Dialects, the words we use and how we pronounce them, are a huge part of our daily lives. As we communicate and interact daily with others, dialects are imbedded in our everyday surroundings. Given that there is a large diversity of academic language, non-standard dialects, and Standard English that exists inside of schools, all languages should be accepted into the classroom by educators. One way to accept all languages is through the method of codeswitching: “the switching from the linguistic system of one language or dialect to that of another” (Merriam-Webster, 1828). Teachers should employ codeswitching practices within their classrooms because it an easy approach to use when teaching students about language in the classroom, it fosters
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Often times teachers find this concept very challenging to teach to their students. In their article, Codeswitching: Tools of Language and Culture Transform the Dialectally Diverse Classroom, Rebecca Wheeler and Rachel Swords discuss how Rachel Swords implemented codeswitching into her classroom. First, she used a classroom technique called contrastive analysis to teach her students between informal and formal language patterns (Wheeler & Swords, 2004). Before explaining that different language patterns are appropriate to different contexts, she first focused on the clothing the students wore to school versus other environments (Wheeler & Swords, 2004). “We brainstormed places or events that we might attend, aside from school, where more formal clothing was required. After giving examples, the students determined that informal clothing would be more appropriate for playing basketball, watching TV, and going to the pool” (Wheeler & Swords, 2004). Rachel was able to take an easy topic/discussion to help the students understand a more complex topic: when to use different forms of language. Shen then explained to her students that AAVE or Ebonics can be more appropriate in settings such as on the playground or at lunch, whereas Standard English is …show more content…
However, studies have shown that correction does not work and will not produce a change in students’ academic performance. Usually, when a student writes in a way that goes against the norms and rules of Standard English, a teacher will correct their technique and tell their students that they are incorrect and are not writing the right way. “Instead of seeking to correct or eradicate styles of language, we may add language varieties to the child’s linguistic toolbox, bringing a pluralistic vantage to language in the classroom” (Wheel & Swords, 2004). When a student uses AAVE, he or she is not making errors in Standard English, but is writing or speaking correctly in the language patterns of the home and of the community. The goal of every teacher should be to maintain the language of a student’s home while also adding linguistic tools to their toolbox. Language comes in different varieties and styles. Therefore, educators should learn to accept all languages and use codeswitching to teach students when each form of language is appropriate in each
Often times teachers find this concept very challenging to teach to their students. In their article, Codeswitching: Tools of Language and Culture Transform the Dialectally Diverse Classroom, Rebecca Wheeler and Rachel Swords discuss how Rachel Swords implemented codeswitching into her classroom. First, she used a classroom technique called contrastive analysis to teach her students between informal and formal language patterns (Wheeler & Swords, 2004). Before explaining that different language patterns are appropriate to different contexts, she first focused on the clothing the students wore to school versus other environments (Wheeler & Swords, 2004). “We brainstormed places or events that we might attend, aside from school, where more formal clothing was required. After giving examples, the students determined that informal clothing would be more appropriate for playing basketball, watching TV, and going to the pool” (Wheeler & Swords, 2004). Rachel was able to take an easy topic/discussion to help the students understand a more complex topic: when to use different forms of language. Shen then explained to her students that AAVE or Ebonics can be more appropriate in settings such as on the playground or at lunch, whereas Standard English is …show more content…
However, studies have shown that correction does not work and will not produce a change in students’ academic performance. Usually, when a student writes in a way that goes against the norms and rules of Standard English, a teacher will correct their technique and tell their students that they are incorrect and are not writing the right way. “Instead of seeking to correct or eradicate styles of language, we may add language varieties to the child’s linguistic toolbox, bringing a pluralistic vantage to language in the classroom” (Wheel & Swords, 2004). When a student uses AAVE, he or she is not making errors in Standard English, but is writing or speaking correctly in the language patterns of the home and of the community. The goal of every teacher should be to maintain the language of a student’s home while also adding linguistic tools to their toolbox. Language comes in different varieties and styles. Therefore, educators should learn to accept all languages and use codeswitching to teach students when each form of language is appropriate in each