Lisa Depit's article starts off with two questions that she developed while observing her daughter's happiness/language use changes when moving from a white private school into a charter school that is approximately 98 percent African American. The first question she had was about why she got so emotional over her daughters new found proficiency in Ebonics. Her second question was closely related, or at least dependent on, the answer to her first question. Delpit also wondered why black students had so much trouble with Standard American English when her daughter could learn Ebonics so quickly.
Her first question was answered quite simply. Delpit realized that African Americans had always been forced to be ashamed of Ebonics, and had been taught (incorrectly) that it was not acceptable. Delpit goes on to say that when her daughter speaks Ebonics she fears that people will be, "negatively assessing her intelligence, her competence, her potential, and yes, even her moral fiber," (38).
Depit's daughter countered her concerns with the idea of "code switching" which I take to mean changing between dialects as is appropriate. This transitions into her second question- HOW YOUNG BLACK CHILDREN STRUGGLE WITH LEARNING STANDARD AMERICAN ENGISH. Lisa Delpit concludes that, "acquiring an additional code [language or dialect] comes from identifying with those who speak it, connecting the language form with all that is self-affirming and esteem-building, inviting and fun," (39). She cites a study that determined there are two styles that come into pay when learning language; rule-based instruction and "picking up" a language unconsciously.
Her solution to this problem is, "teachers must not only see their students language as nondeficient, they must understand their brilliance, and the brilliance of their home language," (42).
I am planning on doing my research paper on Ebonics and this has helped me a lot.
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