Annotated Bibliography

Bean Janet, Maryann Cucchiara, Robert Eddy, Peter Elbow, Rhonda Grego, Rich Haswell, Patricia Irvine, Eileen Kennedy, Ellie Kutz, Al Lehner, and Paul Kei Matsuda. “Should We Invite Students to Write in Home Languages? Complicating the Yes/No Debate.” Composition Studies 31.1 (2003):25-42.

The authors pose various questions regarding writing in Standardized English or one’s mother tongue. The authors state that it is the conditions of a situation that dictate when to use a specific language style. They offer a list of variable to consider when deciding what language or dialect to use.

Billings, Andrew C. “Beyond the Ebonics Debate: Attitudes about Black and Standard American
English.” Journal of Black Studies 36.1 (2005): 68-81.

Billings makes use of a study done, to show the influences that Ebonics may have on perceptions of Black English. The author makes known both sides of the debate by providing numerous references of sociolinguists. The results of the studies highlighted the situations appropriate for the use of Black English and the attitudes toward the dialect.

Louden, Mark L. “African-Americans and Minority Language Maintenance in the United States.” The Journal of Negro History 85.4 (2000): 223-240.

Louden makes two arguments regarding the historical origin of African American Vernacular English. One theory states that AAVE originated from creolized varieties of English. The other suggestion states that AAVE began with the first African American slaves’ attempt to decipher forms of English spoken by co-territorial whites.

Palacas, Arthur L. “Liberating American Ebonics from Euro-English”. College English 63.3 (2001):326-352.

Palacas raises several questions regarding Ebonics, including whether Ebonics is a form on English or a dialect. He focuses mostly on the grammatical features of Ebonics in comparison with Standard English. Palacas cites many credited sources in his journal article in order to provide viewpoints that portray Ebonics as a language.