by Kayla Taylor<\/p>\n
Ebonics, or Black Talk, is incredibly misunderstood and underrated; it seems that some people aren\u2019t really sure what Ebonics is, or they think it\u2019s just slang, and those who aren\u2019t a part of the community, no matter what race they are, often think Ebonics is a language of ignorance. Ebonics is the most unknown-known language to those in the Black community, as well as to those outside of our community. Mistaking Ebonics as an illegitimate language or just a language made up of slang can be very easy, especially when one is unaware that Ebonics does in fact have pronunciation rules, grammar, multiple word meanings, etc., just as another language would. It doesn\u2019t even seem that the Ebonics speakers even realize that they are following a set of grammar rules. For example, if an Ebonics speaker were to say, \u201cWe be having so much fun together!\u201d they don\u2019t realize that according to Ebonics \u201cbe\u201d is the correct term to use describing something past tense or something that usually happens as opposed to standard English. So, how is it that we as a black community are unaware that a language we or the people around us speak is legitimate, or that Ebonics is more than just a set of slang words? To better understand the range of thoughts about Ebonics amongst Blacks, I administered an Ebonics\/Slang IQ test to those of different races, ages, and occupations.<\/p>\n
The Ebonics\/Slang IQ test consisted of a set of slang terms in which the test taker had to determine the slang meaning from multiple choice options or provide a meaning of their own. Some of the slang terms were words such as “turn up,” “hater,” and “wet.” The second half of the test consisted of short answer and multiple choice questions to help determine how the test taker felt about Ebonics, or if they even fully understood it.<\/p>\n
After administering the test to over fifteen people, I\u2019ve gained some knowledge on others\u2019 views on Ebonics. I gathered that my test takers fell into three groups, those who had negative views, were unsure, or felt as if Ebonics speakers shouldn\u2019t be judged based on their culture; I am going to focus on three test takers who best illustrate this range of opinions.<\/p>\n
As mentioned before, Ebonics has taken on a negative connotation. But, to fully understand its bad reputation, I had to assess the responses from the Slang\/Ebonics IQ Test. The test taker who seemed to have the most negative view of Ebonics was my father, a forty-one year old Financial Analyst. Before I even administered the test, he made statements such as, \u201cThis is ridiculous,\u201d referring to the fact that I was in what he called, \u201can Ebonics class.\u201d\u00a0 He even went on to say that I should speak to my Academic Advisor to determine if my \u201cEbonics class\u201d was even a real English credit. Once he began to take the IQ test, he struggled to answer the slang term\/phrase multiple choice questions. For example, he thought the slang term \u201cwet\u201d meant moist while in the African American culture it means drunk.\u00a0 I could tell he was guessing the answers to the majority of the questions, and by a process of elimination, about half were answered correctly. As he answered the short answer questions, his dissatisfaction with Ebonics became clear. He felt that Ebonics is slang and bad English, and that it doesn\u2019t have any cultural value. When asked if teachers should know about Ebonics, he responded, \u201cYes, because teachers could then interact better with students.\u201d When asked if he spoke Ebonics as a child, he answered no, and then went on to explain that he had always conducted himself in such a way that no one, whether it be teachers, bosses, or peers, could ever deem him as uneducated or ghetto.<\/p>\n
Nearly a week after his taking the test, I initiated a follow up conversation to further discuss Ebonics views. I needed a clearer view on his thoughts. When I brought up the IQ test, he said, \u201cOh yeah, the test from your Ebonics class?\u201d as he chuckled. I then explained that I didn\u2019t feel comfortable speaking down on Ebonics speakers because they may have not had the opportunity to grow up in a middle class, educated family. His response was, \u201cPeople are the sum total of their choices, and to some extent their parents\u2019 choices. We live in this country, not ‘Ebonia,’ so it\u2019s in everyone\u2019s interest to speak the language [Standard English] in order to be successful. Even if you don\u2019t know any better it still doesn\u2019t change the consequences.\u201d He then went on to say, \u201cEbonics isn\u2019t a language; it\u2019s just people not making an effort to speak Standard English. I don\u2019t speak perfect English, but I do work in a business environment and the expectation is that everyone speaks and acts professionally.\u201d \u00a0Based on our conversation and his test results, I concluded that he separated himself from the Black culture as well as Ebonics as not to hinder his potential for success. I\u2019m even willing to assume that an incident occurred that caused his abandonment of what makes up the African American culture. I even sensed that he felt a form of disgust or lack of pity for those who do use Ebonics.<\/p>\n
I also administered the test to a twenty-two year old U.S Air Force member. He got all the slang word\/phrase multiple choice questions correct. But during the test, as he came across the slang term \u201cratchet,\u201d and he questioned if he should answer with the Standard English definition of the word as opposed to the slang definition as not to sound uneducated. As he answered the short answer question portion of the test, I began to realize that the difference between Ebonics and slang was unclear to him. For example, he believed Ebonics was just slang, but contradicted himself by saying Ebonics was also a legitimate language variety. The twenty-two year old test taker also felt as if Ebonics had cultural value, but didn\u2019t feel as if teachers should be aware of the language. From the information I gathered from his test and our conversation, he led me to believe that he is in tune with the African American culture, but knows how to codeswitch. Codeswitching is to successfully maneuver from Ebonics to Standard English and vice versa based on the situation or whom you\u2019re speaking with. Unfortunately, not everyone has that skill, so the African Americans who don\u2019t know how to codeswitch are thought of as uneducated because many in and outside the culture don\u2019t see value or legitimacy in Ebonics.<\/p>\n
My third test taker, my sixty two year old grandmother, an Atlanta school teacher, showed the most gratitude for Ebonics speakers. I was really interested in her opinion seeing as how she knows firsthand what it\u2019s like to work with African American youth, as well as teach those who speak Standard English and\/or Ebonics. One would think that someone who empathizes with Ebonics speakers would speak Ebonics themselves, but quite the contrary. When given the Slang\/Ebonics IQ Test, she struggled to answer every question in the multiple choice portion of the test. The only slang term she answered correctly was \u201cflex,\u201d which means to show off when used in the black community. The only reason she was familiar with the term was because I had previously done an essay discussing the term and its use, which she read. I obviously didn\u2019t expect a sixty-two year old, educated, Standard English speaking woman to know slang terms, but I also didn\u2019t expect her to answer the short answer response questions the way she did. When asked, \u201cDoes Ebonics have cultural value?\u201d she answered, \u201cYes, it has cultural value because it engenders a sense of community and familiarity, kinship and identity.\u201d \u00a0At this point, I was curious to find out how she, as an educator, approached teaching Ebonics speaking students. As the test came to a close, my final question was, \u201cShould teachers know about Ebonics?\u201d and her response, both well thought out and full of hope for Ebonics speakers was, \u201cAbsolutely, the responsibility of the teacher is to meet the student where they are and make learning relevant. Teachers must allow students to embrace their ethnicity as well as teach them expected forms of communication that will allow them to successfully navigate in society.\u201d Her response was mind-blowing. It made me think of all those students who may not know Ebonics and Standard English, as well as the importance of codeswitching. They will be left behind by those who write them off as ghetto and uneducated.<\/p>\n
The Slang\/IQ Test, although fun to take, really brought out the true attitudes that we as African Americans have toward Ebonics. The test helped determine if the test takers knew that Ebonics is a legitimate language variety, as well as sparked a conversation on their views of Ebonics and how they were developed. I discussed the test takers who best summarized Ebonics views; the negative view, the unsure, and the positive view. I understood where each of the three test takers came from, as I have held each of their views. I have had a negative view of Ebonics because I hated being stereotyped as uneducated by other races, because some African Americans don\u2019t know when Ebonics usage is appropriate. I\u2019ve also been unsure about Ebonics. Before I entered my composition class, I just thought Ebonics was another word for slang. But now I am in a position where I understand the validity of the Ebonics language. I recognize that Ebonics makes us unique. Ebonics is a cultured language that should not be looked down upon, but better understood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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