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Posted on 08/04/2005 6:50:08 PM PDT by wagglebee
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.
The left just wants the votes of African Americans, nothing else.
Ping.
Now that's gonna leave a mark! Michael Reagan hits a home run with this piece.
fixed it
Hey, even the Brits butcher English
Reagan article in Ebonics:
The San Bernadino, Calif. high skoo district be now discussin da implementation of Ebonics – da street language of yang African Americans – ta be taught as if it were a foeign language.
This be sheer idiocy, and anybody who would even consider such an outrageous idea has certainly never been ta Africa. This Ebonics nonsense will do nothin but hold back black yangsters, keepin them behind such immigrants as da Vietnamese, who is strugglin ta make their way in a nation whose language they know they must learn ta get ahead.
When I read dis Ebonics story I recalled drivin around in Nairobi, Kenya, just a week or so ago. I saw a billboard advertisement fo Sony dat read "Da Man and da Music." I asked a yang Kenyan what he thought of dat condescendin ad and he said, "Oh, we speak da Kin's English heea. We never speak dat way."
As I traveled around Kenya I learned dat in Kenya English be da official language, and certainly not Ebonics – a gutter language Kenyans never heard of.
Education be mainedatory fo all children and be paid fo by da govanment. If da children don't go ta da govanment skoos they is obliged ta go ta private skoos, and their tuition must be paid by their pisnts. As a result of dis, Kenyans gots lifted their literacy rate ta almost 79 percent cus they understand dat education be da most important means ta lift them and their land out of povaty and inta a prosperous future.
The two thins dat most amazed me durin muh African safari were first, seein da mainey children walkin ta skoo in da unifoms all students must wear, and dat all da way up through high skoo they would gots ta walk two or three miles ta get ta their classrooms rideryin back packs and books, all wit big smiles on their faces.
Second, if ya stop ta give them a lil gift such as a pen, they come up ta ya and smile and say "thank ya."
That would not happen in dis country. To begin wit ya'd be afraid ta let them walk ta skoo fo fear dat all those pedophiles out der would kidnap and rape them. School children in Kenya is safer than our kids heea in da United States cus they don't put up wit pedophiles ova der.
The children is moe polite, they understand da importance of education and da importance of learnin da English language fo business purposes in da future.
Moeova, every child be multilinual. They speak Swahili, their native language, they speak their tribal language, and they speak English and sometimes a foeign tongue as well.
When I visited a Masai village in a remote isa I learned dat these pastoral people who raise cows gots a keen understandin of da importance of education, so much so dat in their tiny villages wheea da buildins is all made from cow dung - they is happy about it cus Jesse Jackson isn't der ta tell them they shouldn't live in cribs made of cow dung – they all gots one-room skoocribs.
They gots built them just outside their villages and da kids go ta skoo every day. I visited one of these skoos wheea da students were between four and eight, and was amazed ta see dat just as in muh skoo days they had da ABCs posted on da wall along wit a 1-to-100 chart. Every one of those children could count ta 100, they knew da English alphabet, and they were learnin English and arithmetic. I could not help but think dat der be not a sinle public skoo in America wheea children dat age would know da English alphabet or count ta 100.
Why would San Bernardino consider doin such a great disservice ta da black community? It be sho ta hurt their black students by not teachin them how ta speak da proper English they need ta get by.
It's interestin dat if real Africans get it, why can't African Americans get it? I think da answer be dat da American educrat establishment doesn't want them to.
Some Africans speak better English than some Ohioans.
/ooops, I be a might bit guilty. Arrr.
LMFAO!
Oh for CRYING OUT LOUD! Cut the multicultural crap!
The one thing the liberals never seem to understand is that this is the United States of America and we speak E-N-G-L-I-S-H.
At least some immigrants understand what they need to do to make it in this country: A-S-S-I-M-I-L-A-T-E.
Because teachers get extra pay for teaching a second language.
This claptrap was debunked 25 years ago.
The study of American dialects -- from the classic Bronx and Brooklyn, the the deep south, midwest and even ebonics -- is worthwhile and valuable.
I am teaching English this year in a 95% black school. Wish me luck you guys.
My parents helped sponsor a Vietnamese couple and their six children that arrived in the US in 1979 uneducated, penniless and speaking no English. They worked hard, learned English and saved their money, other than money, food, clothing and medical care from churches and private charities, they never accepted a penny from anyone. Twenty-six years later, the couples' children all have college degrees and jobs, the couple lives in a 3000 square foot house that they completely paid off the mortgage on a few years ago, they have money in the bank, new cars and they are prepared to retire in a few years. After watching them, I will never believe that anyone cannot make it in America if they are willing to assimilate and work hard.
bump.
Please do in with a positive mentality and not a negative one towards your future students. I was in a class with teachers who thought that.
Now that is truly funny. Great liberal thinking at it's best.
I seem to remember a few years ago there was talk of a nation wide Ebonics beauty pageant. Apparently it was dropped when a contestant representing Idaho would not come forward.
I watched a documentary about this same thing. Why is it that ebonics is so bad but Dubya has an 'accent'. Sometimes I can't even understand what he says. Nevermind the speech of many folks where I live.
Why? The study of language is worthwhile. And because America is a nation of immigrants, our language is richer than most...
Maybe if you're a trust-fund punk, or an academic jerkoff with a big foundation grant. If you're a Black kid trying to get off the street, it is useless elephant-sh*t distracting you from essential survival skills.
Perhaps. But keeping poor black kids stuck in the underclass by teaching them street jive rather than English is a crime.
Learning about American dialects is fascinating. Teaching it as a second language is another thing entirely.
You just can't study ebonics. It doesn't exist in a vacuum. You have to study it in light of popular culture, other dialects, etc. etc. The most interesting thing for me is how police slang and street slang intermingle. For example, you may hear a cop saying "five oh," street slang for cop. Or, you may hear a street guy saying, "187" (i think that's the right number) which is a police code for murder.
If I was an African-American I would be outraged, insulted and ready to get revenge!!
I agree. I'd love to take such a class if I knew it wasn't going to be taught by soom leftist looney.
Well, you kind of have to know english first. But I can see American dialects as part of an english class. A good way to study Faulkner, for instance.
fo shizzle
The class is being taught on any subway in the city. You just have to listen.
A prayer for wisdom and patience--and an invaluable website:
www.GTBE.org
That's the big benefit of living here in New York. When I wsas in Arizona, I used to get 'you have a funny accent' blah blah blah. Good thing I was really nice and held back :-)
Thank you for that link. I can't quite explain what it's like being in a room full of black students with a white teacher who had no interest in teaching black kids (who didn't speak ebonics either). Teachers run this racket in public schools worst of all. I lucked out being in a parochial school and having a diligent mother who came to school to regularly 'speak' to this teacher.
The Cousin Vinny Syndrome -- the two yoots!
LOL
fergetaboutit!
hehe!
Years ago I had a friend who could not only verify bronx accents, but what part of the bronx someone was from. It was an amazing thing.
I can tell a Chinese from a Korean, from a Japanese,etc. One of my elderly patients said 'those orientals all look the same to me!' LOL Bless her little 75 year old heart.
The part that's idiotic is not that people speak it, but that San Bernadino intends to teach it.
Maybe we can start having classes on how to "Speak Southern"?
The money making victicrat groups can't make money off of 'southern'.
In my wonderfully liberal state of Oregon, a couple of years back social workers were trying to hire someone to speak Klingon. As I recall it was because they had a mentally ill person who did so.
Once it reached the newspaper, the request was dropped.
Maybe black kids would be motivated to learn English if someone piqued their interest in the fact that African kids learn proper English. Black kids learn the Queen's English in the Caribbean British Commonwealth countries too. Perhaps you could find some examples of all that, or even find a black speaker of the Queen's English to come and talk to your class. Plummy British accents are always cool to Americans.
Lots of blacks in former French colonies and in France speak perfect French too. There are too many good languages to learn to waste time speaking ebonics and sounding like a brain-dead moron in the process.
It's the Democrats again 135 years later and a different plantation.
They can't refute it.
I didn't realize that I live in Argon. Thanks.
It's not that ebonics is so bad, but why do people have to claim it's like a different "language" and that it has to be taught as such? I remember when I was a kid, I went to a mostly black school and if some kid started talking street talk this one tough black lady teacher would yell "don't you bring that junk in here, leave it on the street", or something to that effect. Every group has its own accent or dialect. I think Bush lays it on pretty thick. It seems to me that most people in public life can tone it down most of the time and it comes out more when around family and friends. That's how it is with me, though when I talk to old friends from long ago they say I have a texas accent... but nothing like when I reaaallly turn it on.
With all due respect, you'll need more than luck. Luck is when opportunity meets preparedness. You need to ask yourself, are you prepared?
I wish you well paddling upstream.
My mother is from the British West Indies. She taught me to read and write. Attending school was not a good experience *lol* I got into a lively debate about the pronunciation of T-H-E with my english teacher and she said to me just shut up and sit down *LOL* Can't hate her though. She wrote me a nice recommendation.
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