EBONICS



EBONICS
Many Black Americans do not speak standard English.
They speak Ebonics "Ebony," meaning "black" and
"phonics," meaning "sound" a language which evolved
in the Americas as a result of the adaptation of
English words to an African language system. Since
many African Americans do not speak standard English,

"it is more than reasonable to suggest that in order
to effectively and sussessfully teach the culturally
and linguistically different Black child in the urban
school the English language, the logical place to begin
is with the cultural and linguistic experiences of the
Black child. That is, with Ebonics, using a bilingual
and bicultural approach."


Any of the nonstandard varieties of English spoken by
Black people throughout the world.

Usage Note:
In the United States, the term Black English usually
refers to the everyday spoken varieties of English
used by African Americans, especially of the working
class in urban neighborhoods or rural communities.

Linguists generally prefer the term African American
Vernacular English, although some use the term Ebonics,
which saw widespread use in the late 1990s. It is an
error to suppose that Black English is spoken by all
African Americans regardless of their background. In
fact, the English spoken by African Americans is highly
variedas varied as the English spoken by any other racial
or ethnic group.

Sometimes Black English is used to refer to other varieties
of English spoken by Black people outside of the United States,
as in the Caribbean and the United Kingdom.



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