Another Note about Terminology; or, The Difficulty of Labeling the Language Patterns
and Practices of Black People in the United States
Who Uses African American English?
African American English Is a Complete Linguistic System
The Next Step: Adding Your Own Research to the Study of AAE and Black Language
Practices
How Faculty Can Take This Knowledge Forward
- Defines African-American English, giving geographic and historical information as to its origins and the populations that speak this linguistic variety
- Describes core sociolinguistic concepts of language, communication, variety, dialect, and register, centered on and informed by Africana studies and critical race theory
- Gives a detailed linguistic overview that contextualizes and explains key phonological, phonetic, morphosyntactic, lexical, and discourse features of African-American English (AAE)
- Includes real examples of language: The use of key AAE features will be discussed in highlighted boxes and linked to online media content
- Key themes:
- Why the politics of representation, including names and labels such as AAE, matter
- The structure and social context of AAE are interwoven and interrelated: A focus on culture and meaning
- The critical utility of linguistic and cultural knowledge: Helping us move from understanding to empowerment
