| What I have found about dialects: Social/Regional Dialect: * Dialects can be best defined as similar languages which are mutually intelligible. There are different renditions of Black Vernacular. (Oubre' 1997) * The subject of standard English vs. Dialect has been the focus of many studies and has been looked at from many perspectives. (Hayes 2002) * The English spoken Spanish spoken in Texas has been influenced by English; the English spoken inTexas has been influenced by Spanish.. (Walters) Black English Vernacular: * It is several distinct dialects, encompassing the vernacular speech of blacks in the United States, the Carribbean, Britian, and elsewhere. (Sellman) * It is not easily coded or reduced to formal rules. It has it's own linguistic structure and it's own rules. (Sellman) * The best know characteristic of Black Vernacular English is the usage of the verb "be", especially the lack of verb conjugation in the present tense: she be, he be, they be, we be, etc. (Sellman) * Recent attention to Ebonics, or Black Vernacular English, as one of the main causes of scholastic shortcomings of black youth has opened another chapter on the educability (the ability to learn) of black youth in American inner cities. (Oubre' 1997) Spanish Dialects: * With the large number of Hispanics immigrating to America from different countries, the number of Spanish dialects have also grown. (Hayes 2002) * Spanglish, which can be defined as combing English and Spanish, is an intelligible language. Spanish variety cause Spanglish variety. (Olague 2003) * Even native Americans are fund of using Spanglish. (Olague 2003) Websites Containing Intereting Information Regarding Dialects: Ethnologue Report For the US (Language of the US) www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=USA This site offers a breakdown of the different dialects and languages spoken across the United States of America. Ebonics - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_English_Vernacular This site provides history, usage, and other background information relating to Ebonics. Linguistic Geography of the United States www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/AmDialMap.html This site provides regional distributions of dialect usage across the United States. Regional Dialects in the United States www.uwm.edu/Course/350-192/region.html This site provides regional distributions of dialects across the United States. Links to Standards: Domain I - Designing Instruction and Assessment to Promote Student Learning Competency 002 - The teacher understands student diversity and knows how to plan learning experiences and design assessments that are responsive to differences among students and that promote all student's learning. I chose this competency as the teacher must be aware of diverse characteristics of students. This includes but isn't limited to their gender, ethnicity, and language background. Teachers must also be aware of and respect students' diverse backgrounds and needs. Competency 004 - The teacher understands learning processes and factors that impact student learning and demonstrates this knowledge by planning effective, engaging instruction and appropriate assessments. I chose this competency because the teacher must be aware of factors in the home and community that impact the students' learning. Domain III - Implementing Effective, Responsive Instruction and Assessment Competency 007 - The teacher understands and applies principles and strategies for communicating effectively in varied teaching and learning contexts. I chose this competency because teachers must use language that is understandable by all students and is appropriate to students' ages, interests, and backgrounds. Domain IV - Fulfilling Professional Roles and Responsibilities Competency 011 - The tach understands the importance of family involvement in children's education and knows how to interact and communicate effectively with families. I chose this competency because teachers be able to interact and communicate effectively with all families, including those with diverse characteristics, backgrounds, and needs. |