Support In Classifying Ebonics As A Language example essay topic

Ebonics Is (or Is Not) a Language Before getting into any great detail concerning the complexity of what language is and its relationship with the term Ebonics, Ebonics must first be defined. It is considered to be best described as "black speech" and therefore can be referred to as an "undefined language". Many consider language to be a spoken tongue belonging to a nationality of people, so in general, and for the sake of clarity in this work, language is a general communication concept by which species relate to themselves and others. It is also a set of rules combined to establish a designated communication system.

In analyzing the two different meanings of language, Ebonics can be classified in both cases, but sub categorized under a main language, English. If one is able to classify Ebonics as a language, then why not classify Gullah, and "proper" English as separate languages as well? Many may consider Ebonics to be a language simply because it sometimes needs to be translated. Looking at it from a technical standpoint, almost everything in English is its own separate language, because each person has his or her own meaning when using specific words.

Should we classify these words and phrases to stand as their own language? Take beauty, for instance. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so the saying goes. My definition of beauty may be different from yours, and what you may consider to be beautiful, I may see to be hideous. In general, though, beauty to both of us is that which appears appealing to the eye. It is the same word, with multiple translations.

In accordance with other languages, Ebonics cannot necessarily be taught. The only way you can do that is if you break the rules of the English language. Just think, having a class where you purposely learn English in the wrong manner. Ebonics has no rules defining what is right to say as opposed to that which is grammatically incorrect. That means there is no right or wrong way to state something.

This sparks yet another question. Can Ebonics be written and evaluated? Besides slavery, and the mistreating of blacks in the past, the ignorance behind this "undefined language" acts as the crutch for why blacks are not as well off as others. For many years, blacks were put into slavery. We all know that at one point the slaves learned the language of English.

Well slaves were often watched by there master and many assistants on the plantation. Slaves would speak of things that would upset the master such as talking bad about him or even planning an escape. So slaves had do other choice but to come up with a language so wrong that whites could not do nothing but classify it as gibberish. As the years go by, blacks still create a language of their own. Mainly the uses of Ebonics is to separate our African culture from any others.

While we strive to be different amongst others, we are only hurting ourselves. We may learn the grammar rules of English but, it would be overshadowed by our up bringing of using Ebonics. Many use its existence as an excuse to why blacks are shunned and rejected throughout parts of America. We hardly get recognize in educational matters and receive the lowest support from the government. Statistically speaking, we as the African American race are automatically looked upon as people that will end up doing no good.

The only thing that we are good for is starting fights, stealing things and filling up the prisons across America. As a black female attending the University of South Carolina, I have been exposed to the lives and cultures of various individuals. Being a minority, I have experienced and understand the grief behind discrimination and the effect it is capable of having on groups of people. However, it is not impossible to overcome such disadvantages.

Black people often have tendency to seek excuses as to why they cannot succeed and overcome obstacles in life. The absence of correct grammar in speech is not because there is no opportunity to learn, but because the opportunity is not being taken. By no means am I knocking Ebonics. I often times find myself speaking this "undefined language" around family and friends who can relate.

When spoken in public, Ebonics makes black people seem unintelligent. It is because of the use of made up words, mispronunciation of real words, and the breaking of verbs, that our race has been stereotyped as being ghetto and uneducated. These stereotypes are cause by our own actions. Dr. William H. Cosby spoke boldly on the success of blacks, making the comment that blacks are oppressed simply because they choose not to be delivered from oppression. There is no truly classified language that hinders its speakers from overcoming or causes them to be discriminated upon. Ebonics, therefore, cannot be a truly classified language.

When applying for a job, the application sometimes asks for secondary language, which the applicant speaks, understands, or both. Ebonics is not one of them! Support in Classifying Ebonics as a language is based strictly upon its comparison to a truly classified language. Now that we know the definition to what language is, can we honestly say that Ebonics is a language? For the culture that uses it the answer would be a yes. On the other hand, for the culture that doesn't use it, the answer would be a no.