# data[].attributes.body
My group talked a lot about underlying assumptions one carries about language and ethnicity. Even though a teacher may have completely good intentions regarding students who do not speak Standard American English they also carry underlying assumptions about the language and background the student possesses. Teachers may exhibit certain attitudes towards distinct students. For example, an immigrant student who has not been in the country long, might be given some slack with the English language because the teacher believes the student's home language and target language to be very different, in addition to the limited exposure the student is perceived to have received in the target language. On the other hand, students who speak AAE are more likely to be expected to know SAE with proficiency. Teachers may think this because they believe they have had more exposure to SAE and the language varieties are not too different. I think an iceberg represents this idea about unconscious underlying assumptions one carries about ethnicity and language. #underlyingassumptions #digbelowthesurface
Cassandra V.

# data[].attributes.headline
Race and Ethnicity and Social Constructs...Oh My!

# data[].attributes.subject
Race and Ethnicity and Social Constructs...Oh My!

# data[].attributes.body
Some common themes in our discussion included the realism of the different varieties of English and how we have our own preferences about theme. Some of our own preferences either perpetuated the power dynamics of English varieties or fought against it. #bethechange We also talked about how balance is important when it comes to books, although we all had mixed feelings about having no books at all in the household #sparkingjoycomesindifferentforms Another takeaway was our dialogue on ethnicity and race. We noticed that the references to the definitions in the reading were quite outdated...from the 80s and 90s, I believe. We challenged each other to update that definition to reflect its relevancy today and in our own lives. We also talked about needing more words and terms to encompass the diverse situations and background that we all come in...like the blend of nationality, ethnicity, generation, and race for an example. #weneedmorewords #identitycrisisisreal #defintionschangeovertime

# data[].attributes.body
It does not hurt to show students that teachers do not have an answer to everything. Rather, if we discuss topics like language, ethnicity, or sensitive issues to them, it produces a community in the classroom where they can express their opinions and can create an answer that teachers may not have. A topic that our group discussed was the role of speech practices. A question that we had and still struggle to answer is: How can we draw the boundary between the use of standard English and student’s vernacular or home dialect? (PV)

#AAE #StandardEnglish #languagevariation #vernacular #codeswitching

Gonzalez, J. (2014) Know your terms: Code switching. [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/code-switching/

# data[].attributes.body
Group 6 (Nicole, Maria, Heidi, Anna, Kelsey) Teachers need to recognize that just because students don’t have white middle class SAE and literacy experiences, doesn’t mean they don’t have valuable literacy skills to bring to the classroom #differencenotdeficit

Where’s the balance of L1 versus L2? Is it the same for every student? When is code-switching appropriate (time, circumstances, etc.)? #Spanglish

Ethnicity and race are socially constructed. What are they even? How do we discuss these terms with students? #confusion

# data[].attributes.body
Group 5 meme (Libby, Lynn, Pachia)

# data[].attributes.body
Group 5 meme (Libby, Lynn, Pachia)

# data[].attributes.body
Group 5 meme (Libby, Pachia, Lynn)

# data[].attributes.body
Group 5
Most teachers can agree that it's important to model behaviors and learning for our students. It's important to demonstrate the characteristics that we hope to instill in them. And so it's also important to model for students times when we are grappling with big questions that we don't know the answers to. And it's equally important to model for them the critical thinking that it takes to question systems of inequality and change unfairnesses in the world. Teachers need to show their students that they are also learning all the time, and that they are willing to work on behalf of their values. This extends to the role of language in the classroom – the varieties of language that are accepted, affirmed, reflected and discussed in class. Students have a right to be included in the conversation about language bias and hierarchy in both the "real world" and in the classroom, even (and especially because) it is a complicated, fraught topic. If students are informed about the systems of inequality at play, and see that their teachers are grappling with those systems and enabling their participation in that conversation, then they get the message that they can be part of a movement of change.

#bethechange #embracetheunknown #thisishard #blackenglishmatters #teachersarelearnerstoo

Questions we still have:
What do we do with Standard English?? How do we prepare students for the status quo (system of linguistic bias) while helping them also be agents of linguistic change?
-Libby, Pachia, Lynn

# data[].attributes.body
Labov and Rosen criticized Bernstein’s claim that the cognitive style of the speaker reflects the person’s intellect. A speaker’s number of unusual adjectives or conjunctions that s/he uses does not demonstrate his/her intellectual abilities. #LabovAndRosenVsBernstein #LanguageVarietyDoesntExplainIntelligence

Ethnicity isn’t a fixed part of an individual and changes often. Ideologies associated with ethnicity, race, social class, linguistic varieties, and religion, are based on social constructs and not scientific facts. One question we discussed was: “Why are students who speak AAVE at home perceived as having deficits compared to other students with different home languages?” Students need to know that their home dialect or variation, such as AAVE is acceptable and helpful to their learning in the classroom.  #WeNeedToDoBetter #PromoteTolerance #PromotePositivity #LegitimizeHomeLanguageVarieties #blackenglishmatters

-Jenna Kotula

# data[].attributes.body
Group 4:
Summary/Main topics Discussed:

aware of language practices around us; analyzing our own language and that of our students to use to inform classroom instruction; inclusive practices of dialects; language, race, ethnicity tied together; socially constructed

poverty tied to home literacy; interaction with text vs reading; oral/written home tradition; achievement gap;language gap

Questions: How do teachers balance between teaching standard language and valuing/representing nonstandard dialects?

Hashtags: #advocacy #studentsbetheirownvoice #teachervoicetostudents #bethevoice #beliefgap #whatisethnicity?

# data[].attributes.body
The key to language learning is to first acknowledge there are varieties of language and acknowledge that there is inequality in treatment of varieties. #differentnotinferior Sociolinguists are pushing for more of an active approach instead of just an academic research approach. #lesswritingmoreaction What are the consequences to a child when they are continuously told they are saying something wrong or are constantly corrected when speaking? Is it really possible to throw out teaching standard language? Or is it more possible in certain settings (adult) versus other (K-12), or based on the ultimate goal of the student? #crazybusiness #willynillyEnglish - Danelle

# data[].attributes.body
Linguistic inequality: #fact  #unfair  Underlying ideologies: #harmful  #discrimination  Total immersion is not the answer:  #hmmm  It's ok to have zero books in the home:  #thisisatoughoneforme  #thismakesmesad  What is the real difference between race and ethnicity?:  #weneedmorewords  #beautyindiversity  (Thank you, Peter!)  SLE Chapter 8: So we should NOT teach standard English to our EL students?:  #thisishardtoswallow  #throwthecurriculuminthetrash   -Suzy B.

# data[].attributes.body
Bernstein is NOT a B.E.A.R. (Best English Approach to Research)
Patriotism drives language bias. #france #Korea #US #dobetter
By presenting SAE as more appropriate and correct than other varieties, and devaluing other languages and varieties student see themselves as devalued. How can we stop this from happening? #blackenglishmatters #spanishmatters #arabicmatters #karenmatters
Verbal deprivation = Schrodinger's Cat #deadoralive

# data[].attributes.body
My group had a thorough discussion about maintaining Identity Development for subtractive bilingual children. Some young learners feel pressured by mainstream culture (or peers influenced by mainstream culture) to discard their native language in favor of the target language. When working with children who want to get rid of their native language, try to find ways to encourage them to maintain their identity while they learn a second language. #nativelanguagematters #standardisntbetter #languageidentity #diversityrocks 🌍🤝🏽😊💬 (Kenya, Dua, Jordan)