Review_Author: Darryl powe
Book_Author: Labov, William
Book_Title: Language in the inner city; studies in the Black English vernacular
Reference: 1972
Date: 12/17/2004
Time: 6:17:59 AM
Remote Name: 128.175.34.35
Labov, a linguist by trade has provided one of most detailed accounts of African-American English Vernacular AAEV, Black English, Black English Vernacular, Ebonics, etc.). It approaches his study from an ethnographic perspective studying African-American youth in Harlem. The primary motivations behind the study were Labov’s interest in reading and in particular, lower reading performance levels in African- American youth as compared to European-American youth. The book is outlined according to the language components of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. And his specific purpose for writing this book is to increase teacher awareness of the dialectical patterns of African-American and Hispanic students in order for teachers to enhance and improve their practices. Significant in his findings was that there was no connection between “Linguistic skills in the vernacular culture and success in reading”, this finding has been substantiated by later research. His primary methods of inquiry were structured interviews which were then transcribed literally semantically and phonetically. In part one, Labov provides a description of an idealized form of AAEV. His description is interpreted through the perspective of education.. Thus, the impact of the structures of AAVE on educational performance is reported. The author characterizes and describes the interaction); moreover, communication breakdown) of non- standard speakers (students) and standard speakers (teachers) as one of unintentional ignorance for both parties. This is a mutual dilemma in that both parties have little knowledge, linguistically of the other. “Ignorance of standard English rules on the part of speakers of nonstandard English. Ignorance of nonstandard English rules on the part of teachers and text writers Within this section are discussions of the specific phonetic markers for AAEV e.g. r- lessness and l-lessness in the medial and final position of words. d/t substitution in the word-final position, Morphologic e.g. -ed and - s deletion in the word-final position. Labov relates that many teachers find them selves. Teachers must differentiate between an error in reading and an error in pronunciation whereas the child is employing the phonological system of his home or an error in production. Teachers must be willing to accept that different productions that are considered as errors in standard English are appropriate in the dialect of AAEV. Though AAEV is considered by many to constitute a separate language, secondary to its corresponding to the rules of a language, it is, in this from, a distinct variation of standard English. In addition, Labov himself comments that this particular description is one of many types/forms of AAEV as it exists in America [at that time}. In latter parts of the text, Labov describes the intersection between reading and success and individuals who use AAEV. He does note hat notions of [language] are based on the work of educational psychologists who know very little about language...” (p. 201). This has given rise to a deficit hypothesis which supports because the wide disparity [read low performance of African-American children on standardized tests] that African- American children (at that time} have no language skills at all. To ad, programs such as Head Start, amongst others serve to further exacerbate this language myth. He refers to Bereiter, in particular as supporting that these children are, in effect “culturally deprived” (p. 205). He states later that perceptual judgments of this kind are based on “regular sociolinguistic factors operating upon the adult and the child in an asymmetrical fashion” (p.207). Thus, professional interactions with African-American children, rather, professionals’ approach/reaction to these interactions are based primarily upon this model. Labov provides an excellent description of both the structure of a dialect, as well as the impact that dialect use has on its speakers. The reader is provided with a means by which to qualify how and why individuals often make value judgments about students from a linguistic perspective. The impact of one’s manner of speech is used to assign one’s societal value and as a means to gauge one’s educational potential. This is a valuable resource for linguistics, speech pathologists and researchers involved in the education of diverse populations. Undergraduate students may find the middle section, with its dense descriptions of the syntactic and morphologic structure difficult to understand. A good knowledge of phonetics is required to fully appreciate this section but novices should find the rest of the book valuable.