach students. Allowing the students to convert their own dialect/language to the newly taught language by Carrie Secret is a great way to teach. It is a very big deal if the student is involved in the class and is actually comprehending something from it. This is when Carrie Secret realizes that forcing to teach a second language will not work. The student has to be willing to learn. In order for this to happen, the teacher must learn to find which teaching technique works the best for the students. Carrie Secret shows a method which includes patience, time, and a better understanding of how a student learns versus how a teacher wants to teach.
ReplyDeleteI always find it very helpful to learn differntly. Many times I often get bored by the same old teaching styles. Changing it up, and making it different is always a good thing. It is always nice to be in class and have a hands-on approch or teachers that make students get more involved. Teacher need to go out and learn new ways to make learning fun, I find if learning is fun then it makes it easier for students to want to learn.
ReplyDeleteTeaching standard english as a second language for people that speak ebonics is a great idea. Teachers should grade the students based on how they speak in their english classes and all their other classes too. Every teacher should be well educated in grammar and they should enforce it in all subjects. This would enforce the standard way of speaking onto the students and relieve them of their improper/unusual lingo. The students should be required to have their parents help them with their grammar and language homework so that the parents can see what the teachers are trying to instill in them. this could probably help the parents and the way that they speak at home; to better their childs english language skills.
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I think that Carrie Secret's way of teaching standard English is very important. It is important that this english teacher recognizes that ebonics is a language in itself for some people and help them translate it into standard english. Every student should speak in standard language in the classroom, no matter what class they are in. Students should be open to learning other forms of language.
ReplyDeleteCarrie Secret's way of teaching students standard english surprised me. One complaint from teachers is their lack of flexibility or freedom of teaching. Ms. Secret's way of combining AAE with SAE is her attempt to create flexibility in her job. In today's world, it is rare to see anyone successfully get by without speaking proper English (in America of course). Ms. Secret's attempt to be creative and help students who choose to speak AAE is something bold, rare, and rewarding.
ReplyDeleteI like Carrie Secret's belief on ebonics - that she believes it's a language of it's own. I think it's cool that she teaches people standard english that aren't familar with it because they were grown up with and around ebonics. I agree with encouraging people who speak ebonics to use standard english in class. Although, they should be able to speak the way they know to talk, because I don't believe ebonics is "wrong."
ReplyDeleteFrom reviewing Carrie Secret's ideals and beliefs about Ebonics are suprising and make me very happy. I think it is great idea that this teacher views Ebonics as the basis of what these students know and rather then throw it away she adds to their repertoire. I feel that this is a very important idea that many teachers need to support their students to show their attitudes towards students backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carrie Secret's idea that Ebonics is not broken English and it is more of an language of it's own. I also feel that her studies and strategies seem to be beneficial to her students. I believe that by telling her students that Ebonics is a separate language it allows the students to understand why it is important to learn standard English in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carrie Secrets' ideas on teaching English and Ebonics at the same time. In today;s society, Ebonics is becoming a norm, and Carrie sees this. Most English teachers tend to teach in more a black and white format. Carrie on the other hand teaches in color and understands that students learn English better when taught the way they already speak. Yes Ebonics is not formal but students grasp the concept of English better when taught their natural way of speaking. She is able to connect with her students this way and seems to have much success.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Carrie Secrets' that Ebonics is a lanuage of its own. I also like how she views this as something her students knows and is not judging them. Just because an individual speaks ebonics does not mean that they cannot speat standard American English.
ReplyDeleteEbonics is a language all of its own but Standard English should not be taught as a second language. If thats the case than texting is a form of writing all its own and that most students should consider going into a writing course for writing the way they text their friends. Its just somethings you don't do and I'm pretty sure most students, if not the majority students who use ebonics do not use it in class when speaking formally.
ReplyDeleteThis secret way of teaching Standard English suprised me. It is weird to think that anyone would consider Ebonics as a new language. To me, these students just do not know how to speak properly. I do not believe that this is the coming of a "new" language. Ebonics is mostly slang, that should not be taking into consideration as a new language. I think that she simply needs to teach these students the proper way of speaking and writing. Nothing more, nothing less.
ReplyDeleteThis method that she ha schosen to use is brilliant. It dosent make the student ashamed of where they've come from and the language they have grown up to know. Instead it allows them to keep their origins but teaches them how to tweak it into a more understood form to say that this is not the right way when needed. The fact that she see's ebonics as a language of its own , also proves that whose to say that this not the right way to speak and standard english is or vice versa. Its funny to hear people say that ebonics is not the proper way to speak, its ghetto, its slang, etc, but really what is the "right" way top speak. There is no written rule that says speak like a white person, or speak like a black person. You speak the way you hear those around you speak, and in all actuality every community, race, person has some form of broken english that they all use. From the hey dudes, to waddup's of the world, no one uses correct english the way they claim it should be used.
ReplyDeleteWell I never thought that Ebonics was its own language, so therefore I was a little confused as to, how English could be taught as a second language. But I would have never thought of that way to go about bring Ebonics and English together.
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