I Teach_U (Un)Learn: Centering Black Educators' Experience Integrating Africana Vernacular English in Classroom Instruction

• In Event: Teachers' Sense-Making About Black Language and Linguistic Justice Pedagogy

Abstract

Objectives/Purpose: A significant number of Black students feel compelled to suppress some aspect of their identity while attending school because their language—their culture is not integrated into the learning environment. According to Ladson-Billings (1995), this fosters an internalization among Black students that they are not allowed to be themselves at school, that their language is inferior, and that their culture is ignored. Therefore, it is necessary for experienced Educators to be conscious that the academic success of Black students will improve if Africana Vernacular English (AVE) is integrated into the pedagogical approaches that they utilize in instruction. The purpose of this research is to examine how experienced Black Educators use Critical Language Pedagogy (CLP) to support the education of Black students.

Perspective(s) or Theoretical Framework: Critical Language Pedagogy (CLP) is a social justice-oriented approach to teaching second, additional, heritage, and other languages (Crookes, 2021). It is aligned with an instructional method in which the work of Freire is highly favored (Crookes, 2021). Akbari (2008) asserts that Black students will cultivate a critical awareness and respect for their own culture if instruction is based on their heritage, lived experiences, and language. This will also prevent the development of a sense of inferiority, which could result from an excessive dependence on Standard American English (Akbari, 2008). CLP will provide insight into the significance of centering experienced Black Educators’ experiences with integrating AVE into classroom instruction. It has comparatively small academic and scientific literature since it takes anti-mainstream viewpoints in many aspects of its philosophy and practice. Its growth has been slow and gradual since just a few scholars have had the favorable conditions required to investigate it and publish their findings (Crookes, 2021).

Methods: I conducted semi-structured interviews to investigate how experienced Black Educators integrate CLP in instruction to enhance Black students' education. In addition, research participants participated in a focus group discussion to go deeper into Educators’ narratives about how they use CLP to support Black students.

Data Sources: I conducted interviews with five Black Educators who have been in the field of education for three or more years. All of the participants have acknowledged AVE to be their home language, and have utilized it as a means of instruction.

Results: According to preliminary findings, participants believe that integrating AVE in classroom instruction will foster the development of relationships with Black students and eradicate the misconception that their culture and their language are inferior. In addition, participants suggest that integrating AVE to scaffold the learning process will increase Black student achievement.

Significance: In the classroom, AVE and other styles of Black language expression are not valued. In addition, Black students are forced to adapt and assimilate to the status quo, which is sometimes interpreted as a rejection of their history, culture, and the experiences they have endured in their lives. This research highlights the importance of integrating AVE in the classroom as a means of connecting with Black students and bringing about liberation and affirmation for those students.

Author

• Monisha W. Atkinson, East Carolina University
  Presenting Author