Last night in class we discussed the reciprocal
relationship between identity and literacy.
How you read, write and speak influences how you identify yourself. How you identify yourself, in turn,
influences how you read, write, and speak.
As a patriarchal society in which those with power speak Standard
American English, we often jump to conclusions when we hear other adults and
youth speaking differently. We tend to assume
they are uneducated, lazy, or not well read.
As an individual who was raised in a family that
stressed Standard American English as the preferred form of communication,
proper grammar, spelling, and pronunciation was engrained in my head at a young
age. Today, when listening to people
speak and reading their writing, I can pick out “incorrect” grammar and word
usage.
It is important for me, and all teachers/future teachers,
to remember that what influenced (and still does influence) us and our literacy
habits is not the same for our students.
Additionally, it is important to remember that what we overhear in the
classrooms, the hallways, and the lunch room is not always the only way
students speak. I know I am guilty of
using “wanna”, “gonna”, and “okee dokee” when texting. What is significant though, is I would never
use these words in an interview, when talking with a boss, an elder, or in an
important meeting. This is what we need
to get across to our students, this idea of code switching.
We all have multiple identities and each identity
has a different set of literacy tools.
Some we use when we are a FRIEND, others we use when we are a SIBLING,
when we are a SON/DAUGHTER, when we are a STUDENT, a TEACHER. Each role, each identity is different and the
language we use in each is going to be different and that is perfectly
okay. Our students need to know that although
all languages are of the same importance, sometimes there is a time and a place
to use certain ones.
During last night’s class I couldn’t help but think
of my own experiences with cultural literacy.
I happen to spend majority of my time with the Polish community, some
immigrants straight from Poland, others first or second generation, but most
being bilingual. I hear them say things
like “I borrowed my shirt to her” or pronounce the word for plants used for
cooking as “Herb”. Depending on my relationship
with the speaker, I usually tend to correct them. This got me thinking, however, most of my
friends learned English second or are children of parents who learned English
second. As a non-English speaker, if I
saw the word H-E-R-B, I would pronounce it “Herb” as well, as opposed to “herb”
(silent h).
The point is we do not necessarily know the
background and life story of our students and peers. There may be a reason why they say “Herb” or “finna”. They may be Polish and learned English
second. They may have parents that don’t
speak English. They may read sci-fi and
have developed a different vocabulary.
Regardless of why they speak and write the way they do, who are we to
say that is wrong?
Below is a short YouTube clip on Code Switching:
As a person that has atrocious spelling and grammar without the aid of a spell check (even with) getting corrected can be the most embarrassing thing but very helpful. The grammar lessons that retained with me over the years are the ones that I can tell you exactly how I was called out on it and embarrassed. Wouldn't say this is the most emotionally healthy system but it has allowed me to be empathetic to different ways of speaking and how to keep an open mind. Code switching is a great way of looking at this type of situation and knowing the right place to correct how a person is talking.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin, your post made me chuckle! I also find myself constantly correcting others grammar in my head. The Polish stories are also so relatable! My own mother immigrated to America in the 70's and never received a formal education, so she also can't speak English fluently. I agree that it isn't our job to correct people or tell them they're wrong because to them and to their culture and their individual story they are right. For example, if we went to a different country, we might be considered being in the wrong depending on their values. As discussed in class and in your post, code switching is still an important lesson we need to teach our students so that they know how to interact at interviews and in professional settings. I recall us having a discussion about how this topic should even be introduced to our students. I think we agreed that it should be taught as "Formal Standard American English" and not named something else that might convey the wrong message. We don't want to tell our students that they're wrong unless they talk like "White" or "Rich" people because those emphasize that proper grammar is only for White people in power. I love that you included a video on code switching- it had some great examples! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI grew up in a bilingual household. My dad only spoke spanish when I was younger while my mom spoke both english and spanish. Because it started early- code switching comes naturally to me. Not only between languages, but also between academic english that I practice in school and the way I speak with friends, etc. When my dad was around, I knew I should only speak in spanish. As I grew up, my dad started learning English and I started to lose my spanish. When I realized that I wanted to fully regain my native language, I started to speak to my dad more in Spanish. That was until he started correcting me mid-sentence ALL THE TIME. It was frustrating- I thought- if you understand what I'm trying to say, what's the big deal? My dad believed the way you speak is a reflection of the person you are. He wanted us (my sister and I) to always be "proper". I am so grateful to him now. I am often complimented by older people when they hear me speak spanish and ask how I learned. My dad was a great model for us. He made sure we only heard formal spanish and expected us to speak to him in that form. That's the message I would relay to my students. The way one speaks on the playground is perfectly fine, but also know that other forms are perceived differently.
ReplyDeleteIronically, made dad did not take being corrected lightly. As much as I tried correcting his English, he didn't hear the difference because of his accent.