Variations in language and literacy development handout
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This document discusses variations in language and literacy development. It covers several topics: 1. Dialects - Variations within a language distinguished by phonology, syntax, meaning and use. Standard dialects are spoken by educated people while nonstandard dialects are spoken by socially depressed minorities. 2. Evidence of language bias - Biased language can insult people and create divisions. Teachers have shown negative judgments toward students' dialects which can lower expectations and achievement. 3. Differences perspective - Rather than viewing differences as deficits, this perspective sees different dialects as equally sufficient for expression. Communication styles may vary between families and cultural groups.
Variations in language and literacy development handout
- 1. VARIATIONSIN LANGUAGEANDLITERACY DEVELOPMENT DAGDAGAN,R.A. M., DE LEON,L. C., SALCEDO,S. M. N. Different styles for talking Social Group isa collectionof people whointeractwitheachotherand share similarcharacteristicsanda sense of unity. DIALECT – are distinctvariationswithinalanguage that are distinguishedbyphonology,syntax,meaningand use. StandardDialect– spokenbyeducatedperson Nonstandarddialect –spokenbysociallydepressed, minoritypersons. The interactionof social,cultural,andregional variations producesa complex overlappingof dialectsinmost countries. Sensitivitytodialectuse isoftenaccompaniedbynegative perceptionsof the speechof others. Because childrencome toschool withthe language of their homesandcommunities,anydenigrationof thatdialectis alsoa denigrationof themandtheirfamilies. On the otherhand,if childrenadhere toa dialectthatis low inprestige,theyare likelytofindfewopportunitiesfor successful employmentoutside theirspeechcommunity (Shuy1971). The Evidence For Language Bias Biasedlanguage insultsthe personorgroupto whichit isapplied.In denigratingothers,biasedlanguagecreatesdivisionandseparation. In usingbiasedlanguage aboutracesandethnicor cultural groups, speakersandwritersriskalienatingmembersof those groups,thus underminingthe communicationandsharedunderstanding language shouldpromote.” (RobertDiYanni andPat C. HoyII, The ScribnerHandbookfor Writers. AllynandBacon,2001) Gender-biasedlanguage implies thatpeopleare male unless'proven'tobe female. Female gendermaybe designatedbyeithertaggingona feminine descriptor(e.g.ladyprofessor,womendoctor,female engineer) or by belongingtoa stereotypicallyfemalegroup(e.g.,kindergarten teacher,social worker)." (JanetB.Ruscher, PrejudicedCommunication:A SocialPsychological Perspective.Guilford,2001) Economicstatus Nonstandarddialectstendtobe fromthe lowerclasses;their lowerclassstatusand differentdialectcomplicate effortstomake schoolingequal. Implicitbiasestowardpupil’slanguage mayinterfere with learningif teacherslowertheirexpectationsfortheirstudents’ success.
- 2. Teachersheldnegative judgmentstowardblackchildren and theirblackEnglishdialect(Williams1970) Low expectationsbyteachershasbeenfoundtoresultin lowachievement. If the teacherwasof the same race as the children,the bias was reduced,butthisfindingwastrue onlyif the children were of a highersocioeconomiclevelthanthe teacher. It isimportantthat professionalsmake everyeffortto reduce anynegative biastheymayholdtowardstudentson the basisof those students’dialect. The Deficit View Socioeconomic The IQs of blackchildrenwere lowerthanthose of white children.(Deutsch,Brown) Beingpoorand/ora memberof a minoritygroupresultedin a tendencytohave poorerlanguage functioningthanbeing white andmiddle class. Lowerclass motherstendedtoprovide lessverbal explanationtotheirfour-yearoldchildreninproblem solvingtasksthanblackmiddle classmothersdid. Auditorydiscrimination C. Deutschfoundpoorauditorydiscriminationinlowerclass blackfirstgraderswho were unsuccessful inbeginning reading. poverty The language of childrenof povertylackedsufficient structure and meaningforappropriate learning. The Difference View Ratherthan lookingtothe individualandthe individual’s cognitionforthe sourcesof educational problems,these linguistsexaminedthe languageof nonstandardspeakers withthe viewthatdifferentforms(dialects)of language are equallysufficientforexpression. Creolization The processin whichcreole culturesengage inthe new world.Asa resultof colonizationthere wasamixture between people of indigenous Creole Language (Creole) a stable natural language thathas developedfromapidgin or simplifiedversionof alanguage. Continual modificationof the dialectafterslaveryended broughtthisdialectclosertootherformsof AmericanEnglish. There have beenlexical borrowingsfromblacktostandard Englishdespite of showninfluenceof standardAmericanEnglishto the black English SUCH AS… man – comrade the man – cool,hot,etc. gigor pad – (olderjazzterm)
- 3. Common Phonological Patternsof Black English Reductionof /r/and /l/at the endsandinthe middle of words Simplificationof final consonantclusterssothatonlythe firstof the twoconsonantsissounded A general weakeningof final consonants Combinationsof these consonantcharacteristics Some variationinmedial vowel soundsincertaincontexts Mostlyfor veryyoungblackEnglishspeakers - /f/insteadof Further Characteristicsof Black English Optional deletionof possessivemarker Deletionof nounplural insome instances Insertionof pronounafterthe propernoun Alternate formsof variantverbs Differentsystemsof noun-verbagreement Variantstructure of embeddedquestions Differential transformational rulesforsome negatives Indefinite articledifferences Possessiveandotherpronoundifferences Prepositionsthatvaryinsome settings The CommunicationView Communication View Childrenlearnthe language of theirfamilies Stylesof interactionmayvarybyfamilyandby cultural group Metaphor in Black English Bible story metaphoricallytorepresentcurrentissues Signify – speechformwhichnegative meaningisportrayed inan INDIRECT evenhidden, manner. Marking – narrative forminwhichEXAGGERATION and EMPHASISestablishthe nonliteral meaningasthe real one. Sounding –is a popularformof exchange among adolescents.Initiallyaninsultaboutsomeone’sfamily member. DifferencesbetweenParent-ChildExchanges Black Children growingupin Trackton Learn to communicate inadifferentstyle Little dialogue,playsongsandmonologue Withan emphasisoncreationandembellishment,children neededtointerrupttotalkwithadults White Children growingupin Roadville Working-classfamily
- 4. Considerableattentiontothe settime,the setplace andthe setway of talking Much on baby talkthan inTrackton Parentsspentsharingbookswiththeirchildrenuntil they enterschool Parentsknewthattheirrole wasto teach the children But didnot establishlinksbetweenearlyliteracy experiences TRACKTON Readingthattook place overnoticesandbills Group talk Usedreadinginreligiousactivities On the otherhand,childrenonTrackton haslack on Experience withsettimesforthings ROADVILLE Learneddifferentmethodforcommunication Much baby talkedoccurred Sharingbookswith theirchildrenuntil schoolentrance not linkedbetweenearlyliteracyexperiencesandlife of the communitydidnotusedreadingandwritingverymuch. Childrenhaddifficultyextendingtheirknowledge intonew areas whenschool came Parentsstoppedtheirteaching,believingthatitwas the job of the school The separatenessof school andhome wasnot helpful tothe children. Tough concludedthatthere are importantclassdifferences inthe talkbetweenchildandparent,differencesthatare carriedintoschool. three year-oldJimmie comestohismother: Jimmie:Look – lookwhat I’ve found Mother: Justlookat your hands – blackbrightaren’t they? Jimmie:Look at thisthing– the ladybird –lookit’sright little. Mother: Go wash yourhandsnow – justlookat the colorof them. Jimmie:It’sa ladybird.Iwantto keepit . . . three year-oldMarkand hissmallersisterplaywiththeir motherclose by: Mark: What’sthisfunnythingfor? Mother: Let me look – ohyes,see,it’a hook.Can youfind somethingthatwill fastenon behindthe lorry? Mark: Yes – I see – well itmightbe a breakdownone couldn’tit? Mother: Oh,do you thinkso?What are breakdown lorrieslike?– do youremember?….
- 5. Parentsinfluence howtheirchildrenthink Communication viewof language differencesrestsuponthe conceptthat discourse stylesinfamiliesinfluencelanguage development The apparentlack of understandingof school expectations comesfromdifferencesincommunicationratherthanfrom inabilitytocommunicate Language Differencesinliteracy Questions: Doesdialectandlanguage variationinfluence readingand writing? What isthe extentof the influence,if any,are explored? Answers: keepthe regularschool talkandmaterials Adjusttothe mismatchthrough teachingorto revise the material tomeetthe children’slanguage. Dialectandreading Doesdialectaffectreading? Doeschangingthe dialectwill helpthe studentsinreading? How doesemergentlanguageaffectreading? Evidence fordirectinterference School Reading writting Evidence for indirectinterference Oral reading Spelling WritingRequiresthe encodingof one’slanguage knowledge intorepresentative graphemes Bilingualism havingsome abilitytouse twoor more languages. have equal competence (thusnativeability)inusingtwo languages Acquisitionofa secondlanguage at home. Doesbilingualismaffectschildren’soveralllanguage and cognitive development? (Linhom1980) acquiringtwolanguage suggestverylittle harm and some advantage derivedfromsimultaneous acquisition. The explanationliesinsocial roots Acquisitionofa secondlanguage at school. (Carrow- Woolfolkandlynch1982)there isno evidence that lexical,syntactic,andmeaningstructure of secondlanguage are more easilyacquiredbychildren
- 6. Schoolingand Bilingualism Beneficialeducational environmentsshouldofferthe opportunityforchildrentoacquire asecondlanguage in naturalisticways. Language Immersion ImmersionProgram(Lambert,1970) Immersionandunderlyinglanguagecompetency To the extentthatinstructioninLx is effective inpromoting cognitive/academicproficiencyinLx,transferof this proficiencytoLywill occurprovidedthere isadequate exposure toLy(eitherinschool orenvironment)and adequate motivationtolearnLy(1981, 141)