Question: Now that you have selected at least one website, you'll want to compare the work that you did in DW 2a to at least one of the readings/websites we've read in class. Do they represent AAVE similarly or differently in these spaces? In what ways?
For this DW 2b assignment, I chose to compare the website (www.bet.com) with Adam J. Banks’s “Talking Black Technology Use Seriously”. In Adam Banks’s work, he says, “The implication of this point is that the wide body of research in composition that fails to take into account the power of these traditions and continues to view Black student writers as less prepared than others, merely “writing like they talk”, needs to be questioned and ultimately repudiated as antithetical to both the field’s stated goals of fostering inclusion in writing instruction and the actual practice of writers”. In those long sentences, Adam Banks is saying that people generalize Black students to write less professional than students in other color. On the website that I used for DW 2a, which was BET’s website, I found that many users on the websites write as they talk. By using AAVE structured sentences to provide their opinions about the issues or news about hip-hop/pop musicians, I could see that why Adam Banks is saying that people generalize Black students’ writing ability less professional than other students. When I was in the BET website to listen how users talk through how they typed their opinions, it wasn’t necessarily English language that I would hear from professors or announcers in the news on TV. Some of examples of that was this one user talks about how he thinks about Diddy. “LOL!! “Last train to Paris” Stop on Block Ent today and it was BIG!!! I told ya that He do it BIG!! LOL!! Thanks BET networks for the Show today!”. By reading this comment made by the username (“south28”) on the BET website. I thought that this person would always write as he talks. After reading Adam Banks’s work and this specific comment on the BET websites, I couldn’t say to myself enough that it represents a great example of how these represent AAVE similarly and how this comment supports Adam Banks’s statement very efficiently.
Also, Adam Banks is saying something about how on African American’s websites, people usually have the right to their own language. The specific quote about that is stated as, “Common to almost all of these sites is the African American oral tradition-… Because these spaces exist outside of the official gaze of schools, workplaces, and governments, those who became part of them truly do have the right to their own language.” In these sentences, Adam Banks is saying that people who become part of those websites, such as BET or others like being known as mostly used by African Americans, have right to their own language. By commenting one’s opinion with one’s own language seems to be acceptable on BET websites. No one clearly said anything to user “south28”, whom I talked about earlier on this assignment.
So, I guess that this also supports Adam Banks’s statement about people have right to their own language on those common sites. So, I think that the BET websites represent AAVE somewhat similarly compared to how Adam Banks represents AAVE being used in online spaces on his work.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
DW 2a.
Question: Select one of your three websites to analyze carefully. Here, you will want to identify a major argument as to how AAVE seems to be discussed and/or appropriated, and then refer to specific examples, quotes, and passages on the web site to support your claim. We'll also talk at length as to how websites should be cited in MLA.
I selected to look up a website called, www.bet.com, to find out how AAVE seems to be discussed and/or appropriated in an article. The reason why I chose www.bet.com out of all the possible websites that I could use is 1) bet channel on the TV is generally known as being watched mainly by Young African Americans. So I felt that I could find many articles that is written as AAVE (African American Vernacular English). One article that grabbed my attention imediately as I went on to the bet website was called, "50 Cent Targets DJ Khaled's Mother In New Video". Not every letters obviously is written as African American Vernacular English on the article itself.
However, the author of the article discussed AAVE as "One of cool languages that person can use while talking to the others". There are specific examples or quotes that support what I said in the last sentence. “I know where your mama [sic] house at, now look you can see, but I just wanna tell you what a psychic told me.” In this sentence, 50 Cent is saying directly to DJ Khaled that he (50 Cent) knows where DJ Khaled's mother is living at. Words, such as "mama", and "sic", mainly used by African Americans. Also, "“I just wanna tell you what a psychic told me, I’m not the kinda n***a you should f*** with,” 50 says. “I’m special.”". These two sentences is being described as 50 Cent's usage of AAVE is being cool, popular, and even special. I think that the reason, why the author used these quotes in this article, is that a person, who speak AAVE is definitely a special and cool person. 50 Cent even says that "I'm special". Also, in the first sentence of this quote, "..., I'm not the kinda n***a you should f*** with,", made me feel that 50 Cent is a special person that one shouldn't possibly mess with. This sentence contains so strong meaning for me while I was reading this article. Also, the author appropriates AAVE as the language that makes person to feel as a special one, popular one, and etc.
Therefore, after I read this article, "50 Cent Targets DJ Khaled's Mother In New Video" by Anthony Springer Jr. , this article affected my opinion or knowledge about AAVE and people who use that language prior to read this article. My opinion, before reading this article, was 'The AAVE is mainly used by African Americans in music or rap usually. And it describes a person, who sing in AAVE language, to be a rebellious or cocky person.' However, now I am being somewhat affected by this article and how Anthony Springer Jr., the author of this article, that AAVE maybe a language that makes a person more special or popular around others. Overall, the topic and article itself was interesting for me, Asian student, to read. Even though, I couldn't really relate myself to how 50 Cent, one of people who use mainly AAVE, is being described in this article by Anthony Springer Jr.
I selected to look up a website called, www.bet.com, to find out how AAVE seems to be discussed and/or appropriated in an article. The reason why I chose www.bet.com out of all the possible websites that I could use is 1) bet channel on the TV is generally known as being watched mainly by Young African Americans. So I felt that I could find many articles that is written as AAVE (African American Vernacular English). One article that grabbed my attention imediately as I went on to the bet website was called, "50 Cent Targets DJ Khaled's Mother In New Video". Not every letters obviously is written as African American Vernacular English on the article itself.
However, the author of the article discussed AAVE as "One of cool languages that person can use while talking to the others". There are specific examples or quotes that support what I said in the last sentence. “I know where your mama [sic] house at, now look you can see, but I just wanna tell you what a psychic told me.” In this sentence, 50 Cent is saying directly to DJ Khaled that he (50 Cent) knows where DJ Khaled's mother is living at. Words, such as "mama", and "sic", mainly used by African Americans. Also, "“I just wanna tell you what a psychic told me, I’m not the kinda n***a you should f*** with,” 50 says. “I’m special.”". These two sentences is being described as 50 Cent's usage of AAVE is being cool, popular, and even special. I think that the reason, why the author used these quotes in this article, is that a person, who speak AAVE is definitely a special and cool person. 50 Cent even says that "I'm special". Also, in the first sentence of this quote, "..., I'm not the kinda n***a you should f*** with,", made me feel that 50 Cent is a special person that one shouldn't possibly mess with. This sentence contains so strong meaning for me while I was reading this article. Also, the author appropriates AAVE as the language that makes person to feel as a special one, popular one, and etc.
Therefore, after I read this article, "50 Cent Targets DJ Khaled's Mother In New Video" by Anthony Springer Jr. , this article affected my opinion or knowledge about AAVE and people who use that language prior to read this article. My opinion, before reading this article, was 'The AAVE is mainly used by African Americans in music or rap usually. And it describes a person, who sing in AAVE language, to be a rebellious or cocky person.' However, now I am being somewhat affected by this article and how Anthony Springer Jr., the author of this article, that AAVE maybe a language that makes a person more special or popular around others. Overall, the topic and article itself was interesting for me, Asian student, to read. Even though, I couldn't really relate myself to how 50 Cent, one of people who use mainly AAVE, is being described in this article by Anthony Springer Jr.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
DW 1 (b).
(b). For your second writing exploration, you'll practice analyzing course texts. For this essay, select a specific quote/passage/idea that resonates with you from one of the readings. Summarize that passage or idea, and explain either how it is similar/different from the experiences outlined in your literacy narrative, OR use this exploration to analyze how you think the autor(s) would support/reject or add to those experiences you've previously outlined.
- "As descendants of those caught up in these forces, we found ourselves in a classroom with a speech therapist who wasn't sure what to do with us. Nobody was dyslexic. No one was aphasic. There was not even a stutterer among us. I mean, here was this young white girl, a teaching assistant at the university, who was just trying to get her Ph.D., and she was presented with this perplexing problem of people who didn't have any of the communication disorders she had been trained to deal with." It is a passage taken from Geneva Smitherman's "From Ghetto Lady to Critical Linguist".
I chose this passage because I have somewhat a similar incident compared to that of Geneva Smitherman. The main idea about this passage is that Geneva Smitherman is saying that she was put in the classroom with other people and a speech therapist. In the beginning of her story, "From Ghetto Lady to Critical Linguist", she said that when she was about to go to college, she flunked (failed) a speech test, which a college required every applicants to take. Then she tells that her reason to fail the speech test was because of the difference between how she pronounces some words compared to what a college considers as a standard way of pronouncing words. That is why she tells readers that she has put among the groups in the classroom with a speech therapist. However, the speech therapist wasn't able to find a way of helping those students in the classroom.
When I was in Korea before coming to the United States to study, I learned English both in school and private academy. When I went to a private academy for the first time, they made me to take test to see which level of classroom that I need to go and study. They told me that my grammar is not that bad at all. However, my pronunciation is not close to how white people would pronounce the words. So I couldn't get into the high level of classroom, instead they put me into one of middle level of classrooms in the academy. Once I got into the classroom, where they put me into, the instructor told me that he wasn't sure that why they put me into that class with having some grammar knowledge. I felt that the reason why my pronunciation wasn't even close to that of white people was that I have been taught pronouncing English words with having Korean accents. My experience at the English private academy that I went in Korea is somewhat similar to the experience that Geneva Smitherman had in the classroom after flunked the speech test. Even though I don't have African American accent when I speak, I have Korean (my native language) accent. I think that if Smitherman hears my experience, she might tell me that keep trying to develop my pronunciation without feeling discouraged the fact that I have Korean accent.
- "As descendants of those caught up in these forces, we found ourselves in a classroom with a speech therapist who wasn't sure what to do with us. Nobody was dyslexic. No one was aphasic. There was not even a stutterer among us. I mean, here was this young white girl, a teaching assistant at the university, who was just trying to get her Ph.D., and she was presented with this perplexing problem of people who didn't have any of the communication disorders she had been trained to deal with." It is a passage taken from Geneva Smitherman's "From Ghetto Lady to Critical Linguist".
I chose this passage because I have somewhat a similar incident compared to that of Geneva Smitherman. The main idea about this passage is that Geneva Smitherman is saying that she was put in the classroom with other people and a speech therapist. In the beginning of her story, "From Ghetto Lady to Critical Linguist", she said that when she was about to go to college, she flunked (failed) a speech test, which a college required every applicants to take. Then she tells that her reason to fail the speech test was because of the difference between how she pronounces some words compared to what a college considers as a standard way of pronouncing words. That is why she tells readers that she has put among the groups in the classroom with a speech therapist. However, the speech therapist wasn't able to find a way of helping those students in the classroom.
When I was in Korea before coming to the United States to study, I learned English both in school and private academy. When I went to a private academy for the first time, they made me to take test to see which level of classroom that I need to go and study. They told me that my grammar is not that bad at all. However, my pronunciation is not close to how white people would pronounce the words. So I couldn't get into the high level of classroom, instead they put me into one of middle level of classrooms in the academy. Once I got into the classroom, where they put me into, the instructor told me that he wasn't sure that why they put me into that class with having some grammar knowledge. I felt that the reason why my pronunciation wasn't even close to that of white people was that I have been taught pronouncing English words with having Korean accents. My experience at the English private academy that I went in Korea is somewhat similar to the experience that Geneva Smitherman had in the classroom after flunked the speech test. Even though I don't have African American accent when I speak, I have Korean (my native language) accent. I think that if Smitherman hears my experience, she might tell me that keep trying to develop my pronunciation without feeling discouraged the fact that I have Korean accent.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
DW 1(a).
a) For your first writing exploration, you will construct a literacy autobiography or narrative of 1-2 significant events in your life that identifies and analyzes the differences between the way you use language in school and the way you use it at home. Be sure to describe not only scenarios that deal with the differences between the way you speak at home and school, but also, note experiences with how your use of language to read and write differs from the way you read and write both in school and at home.
-For doing this literacy autobiography assignment for the WRA 125 class, I thought deeply about how different the way I read and write the language at home compared to the way I read and write the language in school. I clearly saw some differences between the ways I read and write the language in two different places (home and school).
When I am at home, I usually interact with my family or my friends with whom I feel more comfortable. So, I use loosely formal words and ways of speak, read or write. Specifically when I write e-mails or send text messages to my family or my friends, I use the words like for example "Hey," "What's up?", "Yo" and etc. Also, I don't really speak in a way of established form necessarily. Another difference is that when I speak with or write to my family or friends, I could begin my conversation with the main topic.
However when I am in school, I usually interact with professors, advisors, or classmates. I don't feel comfortable as much as with my family or my friends. So, I use formal words or try to use formal words possibly every moment when I speak with or write to professors, advisors, or classmates. I could say that I use different types of words or phrases when I am with them. When I had a meeting with my advisor before every semester to talk about my class schedule, I used mostly formal words or phrases, such as "Would you suggest any classes to me?", "Hello, professor ...." and etc. I feel like I need to use formal words or phrase, if I can, every moment I speak with or write to professors, advisors, or classmates. I feel that way not only because I do not feel comfortable as much as with my family or friends, but also I think that using more formal words or phrase would show respect to those people (professors, advisors, or classmates) from my understanding. Also, when I begin my conversation, I don't usually start talking about the main topic I want to deliver to them (professors, advisors, or classmates). First I ask about how they are doing and bring the brief reason why I came to meet or talk to them.
Therefore, by looking at even these two simple and similar situations with totally two different groups, I use totally different way of language when I speak with or write to those two different groups of people.
-For doing this literacy autobiography assignment for the WRA 125 class, I thought deeply about how different the way I read and write the language at home compared to the way I read and write the language in school. I clearly saw some differences between the ways I read and write the language in two different places (home and school).
When I am at home, I usually interact with my family or my friends with whom I feel more comfortable. So, I use loosely formal words and ways of speak, read or write. Specifically when I write e-mails or send text messages to my family or my friends, I use the words like for example "Hey," "What's up?", "Yo" and etc. Also, I don't really speak in a way of established form necessarily. Another difference is that when I speak with or write to my family or friends, I could begin my conversation with the main topic.
However when I am in school, I usually interact with professors, advisors, or classmates. I don't feel comfortable as much as with my family or my friends. So, I use formal words or try to use formal words possibly every moment when I speak with or write to professors, advisors, or classmates. I could say that I use different types of words or phrases when I am with them. When I had a meeting with my advisor before every semester to talk about my class schedule, I used mostly formal words or phrases, such as "Would you suggest any classes to me?", "Hello, professor ...." and etc. I feel like I need to use formal words or phrase, if I can, every moment I speak with or write to professors, advisors, or classmates. I feel that way not only because I do not feel comfortable as much as with my family or friends, but also I think that using more formal words or phrase would show respect to those people (professors, advisors, or classmates) from my understanding. Also, when I begin my conversation, I don't usually start talking about the main topic I want to deliver to them (professors, advisors, or classmates). First I ask about how they are doing and bring the brief reason why I came to meet or talk to them.
Therefore, by looking at even these two simple and similar situations with totally two different groups, I use totally different way of language when I speak with or write to those two different groups of people.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
IAR analysis of Redd/Schuster Webb "The Nature of AAE".
Invention.
- What is invention?
The author in this case, Redd/Schuster Webb had to quote from scholarship essay,
to give a few example to explain some distinctive features of AAE (African American English).
- What is being invented?
Ideas and arguments created by this text called, "The Nature of AAE" are
1) "AAE is more than just a slang or a dialect".
2) "AAE itself has its distinctive features compared to the Standard English".
Arrangement.
- What is arrangement?
The text is arranged as topically. Firstly, the author gives reason why
AAE (African American English) is more than just a slang or a dialect.
Secondly, the author then gives what are some AAE's distinctive features
to make it more than just a slang or a dialect.
- What is being arranged?
The author arranges the text by starting it with explaining shortly what the author will
talk about in this text. Then the author is moving to the first main topic, which I think is,
"What is AAE?". In the chapter 1 (first topic), the author is writing about
why AAE can't be classified as a slang or a dialect from the author's view point.
Then the author is going to the second main topic (chapter 2), which I think is,
"What are the distinctive features of AAE?". In the chapter 2 (second topic), the author is
writing about which certain aspects, such as vocabulary, slang, historical word,
pronunciation, spelling, vowels, grammar and etc, of AAE make it unique type of language.
Revision.
- What is being revised?
One of the main idea or opinion that the author is trying to change is people's
opinion about the AAE (African American English).
- What is revision?
The author cites scholarship sources from scholars. Also, the author cites some examples
of AAE language, especially under the chapter 2 sections, to explain distinctive features of AAE.
- What is invention?
The author in this case, Redd/Schuster Webb had to quote from scholarship essay,
to give a few example to explain some distinctive features of AAE (African American English).
- What is being invented?
Ideas and arguments created by this text called, "The Nature of AAE" are
1) "AAE is more than just a slang or a dialect".
2) "AAE itself has its distinctive features compared to the Standard English".
Arrangement.
- What is arrangement?
The text is arranged as topically. Firstly, the author gives reason why
AAE (African American English) is more than just a slang or a dialect.
Secondly, the author then gives what are some AAE's distinctive features
to make it more than just a slang or a dialect.
- What is being arranged?
The author arranges the text by starting it with explaining shortly what the author will
talk about in this text. Then the author is moving to the first main topic, which I think is,
"What is AAE?". In the chapter 1 (first topic), the author is writing about
why AAE can't be classified as a slang or a dialect from the author's view point.
Then the author is going to the second main topic (chapter 2), which I think is,
"What are the distinctive features of AAE?". In the chapter 2 (second topic), the author is
writing about which certain aspects, such as vocabulary, slang, historical word,
pronunciation, spelling, vowels, grammar and etc, of AAE make it unique type of language.
Revision.
- What is being revised?
One of the main idea or opinion that the author is trying to change is people's
opinion about the AAE (African American English).
- What is revision?
The author cites scholarship sources from scholars. Also, the author cites some examples
of AAE language, especially under the chapter 2 sections, to explain distinctive features of AAE.
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