Can We Get That In Writing? Black English Features in the Writing of Young Children

Duke, Nell K.

Can We Get That In Writing? Black English Features in the Writing of Young Children

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Duke_thesis_1993.pdf(6.61 MB)

Date

1993

Authors

Duke, Nell K.

Advisor

Napoli, Donna Jo, 1948-

Department

Swarthmore College. Dept. of Linguistics

Type

Thesis (B.A.)

Language

en_US

Terms of Use

Full copyright to this work is retained by the student author. It may only be used for non-commercial, research, and educational purposes. All other uses are restricted.

Abstract

A compendium of factors point to a need for both academic and professional attention to Black English in early writing. First, recent trends in literacy education emphasize writing as an integral part of emergent literacy. Children are doing much more writing much earlier than was previously the case. These programs are based heavily on the interdependence of oral and written language and thus encourage reliance on natural speech as a means of developing literacy. In so doing, they stimulate the writing of Black English as never before. Second, young Black English speaking children, still in the early stages of literacy, have often had little exposure to conventional written dialects and the forces which support them. As a result, they may be more likely to include Black English in their writing. Third, the Black English with which children are operating may, in some respects, be more different from Conventional Classroom English than it has previously been. Finally, research suggests that teacher knowledge of and attitudes toward Black English has a significant impact on students in many ways. This may extend to their facilitation of literacy acquisition among Black English speaking children. Educators who elicit writing from early elementary school students will encounter unprecedented levels of Black English influence. The information and training provided for those confronting dialect issues is of great importance.

Permanent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10066/10675

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Linguistics

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