Date:  Thu, 13 Nov 1997 22:41:32 +0000
From:  Lynne Murphy <M_Lynne_Murphy[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]BAYLOR.EDU>
Subject: Re: "Ebonics" for "AAVE"?

Bethany K. Dumas wrote:
>
> On a non-linguistics list, i just read the ff. query, apparently
> straight-forward:
>
> ----
> Subject: Re: creole languages or AAVE in linguistic evidence (criminal)
>
> I'm not acquainted with the term African American Vernacular Language.
> Is it related in any way to Ebonics?
> ----

i told my students that grown-ups call "ebonics" "AAVE" (ok, i wasn't
quite that disparaging to the word, but my students tend to hear
"ebonics" and think "stupid p.c. garbage", so i like to encourage a name
with a little more scientific and less political baggage). so, one of
my students went to the texas tesol conference in austin last weekend
and tried to speak with the professionals about "AAVE", and got blank
stares in return, until her interlocutors caught on and said "oh, you
mean ebonics!" i think that'll keep me out of the teacher hall of fame.

lynne

p.s. beth simon, are you out there on this list? all my responses to
your teach-ling request got bounced back (teach-ling has my address
wrong and won't let me post because of it). if you've not gotten a
message from me about lex readings, drop me a line so i can use the
reply function.

--

M. Lynne Murphy
Assistant Professor in Linguistics
Department of English
Baylor University
PO Box 97404
Waco, TX 76798