RES 5535: Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (summer 2010)

I am like Lisa Delpit because I tell my fourteen-year-old son to speak correctly. My famous line is “Keep the street in the street.” I normally receive rolled eyes as a response. Yet, he speaks correctly in the appropriate situation. Am I causing him to feel inadequate in his skin? Have I caused my English Language Learners students to feel inadequate in their skin when I suggest speaking English in a group mixed with English only speakers? Have I caused other students to feel inadequate?

I remember being outraged with California and the Ebonics debate. Why would you want to support the Ebonics curriculum? I remember someone asking me what I thought of the Oakland Policy and I said it was the dumbest thing I have ever heard. I did not research or listen to the reasons for teaching Ebonics. Teachers take conversational Spanish classes in order to understand Spanish students. I believe it could be looked upon as the same.

Language is a reflection of the person speaking. I am guilty of being annoyed with particular dialects and probably questioned the person intellect. I have to think about from an educator’s point of view. I want to encourage and support all my students. If connecting with my students means accepting some ‘street talk’, I will accept the street talk. I wonder if students will become more accepting of Standard English if they are not made to feel insignificant. I think classrooms are changing from traditional teaching to more student centered teaching. If this is the case, student centered teaching will have to be accepting of the cultural background of students.

I have lived in the world of Michelle Obama and Joanne Dowdy. I have been told I talk white. I have had my physical appearance questioned. I live in both worlds and flip between the two. In all honesty, I believe we all code switch—a language for play a language for work.

Zandra Hunt