African-American Attitudes Concerning African-American English
There have been significant studies done on the topic of African-American English. For the past quarter-century, a controversy over the recognition, value and use of African-American English has captured the attention of media, professionals, educators and parents nationwide. This study examined the opinions of African-Americans from a variety of backgrounds and communities to obtain their views on African-American English: its place in the school, in the community, in African-American heritage and its role in the futures of African-American students. The results of the questionnaires and interviews indicated African-Americans have varying opinions about African- American English. Most of the subjects felt that some African-Americans do speak with a dialect, but they did not believe there was a language known as African-American English. Overall, most of the people surveyed agreed that African-American English is a valuable part of their heritage. However, it has no place in the classroom and use of African-American English beyond one’s community, can affect students opportunities and economic success.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations