Mary Abigail Moreno

English 105.08

Professor Gill-Mayberry

17 February 2015

“The best writing is re-writing”: 2nd Draft, 1 Tutorial, 0 Teacher Conference

Critical Reading Journals on 12 Scholarly Articles

PRO:

Baldwin, James. "If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?" The New York Times On the Web. The New York Times Company, 1998. Web. 06 Feb. 2015.

          James Baldwin, writer of the article entitled “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” claims Ebonics as a language. The writer provides adequate evidences to support his claim, which includes examples demonstrating differences in a common language. He explains how people from various areas, like Paris, Marseilles, Quebec, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Senegal, who use a “common” language, French, will speak the language differently for having different experiences, social influences, and economic status. The writer argues that Ebonics should be considered a language because it evolved through a common experience and continues to connect people, who use the language, with one another and with their past. Baldwin used an acerbic tone and colloquial language, in presenting his claims, to establish a better connection with his audience. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in his argument because he provides sufficient and relevant evidences to support his claims. The argument is logical because the writer presents his evidence before stating his claims, which demonstrates inductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article convinced me that Ebonics should be acknowledged as a language because it connects people with one another and with the past.

PRO:

Picower, Bree. "Teaching Outside One's Race: The Story of an Oakland Teacher." Radical Teacher Summer 2004: 11+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.

          Bree Picower, writer of the article entitled “Teaching Outside One’s Race: The Story of an Oakland Teacher”, claims the importance of racial identity development in teaching and explains the misconception of the public towards Ebonics caused by the media. The writer provides accurate evidences to support her claims, which includes facts and expert opinions from the Prescott elementary school staff and various researchers and authors. The writer argues that educators should undergo racial identity development in order to understand and properly educate the students from different racial and cultural backgrounds. Also, she argues that Ebonics is not intended to replace the Standard English Program (SEP) but is rather utilized by educators to implement the program to their students more effectively and clearly. Picower used a direct tone and objective language, in presenting her claims, to establish Ethos towards the readers by properly considering both sides of the issue. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in her argument because she provides accurate and strong evidences to support her claims. The argument is logical because the writer presented her claims and supported it with various evidences, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article convinced me that racial identity development is important in educating students because in order for an educator to teach effectively, one must accept and understand the background of their students. Also, the article convinced me that the Oakland School Board’s approval of Ebonics is appropriate since it would enable students, specifically African American children, to better understand their instructors towards the implementation of the Standard English Program.

PRO:

Rickford, John R. "The Ebonics Controversy in My Backyard: A Sociolinguist's Experiences and Reflections." The Ebonics Controversy in My Backyard: A Sociolinguist's Experiences and Reflections. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2015.

          John Rickford, writer of the article entitled “The Ebonics Controversy in My Backyard: A sociolinguist’s Experiences and Reflections”, claims the important role of sociolinguists in discussing language related issues, such as Ebonics, to the public.  The writer provides accurate and relevant evidences to support his claim, which includes facts, statistics, and expert opinions on the topic of Ebonics. He explains sociolinguists learn from their involvement in the Ebonics Debate, and how they participate in the process, from passing the Ebonics resolution, convincing government legislators, and discussing Ebonics to the public through the media. The writer argues that the Oakland School Board’s resolution for the use of Ebonics is appropriate because existing methods are ineffective in teaching African American students, as reflected on statistical data, and it is the sociolinguists role to inform others, such as the government officials and the public, regarding the specifics of the issue. The writer uses an informative tone and formal language, presenting his claims, to establish Ethos and create a better connection with his audience. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in his argument because he provides adequate and accurate evidences to support his claims. The argument is logical because the writer presented his claims and supported it with sufficient evidences, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in writing the article. Overall, the article convinced me that Ebonics is appropriate and beneficial towards the implementation of the Standard English Program. Also, the article convinced me of the important role played by sociolinguists, like Rickford, in conducting Language Debates and informing the public regarding the issue, since there numerous misinterpretations reflected by media sources in their reports.

PRO:

Troutt, David. "Defining Who We Are in Society." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 1997. Web. 06 Feb. 2015.

          David Troutt, writer of the article entitled “Defining Who We Are in Society”, claims the use of language should serve as a tool for communication and not a determinant of our status in the society. The writer provides relevant evidences to support his claim, which includes facts, such as the Brown v. Board of Education court case, and examples, such as those that demonstrate the use of Ebonics in the media. He argues language is not a property of anyone and Ebonics is a dialect used by Blacks in order to create a connection within a society. Troutt used a concise tone and formal language, in presenting his claims, to establish a better connection and stronger argument to his readers. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in his argument because he provides relevant evidences to support his claims. The argument is logical because the writer presented his claims and supported it with evidences, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article convinced me that language is used to communicate with other people in society and using Ebonics in teaching should be allowed in schools because it would enable them to improve their understanding and connection with their educators and, therefore, would enable them to maximize their learning abilities.

PRO:

Heller, Daniel A. "Support for Ebonics." English Journal, 87.4 (1998): 89.

          Daniel Heller, writer of the article entitled “Support for Ebonics”, claims Ebonics as “systematic and rule-governed”(89). The writer provides relevant evidences to support his claim, which includes examples demonstrating the difference between language and dialects. He explains how different dialects of Chinese are incomprehensible to each other and how two different languages, Norwegian and Swedish, are communally comprehensible. The writer argues that the use of Ebonics is necessary in schools because it improves understanding and communication between students and educators and therefore, improves the students’ academic performance. Heller uses a direct tone and formal language, in presenting his claims, to establish a better connection with his audience. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in his argument because he provides evidences to support his claims. The argument is logical because the writer presented his evidences before stating his claims, which demonstrates inductive reasoning. However, one fallacy committed by the writer is reductive fallacy, which is the oversimplification of the evidences and claims presented. Heller could have created a stronger argument by mentioning more specific evidences that support his claim. Overall, the article convinced me that Ebonics should be an acknowledged pedagogy since it improves the academic performance of students, specifically African American children, which could be a tool for a better implementation of the Standard English Program.

PRO:

"CCCC Statement on Ebonics." College Composition and Communication, 50.3 (1999): 524.

          The writers of the article, “CCCC Statement on Ebonics”, claims Ebonics as a language and a tool for learning. The writers provide evidences to support their claims, which include facts relating Ebonics and the media. They explain how Ebonics is inaccurately portrayed and presented to the public by the media, through newspapers, reports, and commentaries. The writer argues Ebonics as a tool for learning and how educators, who are unwilling to adapt to new pedagogy, presents a problem in the academic success of the Ebonics-speaking students. The writers used an approving tone and formal language, in presenting their claims, to establish a better connection with their audience and create a clearer argument. Moreover, the writers were partly reasonable in their argument because they provided diminutive evidences to support their claims. The argument is logical because the writers presented their evidence before stating their claims, which demonstrates inductive reasoning. Furthermore, a fallacy committed by the writers is hasty generalization, wherein a claim is asserted based on few evidences. Overall, the article convinced me that Ebonics should be implemented because it would be beneficial in the learning process of Ebonics-speaking children. Also, the article convinced me that educators, who are unwilling to adapt to the pedagogy of Ebonics, poses a hindrance on the academic success of their students by depriving them of effective learning tools.

PRO:

Johnson, ST. "The Evolution of Ebonics." Journal of Negro Education, 67.1 (1998): 1.

          The writers of the article, “The Evolution of Ebonics”, claim Ebonics as a language with a strong historical foundation. The writers provide relevant evidences to support their claims, which include historical facts demonstrating the evolution of Ebonics as a language. They explained how African slaves of the past had to develop a system of communication to interact with each other, which is now acknowledge as “Ebonics.” Also, they explained how Ebonics was utilized as a language from eras of abolition to affirmative action. The writers used a subjective tone and formal language, in presenting their claims, to establish a stronger argument. Moreover, the writers are partly reasonable in their argument because they presented minimal evidence to support their claims. However, the argument is logical because the writers presented their claim and supported it with evidences, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. One fallacy committed by the writers is hasty generalization, wherein they constructed their claims from a very limited range of evidences. Overall, the article convinced me that Ebonics should be considered a language, since it possess a very strong historical foundation and evidently serves as a tool of communication for Ebonics-speaking individuals.

PRO:

Brice-Finch, Jacqueline. "Ebonics: When is Dialect Acceptable English?." The Clearing House, 70.5 (1997): 228-229.

          Jacqueline Brice-Finch, writer of the article “Ebonics: When is Dialect Acceptable English?” claims the importance of an educator’s familiarity with the student’s spoken language in utilizing more effective teaching methods. The writer provides relevant evidences to support her claims, which includes her personal experiences and examples demonstrating the importance of a familiar language in conveying a message. She explains the importance of learning a student’s vernacular in implementing better teaching methods, as stated in her article “I have to learn what their words mean, to learn their vernacular, in order to get them to understand the necessity of their learning educated English, the lingua franca of the United States.” (228) The writer argues that Ebonics should be implemented since it would create a better connection between a student and an educator. Brice-Finch used a casual tone and objective language, in presenting her claims, to establish Ethos and create a better connection with her readers. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in her argument because she provides sufficient evidences to support her claims. The argument is logical because the writer presented her claims and supported it with evidences, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article convinced me that Ebonics should be implemented because it is a beneficial pedagogy to Ebonics-speaking students.

PRO:

WELDON, TRACEY. "Reflections on the Ebonics Controversy." American Speech, 75.3 (2000): 275-277.

          Tracey Weldon, writer of the article “Reflections on the Ebonics Controversy”, claims the presence of several misconceptions towards the controversy of Ebonics. The writer provides adequate evidences to support her claims, which includes statements from opponents of Ebonics pedagogy implementation. She explains how individuals view Ebonics as a separation of the African American from other races and an admission of linguistic adequacy. The writer argues that linguists a, like her, are responsible in clearing these misconceptions and inquires their involvement in promoting Ebonics and dialect awareness to the public. Weldon uses a direct tone and colloquial language, in presenting her claims, to establish a better connection with her audience. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in her argument because she provides relevant evidences to support her claims and both sides of the argument were considered. The argument is also logical because the writer presented her claims and supported it evidences, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article convinced me that linguists play a significant role in discussing controversial issues related to language, such as Ebonics, because misconceptions on these concerns exists among individuals.

CON:

Hutchinson, Earl Ofari. "The Fallacy of Ebonics." The Black Scholar, 27.1 (1997): 36-37.

          Earl Ofari Hutchinson, writer of the article “The Fallacy of Ebonics”, claims the fallacies of the Oakland School Board’s resolution for Ebonics. The writer provides relevant evidences, which includes a similar resolution related to Ebonics, such as the program implemented by the Los Angeles Unified School District. He explains how the district implemented the program, called “special language”, for several years to help non-white students learn Standard English, and yet, there are no evidence presented that proves the achievement of the program. The writer argues that Ebonics creates a stereotype conveying blacks as linguistically inadequate and intellectually incompetent. He also states Ebonics as a program that causes the majority of the public to disregard the diversity existing among Black people. As the author stated, “Blacks like other ethnic groups use the full range of tones, inflections, and accents in their speech depending on their education, family background and the region they live.” (36) Hutchinson used a direct tone and formal language, in presenting his claims, to establish a stronger argument. Moreover, the writer is partly reasonable in his argument because he provides insufficient evidences to support his claims. However, the argument is logical because the writer presented his claims and supported it with evidence, which demonstrates deductive reasoning. Furthermore, a fallacy committed by the writer is hasty generalization, wherein the claims presented are based on limited or insufficient evidences. Overall, the article did not convince me that Ebonics is a “flat-out fallacy” (37) because it is a program designed to improve the methods of educators and maximize an Ebonics-speaking student learning abilities.

CON:

Todd, Leon W., Jr. "Ebonics is defective speech and a handicap for Black children." Education 118.2 (1997): 177+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.

          Leon Todd, writer of the article “Ebonics is defective speech and a handicap for Black children”, claims Ebonics pedagogy as disadvantageous for Ebonics-speaking students because it would hinder better learning and impede career success in the future. The writer provides relevant evidences, which includes examples demonstrating the fallacies of Ebonics. He explains the Oakland School Board’s resolution of using Ebonics is an “egregious error” (177) because it leads to racial segregation and creates misconception on Ebonics-speaking students by making them believe Ebonics would result to a good career. The writer argues the implementation of Standard English instead of Ebonics in educating students is necessary in order to produce career-competent professionals in the future. Todd uses direct tone and formal language, in presenting his claims, to establish a stronger argument. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in his argument because he provides sufficient evidences to support his claims. The argument is logical because the writer presents his evidences before stating his claims, which demonstrates inductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article did not convince me of the implementation of Ebonics as unbeneficial to Ebonics-speaking students because it would provide students with better learning methods and, therefore, maximize their capabilities and develop their potentials. The new Ebonics pedagogy proposed by the Oakland School Board is not implemented to replace the Standard English Program but rather serve as a tool for students to have a better understanding in learning Standard English.

CON:

Leo, John. "Ebonics? No thonics!." U.S. News & World Report 20 Jan. 1997: 20. Academic Search Premier. Web. 6 Feb. 2015.

          John Leo, writer of the article “Ebonics? No thonics!” claims Ebonics as an ineffective pedagogy for Ebonics-speaking students. The writer provides accurate and relevant evidences to support his claims, which includes statistical facts and examples related to the issue. He explains how Hispanic children were instructed in schools using their home language, at the average cost of $5.5 billion annually for twenty-five years, exhibited the highest drop out rates compared to other ethnic groups. The writer argues the Ebonics pedagogy is ineffective and unnecessary because it would not be beneficial to Ebonics-speaking children, similar to the teaching method used on Spanish-speaking students. Leo uses a concise tone and formal language, in presenting his claims, to create a better connection with his audience and establish a stronger argument. Moreover, the writer is reasonable in his argument because he provides evidences to support his claims. The argument is logical because the writer presented evidences before stating his claims, which demonstrates inductive reasoning. Furthermore, the writer did not commit any fallacy in the article. Overall, the article did not convince me that Ebonics is ineffective because even though the pedagogy did not imply a positive outcome on the Hispanic students, several studies proved the Ebonics program effective, such as those stated in the article of Bree Picower entitled "Teaching Outside One's Race: The Story of an Oakland Teacher", which demonstrates an improvement on the academic performances of children in Prescott Elementary School.