rumbleph1$h Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 They Don't Speak Ebonics in Africa Michael Reagan Thursday, Aug. 4, 2005 The San Bernadino, Calif. high school district is now discussing the implementation of Ebonics ? the street language of young African Americans ? to be taught as if it were a foreign language. This is sheer idiocy, and anybody who would even consider such an outrageous idea has certainly never been to Africa. This Ebonics nonsense will do nothing but hold back black youngsters, keeping them behind such immigrants as the Vietnamese, who are struggling to make their way in a nation whose language they know they must learn to get ahead. When I read this Ebonics story I recalled driving around in Nairobi, Kenya, just a week or so ago. I saw a billboard advertisement for Sony that read "Da Man and da Music." I asked a young Kenyan what he thought of that condescending ad and he said, "Oh, we speak the King's English here. We never speak that way." As I traveled around Kenya I learned that in Kenya English is the official language, and certainly not Ebonics ? a gutter language Kenyans never heard of. Education is mandatory for all children and is paid for by the government. If the children don't go to the government schools they are obliged to go to private schools, and their tuition must be paid by their parents. As a result of this, Kenyans have lifted their literacy rate to almost 79 percent because they understand that education is the most important means to lift them and their land out of poverty and into a prosperous future. The two things that most amazed me during my African safari were first, seeing the many children walking to school in the uniforms all students must wear, and that all the way up through high school they would have to walk two or three miles to get to their classrooms carrying back packs and books, all with big smiles on their faces. Second, if you stop to give them a little gift such as a pen, they come up to you and smile and say "thank you." That would not happen in this country. To begin with you'd be afraid to let them walk to school for fear that all those pedophiles out there would kidnap and rape them. School children in Kenya are safer than our kids here in the United States because they don't put up with pedophiles over there. The children are more polite, they understand the importance of education and the importance of learning the English language for business purposes in the future. Moreover, every child is multilingual. They speak Swahili, their native language, they speak their tribal language, and they speak English and sometimes a foreign tongue as well. When I visited a Masai village in a remote area I learned that these pastoral people who raise cows have a keen understanding of the importance of education, so much so that in their tiny villages where the buildings are all made from cow dung - they are happy about it because Jesse Jackson isn't there to tell them they shouldn't live in houses made of cow dung ? they all have one-room schoolhouses. They have built them just outside their villages and the kids go to school every day. I visited one of these schools where the students were between four and eight, and was amazed to see that just as in my school days they had the ABCs posted on the wall along with a 1-to-100 chart. Every one of those children could count to 100, they knew the English alphabet, and they were learning English and arithmetic. I could not help but think that there is not a single public school in America where children that age would know the English alphabet or count to 100. Why would San Bernardino consider doing such a great disservice to the black community? It is sure to hurt their black students by not teaching them how to speak the proper English they need to get by. It's interesting that if real Africans get it, why can't African Americans get it? I think the answer is that the American educrat establishment doesn't want them to. http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2.../4/100815.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palin Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Where does one start with a propaganda piece containing so many fallacies? How about the beginning. The San Bernadino, Calif. high school district is now discussing the implementation of Ebonics ? the street language of young African Americans ? to be taught as if it were a foreign language. Okay, Ebonics taught in schools. Mildly controversial. Skip to the end? Why would San Bernardino consider doing such a great disservice to the black community? It is sure to hurt their black students by not teaching them how to speak the proper English they need to get by? I think the answer is that the American educrat establishment doesn't want them to. Now the writer is implying that the school district is considering teaching instead ofd of English, when his own statement at the beginning "to be taught as if it were a foreign languagdirectly contradicts its it. Teaching something as a foreign language is, by painfully obvious definition, teaching it in addition to a primary language. My English certainly didn't suffer because of my Latin classes in high school. Neither did it decay when I studied regional dialects in Linguistics classes in college. His arrogant, prejudiced tone concerning African Americans and their apparently rediculous (according to the writer) opinions about being too good for cow-dung houses aside, he seems to imply that it's a novel thing that two cultures ? living on different continents, no less ? do not share the same dialect. Why should they? ?Because they're both black? Seems a bit ignorant, not to mention racist, to me. I don't think I'd be any more shocked to learn that no-one speaks Southern Hillbilly in Johannesburg. His opinions about pedophilia seem a bit out of place, although I'm glad if they don't have a problem with it in Kenya ? they certainly already have their share of economic, technological, and political problems. It's also nice that he observed that black Africans there seem to value education. But should we be "amazed" by this? If so, why? Is he implying that African Americans don't? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curme Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 ?We are not teaching Ebonics,? spokesperson Corina Borsuk told BlackAmericaWeb.com Monday. The stories appearing in several publications nationwide are just that -- stories -- Borsuk said, adding that the suggestion to include Ebonics in school curriculum made by Mary Texeira, a sociology professor at California State University-San Bernardino, was an unsolicited opinion.?Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, it got confused,? Borsuk said. BlackAmericaWeb.com It sounds like a bunch of fuss over something that never happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_Candyman Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 never happened but I have to ask what really is wrong with teaching it? There's quite a few uses for it, like for instance when you get good at it you will be able to compress the words quickly in your head and be able to read faster, you could use it for a lucritive musical career, etc. It in no way is a step in the wrong direction to teach it, as it's not replacing english, but is merely and option to take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curme Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 What I find odd is how no one gives a crap about inner city children's education, until some 'hot button' issue comes up that people can complain about. I mean, if you really never cared about these poor kids who have some of the lowest test scores in the country before, why all of the sudden the concern? And when the blogs stop their whining, are you still going to care about their education? Will you be concerned about whether they have adequate text -books? Or you move on to whatever new issue the pundits get you all hot and bothered about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Derf Veteran Posted August 5, 2005 Veteran Share Posted August 5, 2005 They have built them just outside their villages and the kids go to school every day. I visited one of these schools where the students were between four and eight, and was amazed to see that just as in my school days they had the ABCs posted on the wall along with a 1-to-100 chart. Every one of those children could count to 100, they knew the English alphabet, and they were learning English and arithmetic. I could not help but think that there is not a single public school in America where children that age would know the English alphabet or count to 100. 586328834[/snapback] Umm.. Is he kidding? This is the kindergarten curriculum. That's 4-6 years old, nevermind 4-8. There is usually a few kids who can sit down and read an entire book in senior kindergarten, nevermind just knowing the alphabet and how to count. As for ebonics, I can see how some volunteer or activist would want to learn ebonics so they could better communicate with the inner city community. Ebonics, however, should be at best tolerated and not legitimized or encouraged. We don't need to create such an obvious underprivledged social class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Veteran Posted August 5, 2005 Veteran Share Posted August 5, 2005 Umm.. Is he kidding? This is the kindergarten curriculum. That's 4-6 years old, nevermind 4-8.There is usually a few kids who can sit down and read an entire book in senior kindergarten, nevermind just knowing the alphabet and how to count. As for ebonics, I can see how some volunteer or activist would want to learn ebonics so they could better communicate with the inner city community. Ebonics, however, should be at best tolerated and not legitimized or encouraged. We don't need to create such an obvious underprivledged social class. 586330103[/snapback] I totally agree here, Kindergarten, and for the most part Pre-K fully teaches the alphabet and counting. I know, I just dropped my son off for his first day of Pre-K today :cry:... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Derf Veteran Posted August 5, 2005 Veteran Share Posted August 5, 2005 I totally agree here, Kindergarten, and for the most part Pre-K fully teaches the alphabet and counting. I know, I just dropped my son off for his first day of Pre-K today :cry:... 586330692[/snapback] Congrats to the big guy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hupp Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 this should just not be taught..its worthless and its not a language its a dialect.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LispyGlitter2 Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I totally agree here, Kindergarten, and for the most part Pre-K fully teaches the alphabet and counting. I know, I just dropped my son off for his first day of Pre-K today :cry:... 586330692[/snapback] Aww congrats :) Will we see pictures of macaroni doodles soon? :happy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-Flex Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I absolutely hate the use of Ebonics and other MSN Messenger terms ("Y r u goin 2 da mall?") both in everyday use and advertising. It's just my pet peeve that such bad English is used, because it's so lazy. I especially hate the MSN use of the word 'common' as 'c'mon,' because that just confuses the hell out of me. I had no idea what people were saying when they remarked "Common!" in an attempt to convince me to do something. It is just a really lazy society, fitted with today's attempts to 'be cool.' I've always wanted to yell "PRONOUNCE THE -ER! IT'S NOT 'GANGSTA,' IT'S GANGSTER!" If African children are being taught better than in first-world countries, especially in our own English language, then something is desperately wrong. As a journalist student, one who highly prizes excellent work, I've seen some pieces of literature (if you can call it that) by senior high school students, and some of it is so disapointing, I wonder if there will be a white-collar job bracket in 20 years. To see high school graduates do so badly is a real shock, especially since I have been able to outwrite many of them since I was 12. On a side note, that comment about our fear of pedophiles molesting our children every moment they are out of our sight is another example of something to be shameful for. Myself, I'm guessing I'll have to wait until I'm at university, 3000 kilometres away, until my parents stop demanding that I tell them where I am at all times, even when it's going down the street to a corner store. And yet, I am nearly an adult, and already as mature and responsible as someone twice my age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lav-chan Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 (edited) Here are the only three problems with this (assuming it was actually going to happen): 1. I do consider ebonics stupid and uneducated-sounding (not to imply that everyone who speaks ebonics is uneducated, but it certainly sounds like they are). 2. It is a waste of time, linguistically. To try to classify ebonics and make rules for it and so forth is stupid. It is the language of the lower class. By its very nature it's the 'wrong way' to talk. Saying 'oh, hey, this is the proper way to speak ebonics' is only going to create this little tiny fraction of people in California who speak some kind of 'upper-class' bastardisation of a dialect that is, itself, a lower-class bastardisation of English. That's retarded. 3. It might be a waste of money as far as the school is concerned (supposing anyone actually signs up for it). Other than that, get off your illogical snot-nosed high horse. You see, it doesn't matter what they teach in class. The problem (if you can call it that) is not school. The problem is the people and culture they surround themselves with. I don't know about you, but i've gone to school. And while there aren't a lot of Black people in Iowa, there are enough. They mostly speak ebonics, even though they take the exact same English classes that i take. In other words, currently, Black children (and all the other kinds of children) are taught 13 straight years of proper English in school. YET THEY STILL SPEAK EBONICS. Obviously teaching ebonics in the class room, while probably a waste of time, couldn't make anything (as far as 'the black community') worse. So what the hell, way to let your prejudice get in the way of rational thinking. Edited August 6, 2005 by fred666 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raum Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 oom schoolhouses.They have built them just outside their villages and the kids go to school every day. I visited one of these schools where the students were between four and eight, and was amazed to see that just as in my school days they had the ABCs posted on the wall along with a 1-to-100 chart. Every one of those children could count to 100, they knew the English alphabet, and they were learning English and arithmetic. I could not help but think that there is not a single public school in America where children that age would know the English alphabet or count to 100. Rofl, when I was in kindergarten we had to read a small book to pass, much less know our damn alphabet. 1st grade we learned to write in cursive and do basic multiplication and division. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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