Ebonics: The Urban Educational Debate / Edition 2

ISBN-13: 9781853597978 Publisher: Multilingual Matters Ltd. Publication date: 03/22/2005 Series: New Perspectives on Language and Education , #2 Edition description: 2nd Edition Pages: 224 Product dimensions: 5.85(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.70(d) Controversy erupted in 1996 when the Oakland Unified School District’s ‘Ebonics Resolution’ proposed an approach to teaching Standard English that recognized the variety of English spoken by African American students. With new demands for accountability driven by the No Child Left Behind policy and its emphasis on high-stakes testing in Standard English, this debate will no doubt rise again. This book seeks to better inform this next episode. In Part 1, leading scholars place the debate within its historical and contemporary context, provide clear explanations of what Ebonics is and is not, and offer practical approaches schools can and should follow to address the linguistic needs of African American students. Part 2 provides original documents that a