SDTP Workshop Topics

Definition

Is African American English (AAE) bad grammar just because it does not conform to the rules of Standard English?

Is AAE the failed attempt to speak Standard English?

What does it mean to say that AAE is systematic?

Is AAE slang that school-age children acquire from music and other elements of popular culture.

Linguistic Description

What patterns are associated with AAE?

  • Sentence structure
  • Sound patterns
  • Meaning
  • Vocabulary

How do they differ from patterns in Standard English?

Classroom Practice

What should be done about students’ use of dialectal patterns in the classroom?

What types of materials and instruction can be used to illustrate the differences between classroom or Standard English and AAE?

What does it mean to ‘correct’ students’ dialectal patterns?

Dialect and Literacy

What is the link between students’ use of dialectal patterns and achievement?

Are students’ reading and writing skills affected by their use of dialectal patterns?

What is the relationship between use of dialectal patterns and level of language development?

Is the use of dialectal patterns a barrier to classroom instruction?