ebonics

[The Bat]

Believe me, in England, they have their own slang and derragatory words as well as poor grammar, it just sounds better with an accent.

I'm well aware of that...but even with Thier slang...the English pronunciation is better than Our's. Now the Scottish....They're a wee bit more difficult to decipher...but I've develoved an affinity for it thier slang, and understand just about every word of it.

[Adam West]

Sometimes I th'o't dat peeps just try an' use less English ta git off easy. A lot o' it comes wiff less educated peeps who iz looking fo' an easy way out. It iz really sad. don't make me shank ya!

[Vortigern99]

There will always be regional dialects in every language spoken around the world, and there will always be standardized forms spoken by academics and businesspersons which adhere to more stringent rules. The trick is to know which form is appopriate for which occasion. There is nothing inherently 'wrong' or 'stupid' about a regional dialect; it is merely the simpler, more accessible form of the language used in everyday speech, wherein proper conjugation, grammar, etc. are secondary to the ease of use. However, when attempting to communicate with others whose own dialect may be markedly different from one's own, such as in business or academic arenas, the standardized form of the language is essential to fluid and efficient interpersonal relations.

In other words... Don' be a hater.

[Cosmicman]

Sometimes I th'o't dat peeps just try an' use less English ta git off easy. A lot o' it comes wiff less educated peeps who iz looking fo' an easy way out. It iz really sad. don't make me shank ya!

[Adam West]

I feel American in general...is sorely lacking in it's use of the English language. I work in a blue Collar(Union)environment...so I try to make a conscious effort not to let My Vocabulary slip into colorful Slang. On My trips to England...it becomes clear how to properly use the English Language(it makes Me embarrassed for America).The Whites, Blacks, and little Children ALL speak the Queen's English so much better than We do...it makes Me want to live there!

Believe me, in England, they have their own slang and derragatory words as well as poor grammar, it just sounds better with an accent.

[Mikey]

I really can't say too much about it .... I was raised in an area that spoke a combo of English mixed with a combo of Polish-Ukranian and just a tad of Yiddish.
It was fine in my town and area --- but I noticed the rest of the country didn't know what the hell I was saying sometimes.
At a young age I made an effort to try and speak more General American.
It's too bad these kids can't see the BIG PICTURE.

[The Bat]

I feel American in general...is sorely lacking in it's use of the English language. I work in a blue Collar(Union)environment...so I try to make a conscious effort not to let My Vocabulary slip into colorful Slang. On My trips to England...it becomes clear how to properly use the English Language(it makes Me embarrassed for America).The Whites, Blacks, and little Children ALL speak the Queen's English so much better than We do...it makes Me want to live there!

[BlackKnight]

It will all just be like in the movie Idiocracy one day.

[draconianguard]

It irks me when people use a double negative in a sentence. When I catch my kids speak that way I always have to correct them--When they say, "he don't have no crayons" I always say, Oh you mean, he DOESN'T have ANY crayons?

True dat, true dat

[jessica]

It irks me when people use a double negative in a sentence. When I catch my kids speak that way I always have to correct them--When they say, "he don't have no crayons" I always say, Oh you mean, he DOESN'T have ANY crayons?

[theantiquetiger]

2 of my pet peeves, Aks or Ax instead of ask

This is not ebonics, this is just dialect. Its the same as us here in the south saying "ya'll" or southern black people saying "aun-tee", instead of aunt. I catch myself saying aks sometimes and I am not black. It is just a southern draw.

[The Toyroom]

2 of my pet peeves, Aks or Ax instead of ask, and Liberry instead of library. I tell my kids there are blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, but there is no such thing as a Liberry! And Ax is something you chop down a tree with.

[HardyGirl]

As a black woman, I HATE ebonics. I hate getting lumped into the ghetto mentality b/c I'm black, but then when I open my mouth and speak proper English, I get called a white girl wannabe. I have a really hard time taking any black person seriously who can't speak proper grammar. 2 of my pet peeves, Aks or Ax instead of ask, and Liberry instead of library. I tell my kids there are blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, but there is no such thing as a Liberry! And Ax is something you chop down a tree with.

[sauce]

I teach high school English and certainly see my fair share of students using nonstandard forms in many different contexts. I try to use it as a way into teaching them the standard forms. I think the challenge of our ever-changing culture lies in bridging the new and the old. I get a lot of joy out of teaching Shakespeare because it provides so many rich experiences for the students to learn a new language....and then when we rewrite Shakespeare in modern language, boy do I ever do a lot of learning myself!
Bryan

[txteach]

Let me clarify my post. ALL kids are guilty of this. I see white kids calling each other the N word to mean buddy. I have hispanic, white, black, and all others who speak like they have no command of the language.