In this chapter, Ernie Smith shares with the reader his life path through the language--languages--he has used to negotiate his life. He states that he has spoken Ebonics since he was a child, that language having been the language of his "parents and playmates, the primary teachers of speech and language." (Smith in Delpit, p. 17)
Having grown up in the late 1940's and 50's, Smith describes how his home language was labeled at school. Terms such as "corrupt speech," "broken English," "verbally destitute," and "linguistically deprived" were all used to note the language he used. His language was considered deficient and somehow seemed to be related to "physical and/or mental abnormalities," (p. 17). Teachers would suggest to parents that Smith and other students whose language was thus labeled be assigned to special speech classes or speech therapy. As he continued through school, Smith was assigned to remedial classes and finally tracked into a vocational school. He became bored with school and was eventually labeled "incorrigible." He did, however, return to his original high school and graduated with his class. Because of his experience, Smith did not have an interest in pursuing post-secondary education.
Lacking credible Black role models in his community, Smith became a street hustler or "stuff player." He describes how he had to learn the language of the streets and specifically of the "hustle." This vernacular allowed him a chance to find success in selling inexpensive watches and other items. He describes how and why it works...there is an association of language and intelligence that could be manipulated to his advantage. Smith did learn that an angry "mark" would often resort to physical violence and thus realized he needed to determine another line of work. So he found a mentor. This mentor taught him a new type of language--the language of the "fast life." (p. 21) Smith began to use language to promote "an ignorant personality, sweetmouthin', rappin', and especially mackin' [pimp, gigolo, playboy]." (p.21) This mentor, however, also encouraged him to go to college.
In college, Smith once again found his "success and survival pivoting and hinging on [my] language behavior and linguistic competence." (p. 21) He found support in the Black Muslim movement of the early 1960's. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree and began working on a television talk show aimed at tackling controversial issues of the day. During this time, he learned the finer points of debate and public speaking and began to see the social conditions of the community around him. Smith decided to take on the issue of the number of students graduating from high schools in South Central Los Angeles without skills to successfully read or write to participate in the community. This led him to graduate school and yet another opportunity to use his linguistic skills--in what society would deem both positive and negative.
It was 1970 and the Vietnam War was raging on. Smith joined groups that protested the war and gave impassioned speeches. His speeches drew the ire of several campus staff members and he was indicted for "the willful and unlawful and malicious disturbance of the peace by using what was described in the complaint as 'vulgar, profane, and indecent' language within the presence or hearing of women and children." (p. 24) Smith goes on to describe how in his linguistic community, many times it isn't what is said but how it is said that conveys intent. A "Graduate Student in residence in one of the major universities in the Western Hemisphere, and once again my language behavior was perceived as a corrupt and deviant vernacular which needed to be corrected. Only this time, my language had been labeled as vulgar, indecent, and profane." (pp. 24-25)
Smith spent the rest of his graduate studies exploring Ebonics and at the time that he wrote this essay, he was working within the University of California system to inform both black and white students of the challenges "faced by black people in this country and about the validity of talking about a black experience and a black language in society like ours." (p. 25)
Ernie Smith certainly seems to have found his way of navigating areas of his life through language. My question is what did he tap within himself to recognize the need to learn a variety of vernaculars in order to be successful? How can classroom teachers encougage their students to want to pursue multiple means of communication in order to be successful--or society's definition of success? Or do students pursue their own definition of success, whether or not it aligns with socitey's?
Erin: This must have been a fascinating read. Ernie Smith sounds like an incredible person (and writer). As for your question, what did he tap within himself to recognize the need to learn a variety of vernaculars in order to be successful?--it sounds like survival was always his motivator. Survival and being able to say what he wanted to say.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like the job of the teacher is seen (by society) as having responsibility for preparing students to prepare for society's definition of success. I don't know that teachers get a lot of credit for helping students to recognize success in realms outside of those accepted by society. But that doesn't mean students are always interested in pursuing success on society's terms. ... Dr. Pence mentioned in class that at one school (I don't remember if this is in her actual experience, or in a paper she was telling us about), the teachers referred to the "Standard" English as "Broadcast Language" which gives the different language a particular purpose and also doesn't elevate it above other language forms the students may speak. But I wonder how many students have already had experiences with language like your first two authors and so would be wary no matter what of trying to speak like something that they're supposedly not.
Erin: Smith's problem, and your questions, raise some issues that, after 24 years as a classroom teacher, I've never been able to reconcile. That is, what is the balance between recognizing all the varieties and dialects of English that come into the classroom via our students, on the one hand, and helping them master someone's definition of "standard English" so they can understand the language of standardized tests and respond in the same language? In a sense, it doesn't matter how accommodating and appreciative teachers are to different language varieties. The political powers in education have determined that only one form of English will be accepted in academic discourse at any level from K to college. If a student cannot master the language, then he or she will very likely be filtered out of the system and, thus keeping the ranks of the "highly educated" as white and middle class as they've always been.
ReplyDeleteThis chapter here reminds me of the Journal we read a month ago; “Voices of the self.” Both stories try to convey to the reader that they have real heroes, survivals and successful models to follow. In “Voices of the self” the key word for the success of our hero was acting. It was his knowledge of how to adopt the Standard English that enabled him to make his way up to the top of the social and academic ladder. Well, I think that both stories are stories of defeat, suppression and denying one’s self the right of establishing one’s own identity. In his article, Literacy, Discourse, And Linguistics: Introduction, Gee dealt with the idea of how superficial features of a language can be stressed to ensure that the right people are in their right places. This is the best way to describe the story in your chapter and the story in “Voices of the self.” We have two people who have good potential for a good future but they won’t be able to make it except by following the laws and rules of those people who want to ensure that they are in their right places; white standard English speakers.
ReplyDeleteThe way out of this is again what Gee proposed in the same article; “Mustfake Discourse.” This means that students, who belong to different varieties of English other than the standard English, can have partial acquisition coupled with meta-knowlegde and strategies to “make-do” (P.13)
Again, it sme Noha Ghaly who posted this last comment!
ReplyDeleteErin: we see this ongoing struggle and realize that those who speak the "non Standard English" must make an extra effort at acquiring this dialect in order to become "legitimized" in our society. What a pity! I believe that by having the awareness and teaching this awareness to our students is a good first step. Then, they can see that their discourse is every bit as legitimate as the standard dialect and can learn to code switch for the sake of societal demands.
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laurie, that we should teach our students in such a way that they can "see that their discourse" is legitimate, and in addition to that, I would argue that we must engage our students in conversations about power, privilege, and access. Language was, at different times, used to deny Smith power or to grant him power. The language that he used granted him certain privileges in different contexts (or not). His attempts to switch language were directly linked to access... access to resources, access to group belonging, access to serve justice. Indeed, every speech act involves a certain amount of strategizing around these ideas of power, privilege, and access, and teachers must not forget to include these ideas in their work with students.
Hi Erin,
ReplyDeleteWe all try so hard to understand and to be helpful, don't we. I agree with the others on many of their comments. In the end, Smith, in his many different experiences, was guided by his spirit weigh all his options, and once his decision was made he entered into another stage of reality that brought him to his present reality. In the end, he learned from all his teachers is living his purpose - until the next fog lifts.
I think this is one of the most difficult responses that I have written for this assignment simply because I do not relate to this experience. I mean I have not lived in a community where a person could be marginalized just because his language is different from the standard form of the majority or mainstream of that community.
ReplyDeleteEven thought we have been taught in, exposed to and expected to develop Standard English at schools and universities in Saudi Arabia, African American English is almost the only other English variety with which I have little experience because of the movies and songs.
I have never considered AAE to be other than just different from the SE. I was shocked when I read during this semester about the way in which those who speak other varieties of English such as AAE are given various insulting depictions like linguistically deprived or even handicapped.
In terms of teaching, I think it is important that students, not only those who speak various English varieties, but also those who speak the SE, to consider these varieties to be only different; they are not improper or ungrammatical …. Abdullah