African%20American%20English%20and%20Linguistic%20Ideology%20in%20To%20Kill%20A%20Mockingbird

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African American English and Linguistic
Ideology in To Kill A Mockingbird

• Presenter Cassie Falling
• Faculty Sponsor Robert Troyer

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African-American English (A.A.E.)

• Not bad English
• A dialect of English, with its own grammar,
  pronunciation, and vocabulary

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Examples of A.A.E. from Mockingbird

• I want to know why you bringin white chillun
  to our church. (Compared to I want to know
  why you are bringin' white children to our
  church.)
• ...and dont you let me catch you remarkin on
  their ways like you was so high and mighty!
  (Compared to ...like you were so high and
  mighty!)

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Non-Standard English (N.S.E.)

• There is no official academy that regulates
  usage for the English language, but there is
  still a prevailing world-wide view that there is
  a standard English the language variety
  codified in dictionaries, grammars, and usage
  handbooks.
• The Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and
  Written English
• N.S.E. English that does not fit into the
  category of Standard English or another official
  dialect.

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Examples of N.S.E. from Mockingbird

• Theys my compny. (Compared to Theyre my
  company.)
• He likes em bettern he likes us. (Compared
  to He likes em better than he likes us.)?

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To Kill A Mockingbird

• Around the time of WWII
• Fictional town in Alabama
• Atticus white man lawyer defends an
  African-American man
• Scout young white girl daughter of Atticus
• Jem teenage white boy son of Atticus
• Dill young white boy friend of Scout and Jem
• Cal African-American woman nanny for Scout and
  Jem

http//www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/fil
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a_mocking_bird.jpg
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To Kill A Mockingbird (pg. 125)

• Cal, I Scout asked, why do you talk
  nigger-talk to theto your folks when you know
  its not right?
• Well, in the first place Im black
• That doesnt mean you hafta talk that way when
  you know better, said Jem...
• Its right hard to say, Cal said. Suppose
  you and Scout talked colored folks talk at home
  itd be out of place, wouldnt it? Now what if I
  talked white-folks talk at church, and with my
  neighbors? Theyd think I was puttin on airs to
  beat Moses.
• But Cal, you know better, I said.
• Its not necessary to tell all you know...
  Youre not gonna change any of them by talkin
  right... and when they dont want to learn
  theres nothing you can do but keep your mouth
  shut or talk their language.

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Purpose of Study Hypothesis

• Purpose Separate the character's opinions of
  their speech from how they actually speak,
  through analyzing use of AAE and NSE by different
  characters.
• Hypothesis White-folk talk has more in common
  linguistically with "nigger-talk" than characters
  perceive.

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Method of analysis

• Select sample pieces of dialogue from four
  groups
• White adults (speaking to white children)
• White children (speaking to each other)
• White-folk talk Cal
• The African-American community (Cal using
  nigger-talk and others)
• Analyze each sample for AAE and NSE
• Compare groups with each other

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In the African-American Community
In the White Community
Sample dialogue approx. 330 words each
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Hypothesis confirmed?

• Hypothesis White-folk talk has more in common
  linguistically with "nigger-talk" than characters
  perceive.
• Cal
• Hypothesis Partially correct
• White-folk talk Cal and nigger-talk Cal
  substantial difference
• "Nigger-talk" Cal similar to the rest of the
  African-American community

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Hypothesis confirmed? (cont.)

• Hypothesis White-folk talk has more in common
  linguistically with "nigger-talk" than characters
  perceive.
• White Children
• Hypothesis Correct
• Use a noticeable amount of NSE
• More linguistically in common with
  African-American community than with white adult
  community

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Conclusions

• Children's perception regarding their speech and
  nigger-talk did not match up with the language
  the characters actually used.
• African-Americans use NSE "Nigger-talk"
• White children use NSE Not "nigger-talk"
• Racially biased linguistic ideology is present
• Disconnect between perception and reality
• All English dialects worthy of respect

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References

• Biber, D., Conrad, S., Leech, G. (2002).
  Longman student grammar of spoken and written
  English. Edinburgh Gate, England Pearson
  Education Limited.
• Green, L. J. (2002). African American English a
  linguistic introduction. Retrieved from
  http//catdir.loc.gov/catdir/samples/cam034/20032
  68698.pdf
• Ebonics-translator.com home page. Retrieved
  from http//www.ebonics-translator.com/
• Lee, H. (1960). To kill a mockingbird. New York,
  NY Warner Books, Inc.
• N Holliday. (2010, Aug 5). Why would you study
  that bad English? Blog. Retrieved from
  http//africanamericanenglish.com/2010/08/05/why-w
  ould-you-study-that-bad-english/
• Dialects African American English. Retrieved
  from http//www.cal.org/topics/dialects/aae.html
• Examples of non-standard usage. Retrieved from
  http//www.putlearningfirst.com/language/06senten
  /nonstandardans.html
• Wolfram, W. The grammar of urban African American
  Vernacular English. Retrieved from
  http//www-personal.umich.edu/mdover/website/Soc
  ial20Welfare20Policy20Main20Folder/Professiona
  l20Writing20for20Policy20Practice/checklistPDF
  -Urban_AAE.pdf