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

If you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk
So we've all heard the phrase "you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?"
This has typically referred to someone who preaches a certain way of life or method of doing something and is being challenged to whether or not the person actually follows that preaching. But what if we were to look at this same phrase from a different angle? How about, "Does the way you talk, determine how you walk?" In this way, we think about the question of whether or not the way someone preaches determines how they act in life. If we were to take the question even one step further, we could ask: Does the way in which someone speaks, such as their dialect, determine how they are perceived or treated by other people.
In these stories, I routinely found myself debating whether the way the subject was talking, such as in a "slang way", was altering, (whether for better or worse, or maybe both) their creditability to those they were addressing. Should Mr. and Mrs. Obama talk in a "slang way" to African American's in order to gain approval ratings? Does her talking "white" make under-educated African Americans feel belittled or unappreciated?
When students come to school to learn, they will generally speak in their "mother-tongue", a dialect that is used in their household as they were raised. So here in lies an ethical question: Do we as teachers try to correct their dialect? Certainly we still want them to speak English, but English comes in many forms. If we do try to correct them, are we making the decision that their parent’s dialect is wrong and should not be used? Will that cause emotional problems or conflicts for the child at home? If they speak differently than the other kids in their neighborhood, will they be treated different? If we do not correct them, will they then be treated differently by their peers at school?
Unfortunately, there is no clear right answer, and perhaps nor should there be. If we as teachers correct them, are we no different than the parents (or teachers before) that taught them a different way.
Let’s talk about the “talk”. Is it speaking your own dialect? Do you speak as Dowdy mentioned, “the right English”? Does the person and place in which you are speaking determine the “talk” and “walk” that you are doing? Are you “code switching”, or modifying your talk to lead a conversation in a particular direction, such as a successful job interview? I believe the struggle of true identity and acceptance is one that we all face daily, no matter the skin color, or language. Your language is a part of the walk that you walk; it is a part of who you are. So often, some people “code switch”, to match the audience. We often observe those in the public eye “code switching”, as Mr. Obama did at Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C.
We teach young children morals of “being yourself”. Trying to “fit in” is a constant battle that people of races and languages face in the workplace, religious environments, community, etc. In the reading, The Skin That We Speak, Maya faces the battle of trying to fit it. “It doesn’t matter what other people think about you, you have to be who you are. It’s their problem if they can’t appreciate how wonderful you are (pg. 38). This is a valid point that Maya’s mother tries to make. It is apparent that Maya is asked by her mother to “talk the talk”, using Standard English, but being her true self, is the desire to speak Ebonics. It was fascinating to read and learn that Maya was happier after moving schools in fifth grade. She was happier and successful; she felt accepted for being herself. However, like Maya’s mother, was taken off guard when Maya replied, “Mom, you don’t have to worry about me, because I know how to code switch” (pg. 39). Being her true self, she learned to “code switch”, learning to adapt to the language environment around her.
As teachers, we understand that we are role models for children and that we should speak Standard English. I do not believe that we should constantly correct children who do not speak Standard English. I do believe that we should teach children to be respectful towards others, using their manners, “Yes, Mam’ and No, Sir”. I do have a role in helping the child become a respectful person; therefore I do correct students, when they do not use their manners. However, when a child speaks a certain way, we must accept the talk that they talk. This year, I have a student who comes from a low-income home. He is one of the smartest students in my classroom, but is also a behavior problem, which is reflected upon his home-life. When speaking, he uses a southern dialect, that he has been raised to speak, and will leave out words. For example, “I be riding on the bus today.” We must allow children to be themselves. We can not force them to speak or write a certain way.
Award-winning authors incorporate a character’s dialect as part of who the character is. I believe that it is important to share with our students, books written from different cultures and dialects. When doing some research on Ebonics, I found that the term roots from a part of African American history in our country, but has since been changed by recent culture. It is important to continue to use the text to teach the history of African Americans. Goin’ Some Place Special, is just one piece of adolescent literature that portrays the language of some of today’s African Americans.
I appreciate and have reflected upon the quote from Delpit in her article, “There is a reason our first language is called our mother tongue. To speak out against the language that children bring to school means that we are speaking out against their mothers, that their mothers are not good enough to be a part of the school world” (pg. 47). I plan to use this quote as a reminder to allow my students to “talk their talk, and walk their walk”.
Dowdy reiterates the importance of being one’s self, and speaking one’s own language as she describes her own struggle to survive in the battle of proper dialects and speaking. I applaud Dowdy in her determination to share who she was, and “wear her “own hair natural, so that we resembled Masai women. We brought our Afrocentric identity to the attention of the school, and by so doing, encouraged other students to feel free to express their Trinidadian attitude toward their education” (pg. 10).
Reflecting over the past few years of my teaching career, I believe that I have been in Maya’s shoes, trying to fit into the culture of “teachers”; often times, afraid to speak in my own language and code switching, like Maya, Dowdy, and Michelle Obama did in the articles. We have all sat in professional workshops, listening to the language that only teachers understand. We have our own language and abbreviations. For example, with the RTI phase, there is a new language of speaking about: tiers, Dibbles, and progress monitoring. As hard as it may seem, it is vital that teachers accept the new languages in education. We must accept the new “lingo”, while not losing who we are, and our true selves as teachers. As role models, if we want to encourage our children to be “themselves”, then we too need to be “ourselves”. I commend those teachers who have posted that they continue to speak in the dialect in which they were raised, not necessarily code switching just to be someone that they are not.

Katie Johnson