DW4a: Topic Proposal

Top Proposal:

For the final project, I plan on conveying the argument that Ebonics is an equally sufficient language. I also plan on placing urgency on the idea of teaching students, mainly focused on grades k-12, the truth about AAVE; where it came from, the rules, and the myths. To accomplish this task, I will construct a syllabus designing a course structured around these main ideas. This theme is important because in order to accept AAVE, you need to understand it. Many people reject what is "different" or unfamiliar, so by teaching students about AAVE, you are taking steps to linguistic equality. I chose this topic because before taking this WRA class, I had many false ideas and notions about what AAVE was.

To convey this theme, I plan on using many different genres that reach students on a more relatable level. The course syllabus will be clear and easy to understand. I will reference well known scholars such as Smitherman and Zuidema to disprove the many myths that there are about AAVE. I will also provide a worksheet comparing and translating Standard English and AAVE. The whole course is aimed at changing the stereotypical views many people have about AAVE in comparison to Standard English. Other possibilities for lessons are an example of a conversation between an AAVE and SE speaker, a study done on the class after it is completed and the effects it had on the students, and different readings and articles that support this theme. By incorporating all of these elements together, a great curriculum will be formed for learning and teaching AAVE and linguistic diversity.


Zuidema, Leah. “Myth Education: Rationale and Strategies for Teaching against Linguistic Prejudice.” Journal of Adolescent Literacy 48.8 (May 2005): 668-675. Rpt. in A Reader for Writers. Eds. Craig, Perryman-Clark, and DeJoy: Boston: McGraw- Hill, 2008. 351-366.