Name________________________________

Date___________________
African American Vernacular English
Do NOW! (3 min)
1. Focus on one image in particular.
2. Turn and talk with the person sitting next to
ou a!out the image ou "ocused on and
our reaction to it.
Reactions!
___________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________
Speaking in AAVE is an affirmation of their heritage and cultural roots!
Their personal and cultural identities are closel linked to the language o" their "riends# "amil# and
"ore!ears
To man $"rican $mericans the adoption o" %tandard &nglish is percei'ed to !e an abandonment of
Black culture.
()ncle Tom* (%issies* names gi'en to those who re+ect ,lack speech in "a'or o" %&
What do you think about this?
Many African American students are fighting a battle to remain loyal to their native dialect while
schools are advocating mastery of a standard dialect.
1. -hat are some was ou.'e seen this situation panned out in our own classrooms/
2. 0nstead o" 'iewing our students who speak $$1& as o!stinate due to their re"usal to speak
%&# what are some acti'ities and assignments that we can implement to encourage $"rican
$merican students to em!race their dialect/

The very linguistic allegiance that enhances educational process for native ! speakers stands in
opposition to the success of non" standard speakers.#
-hat.s the single most distincti'e "actor a!out $$&/
$ccording to %mitherman# it.s the use o" the 'er! to be 2
&xamining the )se o" (steady* in $$1&
STEADY: $ predicate ad'er! which usuall precedes the progressi'e 'er!s
i.e. (3e !e stead rappin*
%ample %ntactic %tructure
N4 (noun phrase) 5 (!e) 5 stead 5 'er! 5 ing
Or
N4 (noun phrase) 5 (!e) 5 'er! 5 ing 5 stead
Noun phrase must !e animate and specific6 ($ !o# !e stead rappin* is ungrammatical while (7eroi !e stead
rappin* is grammatical in $$1&
)sing (Steady in a %entence $$1& %tle
1. 8ade !e stead steppin. in them 8ordans.
2. $nd ou know we !e stead +ammin. Nikki 9ina+.
3. Them "ools stead hustlin. e'er!od the see.
:. 3e stead !e tellin ;em how to run the li'es.
<. $ll the home!os !e rappin. stead.
4resent Tense
1. 3e stead 1er! 5 ing.
2. 3e !e stead 1er! 5 ing.
3. 3e stead !e 1er! 5 ing.
Future Tense
1. 3e gon !e stead 1er! 5ing.
2. 3e gon stead !e 1er! 5ing.
3. 3e stead gon !e 1er! 5ing.
4ast Tense
1. 3e was stead 1er! 5ing.
2. 3e stead was 1er! 5 ing.
$. %rite one sentence from each tense &past' present' and future( using the AA)! steady to reflect
something that you do habitually.
4resent
___________________________________________________________________________________
______________
Future
___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________
4ast
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________
*. Rewrite the above sentences in !.
4resent
___________________________________________________________________________________
______________
Future
___________________________________________________________________________________
_______________
4ast
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________
+. %hat differences do you notice between the usage of the habitual be versus the usage of steady,
%hich grammatical structure demonstrates more intensity towards the sub-ect matter,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reflection/ %hy might AA! speakers find it easier to understand ! speakers than vice versa,
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Classroom Linguistic
Demographics
1. Native speakers of SE = X% of students
2. Native speakers of nonSE= Y% of students
3. Students for whom English is not native = % of
student
* If a school population or the population
within a given classroom is such that:
1. X >(Y + Z) then acaemic success
ma! "e consiere highl! pro"a"le for
most stuents
#. In contrast$ if Z > (X + Y) or (Z + Y) > X then
stuents have greater acaemic ifficult!.
-hat other !iased assumptions do
we make in regards to the
education and li"estle o" $"rican
$merican students/
3ow ha'e these assumptions
hindered our a!ilit to address the
educational disparities that exist/