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AAVE: African American Vernacular English


Although many people refer to this variety as "Ebonics", most linguists prefer the term African American English (AAE) or or African American Vernacular English (AAVE). This term serves to place AAVE in the context of the many 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. AAVE 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 AAVE for both academia and the public.

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 VERNACULAR 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 VERNACULAR ENGLISH

December 25, 1996 to Present

Page Updated: 30-Jul-2010
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