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AAE: African American English

Although many people refer to this variety as "Ebonics", most linguists prefer the term African American English. This term aligns the variety with regional, national, and sociocultural forms of English such as Southern English, British English, Cajun English, and so forth; it also avoids the strong emotions and misunderstandings sometimes associated with the term Ebonics. AAE has been an important topic of discussion among linguists and the public for almost a half-century now, and is often discussed in sociolinguistics courses. Here, LINGUIST provides a central location for academic resources regarding AAE for both academia and the public.

1979 ANN ARBOR BLACK ENGLISH TRIAL

RESOLUTIONS BY THE OAKLAND CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARD
ACADEMIA'S RESPONSE TO THE 90'S "EBONICS" CONTROVERSY
HISTORY OF THE LANGUAGE FURTHER SOCIOLINGUISTIC RESOURCES AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGLISH IN THE 21st CENTURY
    "No variety of English has been more closely scrutinized over the past half-century than African American English. We have learned much about its historical development and structural description, and its status as a legitimate variety of English is unquestioned. At the same time, it remains embedded in enduring controversy, due no doubt to the sensitivity of race and ethnicity in American society."

    -Dr. Walt Wolfram (Sociolinguist), July 2007
DISCUSSIONS ON LINGUIST PERTAINING TO AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGLISH

December 25, 1996 to Present
Page Updated: 11-May-2008

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