Spoken Soul: The Language of Black Imagination and Reality |
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Authors: | Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz |
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Institution: | Moriarty Middle School , Moriarty, New Mexico, USA |
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Abstract: | Despite American schools administrators' refusal to accept the language of African-American students and their overzealousness to frame language and literacy skills in terms of an “achievement gap,” African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is the language of African-American imagination and reality. This article discusses the characteristics of AAVE that make it a real language, as well as The Dozens—an original use of AAVE and one of many creative vehicles of expression used in the African-American community. The article also describes how African-American adult learners used AAVE in their composition class discussions and writings. |
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Keywords: | accountability Adequate Yearly Progress Baldrige business NCLB |
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