Bilyeu, Mckenzie, Norbut--AAE

1. What Second Language Teachers Think About AAE/Ebonics as a Second Language

We are students from Christina Voss' English 300 Language Analysis class. For our Spring project we are exploring the opinions of foreign language instructors to ascertain whether AAE (African American English)/Ebonics is worthy of foreign language status. This survey does not need the consent of Institution Review Board (IRB) or Human Subject Committee (HSC), because we are only using this information as an in-class activity, it is anonymous and not for publication, we are not taking your blood, and we are not surveying minors. This should not take you more than 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your time, and we hope you enjoy our short survey.

Bryan Norbut, Amy McKenzie, Bonnie Bilyeu

1. Gender

Gender Male

Female

2. What is your race?

What is your race? Caucasian

African American

Asian

Hispanic

Other

3. What language do you teach?

What language do you teach?

4. How many (and which) other foreign languages are you familiar with?

How many (and which) other foreign languages are you familiar with?

5. How many years have you been teaching?

How many years have you been teaching? Under five years

Between five and ten years

Over ten years

6. How many years have you studied foreign languages?

How many years have you studied foreign languages?

7. Do you consider yourself to be a linguist?

Do you consider yourself to be a linguist? Yes

Somewhat

Explain if desired:

"African American English" (="AAE") is one name for a collection of varieties (ways of speaking) characteristically used by African Slave Descendants in North America. Over the years a number of names have been used, and a number of different varieties or dialects have been the focus of both linguistic and general public attention. Some of the more common terms include "Black English", "Ebonics", "Black Vernacular English" (="BEV"), and "African American Vernacular English" (="AAVE"). In an earlier period (mid/late 1960s), the name “Negro Non-standard English” was often used. It’s obvious that the terms for this language variety change more or less in step with terms of self-identification for the people who speak it. Thus, the term “Negro” gave way in popular (and eventually out-group) usage to the term “Black”, which was followed by “African American” (though as Geneva Smitherman points out, this term is actually much older).

(This information comes from http://privatewww.essex.ac.uk/~patrickp/AAVE.html)

8. Before this survey, were you familiar with AAE?

Before this survey, were you familiar with AAE?

9. Before this survey, were you aware that some AAE/Ebonics supporters want to categorize AAE as a second language?

Before this survey, were you aware that some AAE/Ebonics supporters want to categorize AAE as a second language? Yes

I had heard of it in passing

10. Do you think that Ebonics/AAE is complex and unique enough to be considered a foreign language?

Do you think that Ebonics/AAE is complex and unique enough to be considered a foreign language?

11. Do you think that AAE should be taught as a foreign language?

Do you think that AAE should be taught as a foreign language? Yes

12. Here is a quote from the essay The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language and the Education of African American Children by Theresa Perry and Lisa Delpit for you to consider:

“…Ebonics as the home language stands on its own rather than as a dialectical form of English. We see and understand that our language patterns and structure come from a family of languages totally unrelated to the Germanic roots of English.”

	Completely Agree	Agree	No Opinion	Disagree	Completely Disagree
This statement is absurd, of course AAE comes from the same Germanic roots as Standard English.	Here is a quote from the essay The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language and the Education of African American Children by Theresa Perry and Lisa Delpit for you to consider: “…Ebonics as the home language stands on its own rather than as a dialectical form of English. We see and understand that our language patterns and structure come from a family of languages totally unrelated to the Germanic roots of English.” This statement is absurd, of course AAE comes from the same Germanic roots as Standard English. Completely Agree	Agree	No Opinion	Disagree	Completely Disagree
AAE is descended from languages other than the roots of Standard English	AAE is descended from languages other than the roots of Standard English Completely Agree	Agree	No Opinion	Disagree	Completely Disagree
AAE should be taught as a second language in classrooms	AAE should be taught as a second language in classrooms Completely Agree	Agree	No Opinion	Disagree	Completely Disagree
Standard English should be taught as a second language to AAE native speakers	Standard English should be taught as a second language to AAE native speakers Completely Agree	Agree	No Opinion	Disagree	Completely Disagree

Please Elaborate

13. If you do not consider AAE to have derived from the same Germanic roots as Standard English, what roots do you think it does have?

If you do not consider AAE to have derived from the same Germanic roots as Standard English, what roots do you think it does have?