Why do African Americans write the way they speak?

Question

I have a friend who teaches college English and he has shown me papers written by some of his African American students. They are full of things like "She do this.." and " I be that.." I'm not trying to be condscending. I just want to know why this is done.

Answer 1

The particular papers you have read obviously come from students who are not that good with composition. It has nothing to do with race. I want to know why people so frivolously make blanket statements, knowing the statement is fallacious.

Corrected: Why do SOME African-Americans write the way they speak?

By the way, i write extremely well and I have come to find that people who are not experienced with composition tend to write in a conversational tone, regardless of race.

Answer 2

I don't know..why those particular students write that way..unless the schools that they went to did not spend enough time and effort on making sure students were excelling. My husband is black and he never writes that way. He sounds and writes like he is Al Gore or Bill Clinton or something. Not everyone writes that way..that would be a stereotype. There are alot of schools that drop the ball if you know what i mean. There are schools without money and teachers that don't care..even parents that don't care. Its really sad because every kid deserves the best.

Answer 3

Not all "African Americans" write or speak using incorrect English. I'm Black and everyone in my family is well educated and we have never spoken improperly. I think you are jumping to conclusion and generalizing an entire group of people based off your experiences which is ignorant in my opinion. Some Black Americans, live in neighbors that are poverty stricken and aren't expose to higher education probably until they attend college. I think you should consider looking at people as individuals and not colors. My skin color, eye color, and hair texture have nothing to do with my actions, intellect or spirit. Think about that.

Answer 4

People write the way they think. Some people have not had strong language skills ingrained in them. Others just gave up on ever learning things correctly, instead deciding to follow their "peers" by using slang and similar words in all aspects of their life.

Personally, I cant stand it when I meet someone who talks like that all the time. I cannot understand them for the life of me at all. As far as I am concerned, they should learn how to speak and write English correctly and use it that way all the time.

Answer 5

Really it is all about education. If someone has been taught composition, they will know not to use common spoken language outside of AIM or personal emails.

Sadly, a lot of Black Americans attended poorly funded, poorly staffed schools where they are passed regardless of their lack of skills. Many of their teachers are just there for a paycheck, and those that actually want to teach struggle against years of neglectful teaching. As a result many of their students don't know better.

Answer 6

So, are all the blacks in this person's class ghetto?

Personally, I don't believe this story because if they are on college level, let alone high school level, they would not write like that.

The term papers will be literally thrown into the trash because of such grammar.

Also, the students would not make it through the semester.

If your friend allow this, he/she should be shot.

Second, This person has absolutely no right to disclose information to you.

So, NO, I don't believe this story.

Answer 7

People write as in how dey speak cuz it'show dey th'o't like dat.


When my son was learning how to write a story by sounding out his words when he was in first grade,a sentence simple as, " I don't like that." was on paper as," I don' like dat."


Plus, I think it only makes sense that people write as the speak because it can't come out any other way then we think. And when you use Ebonics to speak to people in your "hood" it tends to become apart of everything you do, even in writing. I've caught myself. I am from Detroit so, apparently, I don't speak proper English 100% of the time.

Answer 8

because you translate what is in your head as you are writing, that's why you see some spelling/grammar errors in here when a foreigner asks or answers a question. Like your errors in your question. Your friend teaches Collegiate English not college english and the word is CONDESCENDING

Answer 9

I donno, maybe cuz we all have quarks. do U C any here? I do 2. Wink.
but um if you want a real answer, I think it is the parants. every child allready knows how to talk by the time they get to school...and you know the parents are the ones who teach there kids this right? and I think if just feels natual to write they way you speak. but to be a good student you have to relearn to write the correct way. it's a pain and I think a lot of people are lazy or it's just to tough. and thats why we now have a whole new language for computer talk. as in, u c what I'm sayin? good thats gr8. ttyl, lol

Answer 10

Idiots