Throughout history students have been taught that language, and the ability to express oneself and communicate, is one of the most vital tools that students need in order to secure a bright and prosperous future for themselves. Children are constantly taught the value of expressing ideas in a clear and comprehensible manner, keeping in mind that this type and level of expression is what will eventually give rise to society's perception of them later on in life. This concept of judgment based on one's ability to express oneself is an idea that is multi-leveled, depending not only on the student's work ethic and schooling, but also on the social and cultural norms that are prevalent at that particular time. Language is an essential component of education and the eventual expression of ideas. The various factors that shape and mold a student's capacity to learn language are important and can vary so greatly with the way that language is taught. Moreover, it is the type and level of not only language, but also education in general that can ultimately decide how a child performs in his/her future. Language is a tool that allows children to grow into adults who are able to function independently in society, and it is clear that many factors contribute to this education. Exploring the different factors influencing a child's acquisition and use of and allowing for these differences in language, and overall education, will eventually lead to diverse perspectives and methods in education.

In urban settings, the importance of language manifests itself through the use of Ebonics, a distinct dialect of English. Ebonics is spoken widely, prevalent in many urban environments, but not limited to these areas. The use of this dialect as a language has become so widespread that it is almost a language in itself. As Samuel Perez writes in his article, "Using Ebonics or black English as a Bridge to teaching Standard English," "Ebonics, a recognized dialect and not just a lazy habit on the part of the students is spoken by almost 80 percent of African Americans" (Perez, 34). This statistic shows the vast percentage of African Americans, including children, who use Ebonics. It also reveals that African American children are primarily surrounded by Ebonics as a major dialect. As a result, there is a lack of understanding for the need of a formal dialect and moreover, unawareness that Standard English even exists. In essence, even though Standard English is a common dialect of English, it is viewed as an entirely new language to many children who find it utterly incomprehensible and unfamiliar. Standard English is not seen as "standard" to these children who have no idea how to communicate effectively using this method. The words, phrases, and contexts are too unfamiliar to be useful, unless taught well and with an open mind. Those children who do not use Standard English are not stubbornly refusing to do so but are instead genuinely unaware of how to communicate effectively using this method after being accustomed to using Ebonics throughout their lives. Teaching Standard English as basically a new language, without depending on assumptions that children already understand how to use it is what may be the most beneficial method of formally educating students in this area. Students are ultimately judged on the basis of their formal education in the workplace throughout the world.

Language is also an extremely important cultural and social variable that reflects the daily aspects of an individual's life. The process of enculturation that one receives at a very early stage in life stays with them throughout time. Michael Garrett explains this concept in his article "'Two people': and American Indian Narrative of Bicultural Identity". He explains that most children go through a process of enculturation when they are young, accumulating their own traditions and culture into a mental and emotional standard they use later on in life. Children use this information as their frame of reference to the world around them, basing knowledge of the world on what they have been taught from their own culture. As language is such a large portion of culture, also a means of teaching children about their culture, it is all too difficult to try and separate the concepts, when they are so inherently linked. Language cannot be taken out of a culture without disrupting, and in some senses having detrimental effects on that culture and the transmission of culture to future generations.

In looking at Ebonics, it is difficult to separate the actual language from the culture it belongs to. The acquisition of knowledge and experience within the African American culture, as with other cultures, depends heavily on language, which is a defining feature of culture. The encompassing and extensive nature of Ebonics allows it to be both the main method of communication among many African Americans and also a concept that permeates throughout urban culture. Although the dialect's roots may be traced back to a mixture of African languages and Anglo English, Ebonics has become a growing urban dialect used by many different people other than African Americans. The dialect, in this case, does not only reflect a certain type of person, but represents an entire culture, an urban pop culture of which a large portion is hip-hop and rap music.

The use of Ebonics through music allows for differentiation in the type of people who use and listen to the dialect because the music reaches a wide audience. Hip-hop music and culture was born in the South Bronx in the early nineteen seventies. It began as a voice for an oppressed people, a culture that deviated from the norm and spoke out about social and political issues. It was born from African American and Latino communities. Reflecting these communities, much of the lyricism is strongly influenced by Ebonics. This remains true today in a time where hip-hop culture has become a large part of American youth culture. Hip-hop is an important part of African American history in this country. The perseverance of Ebonics as a dialect in music is a testament to the fact that the use of Ebonics is extensive not only by African Americans, but by many different musicians. In a sense it is hip-hop and rap that really gave Ebonics and other aspects of African American culture a push into the mainstream pop culture. Hip-hop's success and popularity legitimizes Ebonics and popularizes Ebonics as a trendy way of speaking. In many cases Ebonics has influenced youths who ordinarily would not be in touch with it, such as youths in more affluent, suburban neighborhoods. The widespread use of Ebonics, and the transmission of culture through it, demonstrates its reach to a vast number of people. This also implies that attempting to educate students only in formal English would hinder the learning process for many children.

A major problem lies in popular thought where it is a common belief that children need to abandon their own native culture and language, for example Ebonics, to learn a new language or method of communication. One language simply does not replace another; it is actually more confusing to learn an entirely new language than to be able to combine elements of one's own understood language with a new one. Attempting to completely forego one language forces children to sacrifice a large portion of their cultural identity, and a great deal of their heritage. Assimilation and integration into a different culture does not necessarily mean completely forfeiting the old culture. Striving to entirely eliminate the usage of Ebonics as a dialect of English, and educate students wholly in Standard English is an idea that is overly simplistic. The dialect cannot be removed entirely, without harming a certain part of culture as well. This effort would not only deamonize the dialect of Ebonics as unworthy, but may also marginalize the group of people who use the dialect as well. If language reflects a culture, and that language is not considered proper to use, then it may lead students to believe that their culture is not proper as well.

It is essential that teachers remain receptive to the fact that the enculturation process for many students is through many different dialects of English. Educators recently have looked at various methods of teaching in order to encompass a broader range of students who are able to benefit from schooling. For example, in the article "Saving Black Mountain: The Promise of critical literacy in multicultural democracy," Sandra Adams, Rebecca Powell, and Susan Chambers Cantrell give information about the "... holistic approaches to literacy instruction that validates the social and cultural nature of literacy" (Powell 774). The authors quote Edelsky, who writes "In recent years, whole language pedagogy has emerged as a means not only of literacy instruction, but also for individual empowerment" (Powell 773). Whole language pedagogy endorses looking to cultural context and other phonics, literature, and skill-based methods as a way teaching language (Powell 774). Sheila Devkaran Narsee also writes in her abstract for Durban Institute of Technology's response to the Challenges of Multiculturalism and Diversity, "What is clearly required is a social reconstructionist view of multicultural education which seeks to utilize diversity as a powerful tool to empower those learners who have been historically marginalized" (Narsee par. 1). It is clear that these educators are aware of the fact that literacy and language express individual empowerment and that this literacy is dependent upon culture and diversity. Not recognizing the various languages and dialects used by student marginzalizes the students themselves by devaluing their cultures.

Ernest Morrell looks at literacy in his article "Toward a critical pedagogy of popular culture: Literacy development among urban youth." He writes of the New London Gropu who have been discussing various literary pedagogies and writes, "Educators of new-century schools, these theorists argue, need to examine non-school literacy practices to find connections between local literacies and the dominant, academic literacies" (Morrell 72). This statement plainly reveals that many educators are looking outside to the various cultural aspects that infiltrate a student's educational career for assistance in teaching language. This is especially prevalent with the dialect of Ebonics since, as one can see, the use of Ebonics is extremely widespread and reaches various groups of people.

There are many methods of teaching students who may not necessarily have grown up with Standard English as their primary dialect. In Lisa Delpit's article, "The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in educating other People's Children," she writes of a teacher who teaches students who use a dialect of an Alaskan language called "Village English." The teacher addresses the need for her students to learn formal Standard English in order to communicate outside of their immediate locale while also emphasizing the importance of using a dialect that is appropriate for their own society, while also showing that another dialect can allow them to communicate just as effectively in many different settings, outside of their immediate area. She does not trivialize the use of the dialect by not recognizing it, rather she maintains that both dialects are important in their own respects. This creates variety in student education and encourages children to communicate effectively through language and transmit this education to future generations.
Using this method of awareness and recognition as an example, it is important that educators are sensitive to the fact that in many urban environments Ebonics, not Standard English, is the dominant dialect. Educators must not blindly attempt to replace Ebonics as the main dialect with Standard English because this attempt would trivialize the student's original cultural experience and as a result make many children feel insignificant. Educating children is a process that requires that the children themselves to want to learn and progress through their own education. Marginalizing students based on their language, which is a reflection of their culture, will thwart efforts to educate students wholly. For students to learn to think and express themselves cearly in man different situations, their native dialect must be respected in the classroom.

 

Works Cited

Delpit, L.D. "The Silenced Dialogue: Power and Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children," Harvard Educational Review 58 (1998, 3): 280-289.

Garrett, Michael T. "'Two People': An American Indian Narrative of bicultural identity," Journal of American Indian Education (Fall 1996, 36): 1-21.

Morrell, Ernest. "Toward a critical pedagogy of popular culure: Literacy development among urban youth." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 46 (Spring 2002, 1): 72-77.

Narsee, Sheila Devkaran. "UNESCO Conference on Intercultural Education." Online Abstract. 19 August 2003. <http://www.jyu.fi/ktl/unesco2003/tiivistelma/4,2A-33.htm>

Perez, Samuel A. "Using Ebonics or black English as a Bridge to teaching Standard English," Contemporary Education, 71 (4): 34-37.